On Tue, 2011-01-25 at 11:01 -0800, Bob Sneidar wrote: > To further complicate matters, in a server share environment, it is possible > to copy files with bad characters to a server, and then have the server > complain that it cannot find the file, or the file doesn't exist. > > So follow the mantra, NEVER use ANY special characters in a file name. If > fact, when naming anything destined for the network or internet, use only > lower case and numbers and if you have to a normal dash. Avoid spaces where > possible. > > my 2¢ > > Bob > > > On Jan 25, 2011, at 10:50 AM, Calvin Waterbury wrote: > > > Hi David, > > > > The first thing to understand about Windows® file names you can't use the > > following... > > > > \ / : * ? " < > | > > > > Please take a look at this page... > > http://www.portfoliofaq.com/pfaq/FAQ00352.htm > > ... highlight the word "period" in your browser. > > > > Here is the word straight from the horse's mouth... > > http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365247%28v=vs.85%29.aspx > > > > Aside form the above, here is what my own test results yielded... > > > >> 1. docs/hello.txt.html > > This will be interpreted as a the folder "doc" holding a single file named > > "hello.txt.html" > >> 2. docs/hello.txt/index.html > > This would be interpreted as folder "docs" containing another folder > > "hello.txt" which contained the file "index.html". > >> 3. docs/hello_txt/index.html > > (Same as above) > >> and for the image file it would be something like: > >> > >> 1. docs/hello.png/index.html > > (Again, same as above) > > > > Please note I have only tested this on Windows 7. If you need more > > specific testing, I'll try and help if I can. > > > > Fair winds, > > Calvin
But the "." is not generally a special character. The only caveats I have come across regarding its usage in filenames involve using it as either the first or last character of the filename and that the final period found will be treated as the marker for the file extension in Windows. Otherwise, as one can infer from available docs and Calvin's testing demonstrates, the "." is treated as any other character without special meaning to the OS. Using "." as a word separator in filenames (and directory names) is a fairly common practice, particularly among file sharers (mostly using Windows). Yet another link, just for fun: http://linuxboxadmin.com/articles/tools-and-utilities/linux/mac/windows-file-name-friction.html The business about the last period in a filename marking the start of a file extension doesn't seem to cause any recognition problems - a folder named "xxx.text" is correctly recognized by the file system as a folder rather than file "xxx" with extension "text" - on the desktop, but to satisfy any paranoid doubts, you might check that in a server environment. Otherwise you could have a hard time navigating to such a directory even though you can call the files it holds. Warren _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode
