No filename

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 11 Apr 2008 12:42

It's not a bug, it's not a wish...I don't know what it is...

Anyway, a couple of days ago I found out that it's possible to just rename a file into nothing. Not literally, but it's possible to have a file and no name, just an extension. Is there a reason for that and is there a setting that would prevent that? Explorer don't allow the same action fyi....

Post by **admin** » 11 Apr 2008 12:52

ivan wrote:It's not a bug, it's not a wish...I don't know what it is...

Anyway, a couple of days ago I found out that it's possible to just rename a file into nothing. Not literally, but it's possible to have a file and no name, just an extension. Is there a reason for that and is there a setting that would prevent that? Explorer don't allow the same action fyi....

I've been through the desert on a file with no name ... isn't it nice you can do something Explorer cannot. If you don't like it don't do it.

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 11 Apr 2008 13:05

I was simply trying to understand a logic behind this. What if something screws up and a bunch of my files are renamed to no names and suffixes and that's all. Wouldn't happen in Explorer, would it? Can you please at least have a tickbox or something that says along the lines "Disable renaming of files into files with no filename"? Gives people a choice of whether to go for it or not and would offer similar functionality as Explorer. Sometimes being able to do it in XYplorer and not being able to do it in Explorer isn't necessarily the best thing since sliced bread

Post by **admin** » 11 Apr 2008 13:14

But there's still the extension.

Post by **admin** » 11 Apr 2008 13:57

admin wrote:But there's still the extension.

Also, I need files called ".htaccess" for my web sites...

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 11 Apr 2008 14:14

admin wrote:But there's still the extension.

Let's not get silly here. Say you have a file called .txt then all the following files which are renamed into .txt won't be .txt but will be "suffix you've chosen in preferences".txt, "suffix you've chosen in preferences +1".txt and so on. So how do you know in which file there is info you need?

admin wrote:Also, I need files called ".htaccess" for my web sites...

Sure, but not everybody does. Not everybody who uses XYplorer runs websites. What I'm asking is: at least give us an option to enable/disable allowing files being renamed into ".extension". Those who need it (you, for example) will enable it and those who don't need it (me, for example) will have some safety net. Please...

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 11 Apr 2008 14:29

How about an INI tweak, anyone? I don't think it'd be used enough to qualify for a Config panel setting....

Pagat · Post by **Pagat** » 11 Apr 2008 20:56

i always hated Windows Explorer for not allowing me to create a ".htaccess" file... i prefer the way it works now.

Post by **admin** » 11 Apr 2008 21:12

Pagat wrote:i always hated Windows Explorer for not allowing me to create a ".htaccess" file... i prefer the way it works now.

Yep.

Furthermore, in NTFS there is no such thing as an "extension". The dot is just another legal character in filenames and ".txt" is a totally wellformed filename. That "extensions" are still used to organize filetypes is just a useful relict from DOS 8.3 times.

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 11 Apr 2008 21:54

All I'm asking for is to be given a choice. Once again .htaccess is for those who deal with websites. Whether that's a majority of people or not I don't know but I think it's a feature of Explorer that should be carried over but not be the default one.

RalphM · Post by **RalphM** » 12 Apr 2008 01:07

ivan wrote:Let's not get silly here...

Agreed!

ivan wrote:...So how do you know in which file there is info you need?

I'd say by checking, since you messed up with some rename job.
Let's see the good side of it, at least you know that there's sth wrong with those files, which can't be said for other possible outcomes of a bad rename job.

I'd say "two fools rule" 'cos otherwise the ini might soon be a jungle of tweaks to wade through.

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 12 Apr 2008 01:50

What if some malicious software did it? What if I screwed up a rename job, but there is no undo function in the program or in XYplorer?

PeterH · Post by **PeterH** » 12 Apr 2008 13:04

I see no problems having a file .txt

But I don't understand something else: shouldn't i.e. x and x. and x.. be different files? But if one of these exists, I can't create a new file with one of the other names. ("Name already exists...")
(As expected, x.x and x..x are allowed! As are t and .t and ..t)

A little bit strange, but understandable: the name . is not allowed

(The name should be allowed - but it has a special meaning and so isn't usable.)

Post by **admin** » 12 Apr 2008 13:13

PeterH wrote:I see no problems having a file .txt

But I don't understand something else: shouldn't i.e. x and x. and x.. be different files? But if one of these exists, I can't create a new file with one of the other names. ("Name already exists...")
(As expected, x.x and x..x are allowed! As are t and .t and ..t)

A little bit strange, but understandable: the name . is not allowed
(The name should be allowed - but it has a special meaning and so isn't usable.)

Yes, I was a bit bold when claiming that the dot is just another legal character.

I don't know if it is NTFS or the Windows File API, but trailing dots are not allowed resp. they are simply ignored when renaming a file.

ivan · Post by **ivan** » 12 Apr 2008 16:51

The thing is that some people might not have any problem with a file called .txt while some rather not have the ability to do it or have it happen accidentally...

XYplorer Beta Club

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