Is putting a space after file name a bad habit?

  • Thread starter Thread starter WM
  • Start date Start date
W

WM

I have this secret habit! :-)

I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:

CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
 
WM said:
I have this secret habit! :-)

I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:

CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
Click to expand...

No, no problem at all - it's just another embedded
space, like the one after CPA.
 
WM said:
I have this secret habit! :-)

I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:

CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
Click to expand...


Perfectly OK. About the only people who would notice and
comment would be any ancient DOS aficionado.
 
Crikey, you some kind of Calvinist to think that would come near being a bad
habit? Not really WM, but you may not inherit God's Kingdom by doing so. Gee
Wiz not even self stimulation is considered a "secret habit" these days.

- Winux P

:I have this secret habit! :-)
:
: I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
: it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.
:
: For example:
:
: CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
: CPA Improvement Plan .pdf
:
: Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
: this?
 
w_masters@dummy- said:
I have this secret habit! :-)

I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:

CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
Click to expand...

I've always found the long standing rule about NOT using spaces or
special characters to be a good one to follow.

When you want to run some utilities or some applications, they will have
issues with spaces or special characters.

Suppose you want to provide a link to your file, now you need to enclose
the entire path/file in quotes or it will give an error when they click
on the link.

MS Office XP will barf on files that have special characters in their
name.

A general rule is to use the underscore _ character in place of a space,
but never leave space/special characters in file names.

Don't forget, you may be working with people that have older systems or
non-windows systems at some point and then all bets are off if you don't
use standard file naming conventions.
 
Leythos said:
I've always found the long standing rule about NOT using spaces or
special characters to be a good one to follow.

When you want to run some utilities or some applications, they will have
issues with spaces or special characters.

Suppose you want to provide a link to your file, now you need to enclose
the entire path/file in quotes or it will give an error when they click
on the link.

MS Office XP will barf on files that have special characters in their
name.

A general rule is to use the underscore _ character in place of a space,
but never leave space/special characters in file names.

Don't forget, you may be working with people that have older systems or
non-windows systems at some point and then all bets are off if you don't
use standard file naming conventions.
Click to expand...

Could you be a little more specific here and name an
older or non-Windows system that is
a) still in use (i.e. less than 10 years old) and
b) cannot cope with embedded spaces

I would also be interested in your definition of
"standard file naming conventions". Is it the 8.3
definition? If so, do you recommend to the OP
to avoid using file names that have more than
8 characters?
 
Tue said:
I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:
CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
Click to expand...

No technical problems that I can think of, but you'll confuse the
heck out of anyone you share files with -- including yourself, if you
don't do this with every single file name. :-)
 
WM said:
I have this secret habit! :-)

I often like to put a space at the end of the name of a file to make
it more legible. I prefer the look with the space put in.

For example:

CPA Improvement Plan.pdf
CPA Improvement Plan .pdf

Are there any problems you can foresee I might encounter if I do
this?
Click to expand...


Yes.

If you create a text file containing simply the name without the extent,
many text-editors, word-processors, spreadsheets, databases will helpfully
drop line- or field-terminal spaces for you. In your case, any attempt to
reconstruct such a full filename by simply re-adding the extent would fail.

Also, there are programs which require simply the name without the extent.
It's possible that such a program would have difficulty dealing with your
method.

But you may never have problems. All depends on what software and data or
data transformations you work with or are likely to work with in the future.

HTH

....Bill
 
billious said:
Yes.

If you create a text file containing simply the name without the extent,
many text-editors, word-processors, spreadsheets, databases will helpfully
drop line- or field-terminal spaces for you. In your case, any attempt to
reconstruct such a full filename by simply re-adding the extent would
Click to expand...
fail.

When you say "extent", do you mean "extension"? Could you name
some application that will "helpfully" drop trailing spaces? And what
exactly would prevent the OP from adding " .doc" if it went missing?
Windows Explorer will happily do it.
Also, there are programs which require simply the name without the extent.
It's possible that such a program would have difficulty dealing with your
method.
Click to expand...

Again could you name some such program that requires
a file name without an extension? The OP is after practical
advice, so if this is a problem, let's be specific!
 
Could you be a little more specific here and name an
older or non-Windows system that is
a) still in use (i.e. less than 10 years old) and
b) cannot cope with embedded spaces

I would also be interested in your definition of
"standard file naming conventions". Is it the 8.3
definition? If so, do you recommend to the OP
to avoid using file names that have more than
8 characters?
Click to expand...

Letters, numbers, underscore, no spaces or special characters, under 253
characters in length.

Try opening files across platforms with spaces in the file names.
 
I use spaces in file names all the time.

[[File names in Windows XP can be up to 255 characters and can contain
spaces, multiple periods, and special characters that are not allowed in
MS-DOS file names.]]
File Names in Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_rbrx.asp

I also have NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation turned on, so I get both long and
short names.

