Forward slash (/)

[Barry Karas]

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages' addresses
begin with "http://". (My quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions. For
example the slash cannot be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make the
forward slash acceptable?

Thank you,

Barry Karas

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages' addresses
begin with "http://". (My quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions. For
example the slash cannot be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make the
forward slash acceptable?

Thank you,

Barry Karas

Under Windows you have to use the backslash.
In the world of Unix, you can use the forward slash.

 

[Guest]

What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[Guest]

If you can't use the forward slash, either the key on your keyboard is
damaged or you've got a keylogger virus on your computer. Do a full system
scan for viruses and spyware.

 

[Richard in AZ]

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages' addresses begin with "http://". (My
quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions. For example the slash cannot
be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make the forward slash acceptable?

Thank you,

Barry Karas

As you noted, the (/) is used as a specific reference tool in Web addresses.
It is also used to indicate a "switch" function in DOS commands.
That is why you cannot use it in a file name. The computer thinks you are providing web address
information (or a DOS switch command) and it does not understand what you are trying to do.

In the old DOS days there were a lot of keys you could not use in file names because of the
pre-assigned program function of that key symbol.

 

[philo]

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages' addresses
begin with "http://". (My quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions. For
example the slash cannot be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make the
forward slash acceptable?

The forward slash is a so called illegal character for use in file names...
the answer to your question is "no"

***However*** you may want to use a very similar looking character...viz
the division slash


(character map U+2044)

Windows explorer will accept that and it will look just like a foreward
slash

 

[VanguardLH]

in message

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages'
addresses begin with "http://". (My quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions.
For example the slash cannot be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make
the forward slash acceptable?

You use whatever file system standards are established by whatever
operating system under which you run. Windows uses the backslash for
delimiting path boundaries in its file systems.

 

[Phisherman]

The forward slash (/) is quite popular. For example web pages' addresses
begin with "http://". (My quotation marks.)

Yet the forward slash is not acceptable for many computer functions. For
example the slash cannot be used for Windows Explorer names.

Is there a way to make the slash acceptable? If so, how can I make the
forward slash acceptable?

Thank you,

Barry Karas

Best to avoid using the slash (forward or backward) for any names and
stick with A-z and 0-9. Since with many applications certain
characters have special meanings. It can produce unpredictable
results. (Advice given from an experienced software developer.)

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

The responses you've got so far pretty much cover all the bases. One thing
that hasn't been mentioned yet though is that if you do attempt to use a
forward slash instead of a backslash, Explorer will interpret it as a
backslash, eg, if you go Start|Run|c:/windows, it'll load an instance of
Explorer showing the content of the c:\windows folder. Conceptually, either
is a valid path delimiter, so that's why you can't use it in a filename.
There's no way around that.