RE: Checking out filenames with : in them on windows does not work

[Conrad T. Pino]

Hi Derek,

> From: Derek Robert Price
> 
> I was hoping there was a simpler solution, like a Windows rename
> function that won't choke on files with colons in the name or perhaps
> checking for colons in non-absolute filenames in the wrapper and
> converting the names to absolute forms for the rename.

Windows is picky about file names and colon is on the no-no list:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/fileio/base/naming_a_file.asp

Colon is not alone, don't overlook the reserved names list and the
reserved names list can grow with the addition of a device driver
which makes the reserved name list system installation dependant.

The no-no characters can be checked before a rename and failed without
asking Windows.  The reserved names list is something else.  The only
realistic strategy is try the rename and do something intelligent when
it fails.

The *nix shell reserves specific characters that can't be used in file
names unless properly quoted or escaped but once that's done the file
system will accept them gladly.

The Windows "shell" reserves characters AND the file system doesn't
accept them either no matter how they're presented.

Colon is legal only as part of Windows drive letter in absolute path.

> Not that I know that either solution would work, mind you.  I'm just
> guessing.

I think we're both saying neither one of us has the time to design a
good solution right now.

We don't have a repository now which means I can't generate a patch.

> If you have a Bourne compatible shell installed yes, though I've only
> attempted to run it with the CVS compiled under Cygwin and UNIX style
> paths.  I'm not sure what would be necessary to run the Win32 CVS
> through the suite with Windows style paths.  If you want to look into it,

I have a old MKS ToolKit shell:

        > sh
        $ echo $SHELL_VERSION
        6.1 build 209 Sep 24 1997 00:57:23
        $

As for time all I have this week is an hour here and there.

I still don't now how to run the test suite.  Perhaps if you share the
*nix version of the process I could extrapolate.

Does the test suite provide coverage for this issue?  If not let's not
bother.

> Cheers,

Ditto,

> Derek

Conrad