Re: Slashes in filenames (was: Elementary fie naming question)
Re: Slashes in filenames (was: Elementary fie naming question)
- Subject: Re: Slashes in filenames (was: Elementary fie naming question)
- From: Axel Luttgens <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 17:12:41 +0100
Graff wrote:
On Jan 13, 2004, at 7:27 AM, Axel Luttgens wrote:
The whole matter started with a post from Bernard Azancot, who
encountered problems while trying to save files with names containing
slashes from a 'tell app "Tex-Edit Plus"' script (December 16th).
Marc and Ken suggested to change the slashes into dashes.
I felt somewhat uncomfortable with that workaround, as something
deeper seemed to be at work.
I first reacted to a statement from Ken, but that provoked a thread
through which I was not sure to recognize my own sentences and
arguments anymore, so that I decided to start a new one ;-)
The fact is that there seems to be a globally inconsistent behavior
with regards to slashes in file names.[1]
Which is really what I was getting at.
Not really the truth.
Initially, on December 17th, you wrote:
The problem is the underlying Unix-like nature of Mac OS X.
You can't have a file name that has a slash (/) in it because
that character is used for separating directories. In the
Finder all slashes (/) are automatically translated to
dashes (-).
At best, this may be viewed as very misleading.
So, before going on the general problem (hence the present thread), I
choosed to first ask whether you really meant the above.
In your reply, instead of re-think about what you wrote, YOU decided to
immediately go off-topic and to start with "It is generally a bad idea
to use certain characters in names".
Incidentally, did you really read my post, especially its first note?
Sure the various behaviors are probably due to bugs,
For a bug clearly located in a single, isolated app, it is easy to track
it, report it to the authors and wait for an update.
Here, the problem seems to be more general, more elusive.
but either way the safest path (and the simplest explanation)
So what?
Would you be satisfied with just an "explanation" when facing a system
crash every few minutes? Or when just continuously encountering small
but irritating inconsistencies while using your computer?
is just to avoid forward slashes and colons in file names.
How damn would you put colons into MacOS file names?
Please don't confuse people.
We are speaking about MacOS, aren't we?
And applescripting happens under MacOS, doesn't it?
MacOS allways has allowed many of those "certain characters" you want to
prohibit, slashes included.
And regular MacOS users sure expect being able to use such characters,
when not explicitely disallowed by the OS (as when trying to put a colon
in a file name through the Finder...).
Regular users: you know, those people who expect that legendary easy,
intuitive and unobstrusive use from their 'toshes, and who are not
hacking, unixing, peeking, poking...
Just two excerpts from the release notes for AS 1.9.2:
In AppleScript 1.9.1 and earlier, pathnames of alias objects
may have problems if they contain non-ASCII characters. This
has been fixed. [2765349]
The open for access command can now create a file whose name
contains slashes or colons (whichever is not the native path
separator for the path style in use). [3267270]
I guess you would say "Why the hell do they waste their time at Apple's?
I restrain myself to a 8+3 scheme, with unaccented uppercase letters and
digits!", won't you?
Anyway, it seems that Apple's intent is to keep as much as possible the
traditional MacOS behavior with regards to file names (remember that it
used to be very clear: any character but colons are allowed,
non-printing characters are discouraged).
And if this really is the intent, then the various slash-related
misbehaviors may help to track some un-updated, un-unified or even
contradictory basic libraries.
As well as perhaps help to clarify the documentation about such points.
Everyone could benefit.
Like the old joke goes, "Patient: It hurts when I move my arm this
way. Doctor: Then don't move it that way!"
"Proud owner: I have a british car. Wise repairman: one never knows,
don't ride on the right side of the street".
With such reasonings, we all would still be living with 10.0.x bugs.
- Ken
Axel
Apologizing for possibly having been somewhat direct :-(
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