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characters_filenames [2019-09-22 13:32:08]
mi [Windows Powershell]
characters_filenames [2020-06-20 23:14:40] (current)
mi [Path separators]
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 ====== Characters in file names ====== ====== Characters in file names ======
 +
 +Note : this page often uses "​Unix"​ for non-Windows systems, because Mac OS and Linux are both Unix-based systems. And the Web standard also originated on Unix systems, so for example, it's path separator is the same "/"​.
 +
 +===== Path separators =====
 +* / in Unix and on the web. Windows also accpts it in some contexts, but sometimes not.
 +* \ in Windows. But it's an escape character in Unix.
 +* : was used in the old Mac OS up to version 9. See the [[#Mac : / confusion]] below.
  
 ===== Escape characters ===== ===== Escape characters =====
  
-\ Unix escape +  * \ Unix escape 
-^ Windows cmd.exe escape +  ​* ​^ Windows cmd.exe escape 
-` Windows PowerShell escape+  ​* ​` Windows PowerShell escape 
 + 
 +(see also https://​en.wikipedia.org/​wiki/​Escape_character)
  
 ===== Windows Powershell ===== ===== Windows Powershell =====
Line 57: Line 66:
  
 So it lists the obvious control characters 0 to 31 (x00-x1F), plus So it lists the obvious control characters 0 to 31 (x00-x1F), plus
-  * " echo test > "+  * "
   * *   * *
   * /   * /
Line 67: Line 76:
   * |   * |
  
 +===== At start or end of file name =====
 +  * space at the end of a file or directory name is ignored/​removed by Windows. It is OK in Unix, but obviously a problem because it's invisible.
 +  * . dot at the end of a file or directory name is ignored/​removed by Windows.
 +  * . dot at the start of a file or directory name makes it "​hidden"​ in Unix. It will not show in normal directory listings and file managers.
 +
 +===== Mac : / confusion =====
 +Mac OS in the eighties and nineties (up to version 9) was not a Unix-based system, and used ":"​ as a path separator. "/"​ had no special meaning for Macs, so it was accepted in file names like "​report 25/​3/​1992"​.
 +
 +When Mac replaced it's OS with Unix, "/"​ became an invalid character in file names, but on the other hand, ":"​ was now a perfectly normal character. So it decided to silently replace all "/"​ with ":",​ and made it's graphical interface handle the translation invisibly. So you can still see this "​report 25/​3/​1992"​ file in the Finder, and you can have the impression that you can still write a file named "​report 25/​12/​2019"​. However, the real file name in the file system will be "​report 25:​3:​1992",​ and some Mac programs will only see the real file name and not "​translate"​ it on the fly.
  
/docs/dokuwiki/data/attic/characters_filenames.1569151928.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019-09-22 13:32:08 by mi