Raname Files

[Guest]

I don't understand why I cannot rename this file (htaccess.txt) to .htaccess
on either my local computer or via ftp on the web.

I can see the file just fine but cannot change the file name.

As a matter of fact, I cannot rename any file to get it to start with a
"period" (.).

Example:

Renaming old file: myfile.txt
- to: .myfile

It just will not let me put a period in front of the file name.

 

[BillW50]

I don't understand why I cannot rename this file (htaccess.txt) to
.htaccess on either my local computer or via ftp on the web.

I can see the file just fine but cannot change the file name.

As a matter of fact, I cannot rename any file to get it to start with
a "period" (.).

Example:

Renaming old file: myfile.txt
- to: .myfile

It just will not let me put a period in front of the file name.

No that is correct. It sees the filename not with a filename, but just
an extension. That is not allowed. Files with anything after a period is
just an extension. Why not try something like replacing a period with a
dash like:

-myfile

You know the file extension is the key with what opens up the file under
Windows Explorer right (not to be confused with Internet Explorer). So
if you change the extension, Explorer will be totally lost. But that
might be okay with you, I dunno.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

It just will not let me put a period in front of the file name.

Live with it.

 

[Terry]

On 5/22/2007 6:05 PM On a whim, Eddie Kasper pounded out on the keyboard

I don't understand why I cannot rename this file (htaccess.txt) to .htaccess
on either my local computer or via ftp on the web.

I can see the file just fine but cannot change the file name.

As a matter of fact, I cannot rename any file to get it to start with a
"period" (.).

Example:

Renaming old file: myfile.txt
- to: .myfile

It just will not let me put a period in front of the file name.

Hi Eddie,

To name the file with only an extension:
1. Click on the file to rename.
2. Press F2.
3. Hold down Alt then type 255 on the numeric keypad, then a period and
your extension name. Alt-255 inserts a space that works (unlike using
the spacebar). Windows will ask if you want to change the extension,
click Yes.

You will have to have unique extensions of each file name in order for
this to work.


--
Terry

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Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't yet tried but I wanted to know why it
would not change the name on a host server where my domain is located at
(GoDaddy.com). According to them, there should not be any reason to prevent
me from renaming the htaccess file and yet I cannot even though it's really
not on my computer.

To explain, I am using a CMS called Joomla and it came with a file called
htaccess.txt. According to their documentation, I can simply just rename the
htaccess.txt to .htaccess to add some security to files/folders that I need
it for.

I am fully aware that an extension type must be listed on my computer for it
to recognize it but this should not be neccessary if the file is located on
another server such a web host.

Unless there is another method that will solve my problem, I will try the
method you suggested.

Thanks.

 

[Malvern]

BillW is correct. Periods and most other punctuation are disallowed in the
filename, exceptions being period as extension separator and a dash in main
name. But consider yourself lucky; I remember days when filenames were
limited to EIGHT characters to left and THREE to right of the period. Lots
of fun naming multiple files needing nearly same name.

Malv

 

[Terry]

On 5/23/2007 7:33 AM On a whim, Eddie Kasper pounded out on the keyboard

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't yet tried but I wanted to know why it
would not change the name on a host server where my domain is located at
(GoDaddy.com). According to them, there should not be any reason to prevent
me from renaming the htaccess file and yet I cannot even though it's really
not on my computer.

To explain, I am using a CMS called Joomla and it came with a file called
htaccess.txt. According to their documentation, I can simply just rename the
htaccess.txt to .htaccess to add some security to files/folders that I need
it for.

I am fully aware that an extension type must be listed on my computer for it
to recognize it but this should not be neccessary if the file is located on
another server such a web host.

Unless there is another method that will solve my problem, I will try the
method you suggested.

Thanks.

Hi Eddie,

I too use GoDaddy hosting. I just opened my ftp program and renamed a
file to .hta1 with no problems (not using my method above). So the
problem doesn't appear to be at the server end.

--
Terry

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

BillW is correct. Periods and most other punctuation are disallowed in the
filename, exceptions being period as extension separator and a dash in main
name.

Only the following punctuation marks are not permitted in file names:
\ / ? : * " > < |

See
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Wi...7cea-5901-4563-b800-16af596dffb61033.mspx#EAD

or http://tinyurl.com/2wn58s

In the old days of 8.3 file names, periods were permitted only to
separate the extension from the main part of the file name. However
today, multiple periods are permitted and a name like
mybook.chapter1.doc *is* permitted.

 

[Bob I]

Only the following punctuation marks are not permitted in file names:
\ / ? : * " > < |

See
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Wi...7cea-5901-4563-b800-16af596dffb61033.mspx#EAD

or http://tinyurl.com/2wn58s

In the old days of 8.3 file names, periods were permitted only to
separate the extension from the main part of the file name. However
today, multiple periods are permitted and a name like
mybook.chapter1.doc *is* permitted.

Yes, but using "punctuation" in file and folder names can result in some
pretty odd errors in third party programs. Especially the "'" , "," and
".".

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Yes, but using "punctuation" in file and folder names can result in some
pretty odd errors in third party programs. Especially the "'" , "," and
".".

Perhaps so, but then those are poorly-written programs that don't
follow the Windows standards.

I don't generally use such characters in file names, so I've never run
into the errors you mention. Out of curiosity, can you be more
specific as to what those "pretty odd errors" are, and in what
third-party programs they occur? Thanks.

 

[RedForeman]

I don't understand why I cannot rename this file (htaccess.txt) to .htaccess
on either my local computer or via ftp on the web.

I can see the file just fine but cannot change the file name.

As a matter of fact, I cannot rename any file to get it to start with a
"period" (.).

Example:

Renaming old file: myfile.txt
- to: .myfile

It just will not let me put a period in front of the file name.

You're kidding right?

 

[Bob I]

Perhaps so, but then those are poorly-written programs that don't
follow the Windows standards.

I don't generally use such characters in file names, so I've never run
into the errors you mention. Out of curiosity, can you be more
specific as to what those "pretty odd errors" are, and in what
third-party programs they occur? Thanks.

Latest episode I remember is a "maintenance scheduling" program (MP2
from Datastream) and the users were linking to external documents. They
had used some "creative" naming in the folders and the filenames. They
were successful in making the links, but then in use it would throw a
file not found error. At first I thought they were exceeding the 255
char limit, but ended up being the punctuation from the comma.
The "apostrophe" was in a file name and caused a hyperlink to not
work in Access (seems it was 2000).
And the extra period caused another program to pass a truncated
filename to the operating system for opening in the viewer. Another
maintenance tracking program. Although since it was a 16 bit program, it
was a tad old.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Latest episode I remember is a "maintenance scheduling" program (MP2
from Datastream) and the users were linking to external documents. They
had used some "creative" naming in the folders and the filenames. They
were successful in making the links, but then in use it would throw a
file not found error. At first I thought they were exceeding the 255
char limit, but ended up being the punctuation from the comma.
The "apostrophe" was in a file name and caused a hyperlink to not
work in Access (seems it was 2000).
And the extra period caused another program to pass a truncated
filename to the operating system for opening in the viewer. Another
maintenance tracking program. Although since it was a 16 bit program, it
was a tad old.

Thanks.