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ktinkel · 12-20-2007, 09:55 AM

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.

12-20-2007, 09:55 AM	#1
ktinkel Founding Sysop Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: In Connecticut, on the Housatonic River near its mouth at Long Island Sound. Posts: 11,187	Cross-platform file naming 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. __________________ [SIZE=2][COLOR=LemonChiffon]::[/COLOR][/SIZE] [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Last edited by ktinkel; 12-21-2007 at 06:11 AM. Reason: fix bizarre typo*

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