Cross-platform file naming

[ktinkel]

A warning on use of reserved characters in both Mac OS and Windows from the January 2008 MacWorld:

Most Mac user know that Mac OS X will not allow use of the colon (_:_ ), as it is used in path names. Sometimes it will be converted to a hyphen, but some applications may merely beep and do nothing (Word does both of those), in which cases the file is not saved. You also cannot begin a file name with a period (_._), as that indicates an invisible file and it is reserved for use by the OS.

But if a Mac file is sent to a Windows XP user, these characters also cannot be used: asterisk (*), angle brackets (< >), double quotes ("), both slashes (/_\), pipe (|), semicolon (_;_), or question mark (?). All are reserved characters in Windows XP.

I often use question marks (to indicate a file needs to be examined or fixed) and sometimes use the regular slash. Bad habits! Tsk.

[annc]

I've always needed to make files cross-platform, and learnt the hard way many years ago that using only alphanumeric characters is the safest method.

[terrie]

ann: using only alphanumeric characters is the safest method.

Exactly!

People who put spaces in their file names make me crazy...'-}}

Terrie

[ktinkel]

Originally Posted by terrie

Exactly!

People who put spaces in their file names make me crazy...'-}}

I have spaces in mine when they are mostly for me — it makes them easier to read. But if I need to send them somewhere, I will replace the spaces with hyphens or underscores.

I hate stumbling across a web page with a URL full of 20%. Ugly and very hard to read.

[terrie]

kt: I have spaces in mine when they are mostly for me — it makes them easier to read. But if I need to send them somewhere, I will replace the spaces with hyphens or underscores.

I don't really care for those either...'-}}

But they are at least better than spaces...

I've always read that underscores are "better" to use than a dash but I can't remember why...

I think I was a programmer for too long and worked with DOS for too long for the reason I get so unreasonable about spaces, dashes and underscores. I've only very recently allowed myself to use more than 8 characters in a filename and while it does make things more intelligible, I still cringe inside every time I do it...'-}}

Terrie

[Michael Rowley]

Terrie:

I've only very recently allowed myself to use more than 8 characters in a filename and while it does make things more intelligible

I feel guilty when I depart from the 8+3 pattern, but I must admit I have more difficulty in remembering my own mnemonics.

[iamback]

Originally Posted by Michael Rowley

I feel guilty when I depart from the 8+3 pattern, but I must admit I have more difficulty in remembering my own mnemonics.

I fully embraced long file names as soon as they became available to me - I have the computer to remember things for me: why should I have to remember cryptic abbreviations when a short phrase says it all?

[Michael Rowley]

Marjolein:

why should I have to remember cryptic abbreviations when a short phrase says it all?

There's no reason at all; it's a subjective thing. You probably are more knowledgeable about when the OS truncates file names though.

[iamback]

Originally Posted by Michael Rowley

There's no reason at all; it's a subjective thing. You probably are more knowledgeable about when the OS truncates file names though.

When the file name is longer than 8 characters, it can produce a "DOS" file name. The question is - when do you do your own abbreviations instead of just giving a file a logical name? And why?

[dthomsen8]

Originally Posted by terrie

...

I think I was a programmer for too long and worked with DOS for too long for the reason I get so unreasonable about spaces, dashes and underscores. I've only very recently allowed myself to use more than 8 characters in a filename and while it does make things more intelligible, I still cringe inside every time I do it...'-}}

Terrie

Ah, my thoughts on file names exactly. I worked on DOS too long to easily give up on 8-period-3 file names with letters, numbers and $ as the characters allowed. Oh, lower case letters only, no sense getting tangled up with Linux thinking upper and lower case are different, even though I use Windows. I still think of directories rather than folders, too.