Add or Remove Manually Uninstall Programs.txt is also ADDORR~3.TXT

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
I also have NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation turned on, so I get both long and
short names.

Add or Remove Manually Uninstall Programs.txt is also ADDORR~3.TXT
Click to expand...

Uh, if you turn it *on*, you get the exact opposite of what you're
describing.

"NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation" just prevents the file system from creating
an 8.3 equivalent to your long filenames automatically. If you change the
default from 0, and then create "Add or Remove Manually Uninstall
Programs.txt", then you *won't* get the equivalent "ADDORR~3.TXT". See:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...s/2000/server/reskit/en-us/regentry/28231.asp

I can only see drawbacks with changing the default:

http://www.softinterface.com/FAQ/FAQ-Installation-CantRun16Bit-Error.htm
 
123WVogel955 said:
I use spaces in file names all the time.

[[File names in Windows XP can be up to 255 characters and can contain
spaces, multiple periods, and special characters that are not allowed in
MS-DOS file names.]]
File Names in Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_rbrx.asp

I also have NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation turned on, so I get both long and
short names.

Add or Remove Manually Uninstall Programs.txt is also ADDORR~3.TXT
Click to expand...

I understand you can use it and for the most part it's painless, but
I've seen MS Word XP crash when looking for a file named "Dr. David
Smith, Ph.D., MCCD.doc" (it was something close to that, it's been a
while since we forced them to stop using periods and other special
characters)

Funny how MS allows it to be named and then barfs when you try and
search for it or when you select Open in MS Word XP.
 
I use Word 2002 (XP) and all of my *.doc files have spaces and the
occasional comma. I do not use any special characters.

It's probably the Ph.D part that does it. LOL

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Leythos said:
123WVogel955 said:
I use spaces in file names all the time.

[[File names in Windows XP can be up to 255 characters and can contain
spaces, multiple periods, and special characters that are not allowed in
MS-DOS file names.]]
File Names in Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...windows/xp/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_rbrx.asp

I also have NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation turned on, so I get both long
and short names.

Add or Remove Manually Uninstall Programs.txt is also ADDORR~3.TXT
Click to expand...

I understand you can use it and for the most part it's painless, but
I've seen MS Word XP crash when looking for a file named "Dr. David
Smith, Ph.D., MCCD.doc" (it was something close to that, it's been a
while since we forced them to stop using periods and other special
characters)

Funny how MS allows it to be named and then barfs when you try and
search for it or when you select Open in MS Word XP.
Click to expand...
 
I meant off, value of 0.

Another disadvantage is with Norton NT Utilities
http://www.jsifaq.com/subA/tip0000/rh0026.htm

Of course if you have anything Norton, you are at a disadvantage to start
with. ;-)

[[NOTE: Although disabling 8.3 name creation increases file performance
under Windows NT, some 16-bit applications may not be able to find files and
directories with long filenames. ]]
How to Disable the 8.3 Name Creation on NTFS Partitions
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];121007

[[Although disabling 8.3 name creation increases NTFS performance under
Windows XP Professional, some 16-bit applications might not be able to
access files and folders that have long file names. Also, some third-party
programs cannot be installed on NTFS volumes if 8.3 names are disabled. ]]
MS–DOS-Readable File Names on NTFS Volumes
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prkc_fil_gtzp.asp

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
Leythos said:
Letters, numbers, underscore, no spaces or special characters, under 253
characters in length.

Try opening files across platforms with spaces in the file names.
Click to expand...

This is your own private "Standard file naming convention".
It does not exist elsewhere.

I note that you could not think of a current platform that would
have a problem with embedded spaces in file names. Nor can I,
so why warn the OP? It's a non-issue.
 
This is your own private "Standard file naming convention".
It does not exist elsewhere.

I note that you could not think of a current platform that would
have a problem with embedded spaces in file names. Nor can I,
so why warn the OP? It's a non-issue.
Click to expand...

Because I've not had time to test it again in the shop since we ran into
it two years ago. Back then it was a Linux box trying to read files on
Windows box and it didn't like the file names.

It was also using Word XP and I think Word 2000 that had problems with
special characters & spaces in file names.

I just don't see any reason to use something JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN,
underscore and no spaces and NO extra "." in file names (and no
punctuation)....
 
Wesley said:
I use Word 2002 (XP) and all of my *.doc files have spaces and the
occasional comma. I do not use any special characters.

It's probably the Ph.D part that does it. LOL
Click to expand...

lol...
 
I also have NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation turned on, so I get both long
and short names.
Click to expand...
[...]
I meant off, value of 0.
Click to expand...

....which is the default, in which case, why did you feel it was important to
bring into this thread at all?

(This isn't me being sarcastic...If I was, you'd know) ;-)
 
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