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file extensions

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  • P Paul Watson

    Mark is 86 years old. Anyone under 60 is a youngster to him... *ducks* (Well done on beating Scotland. 335 is a whopping score even against Scotland.)

    regards, Paul Watson Ireland & South Africa

    Shog9 wrote:

    And with that, Paul closed his browser, sipped his herbal tea, fixed the flower in his hair, and smiled brightly at the multitude of cute, furry animals flocking around the grassy hillside where he sat coding Ruby on his Mac...

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    ednrgc
    wrote on last edited by
    #35

    Paul Watson wrote:

    Mark is 86 years old.

    I hope that I also live long enough to be a burden on my kids :laugh:

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    • Z zoid

      Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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      ednrgc
      wrote on last edited by
      #36

      I've never had any complaints about my extension. :laugh:

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      • Z zoid

        Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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        Michael_White
        wrote on last edited by
        #37

        What it would come down to is target market. I was just thinking about that myself -- and what it came to, is that in the next year my company will be fully windows Vista, so I don't think that will be a problem for me, when I go forward. I'm in a limited market and can control my environment, but if I were selling, I would need to consider compatablity. If you know your target, then that makes the decision for you. Michael White


        In the darkness of dispair there is a bright light of hope and understanding, and boy it sure ain't me.


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        • Z zoid

          Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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          tlw1145
          wrote on last edited by
          #38

          Visual Studio uses .vbproj and other similar extensions for some of their files. The origination comes from the need to conserve disk space and memory. Plus, DEC had a form of character storage called Radix50 which stored 3 characters in one 16-bit word, which made it convenient to hold the extension (and the file name, too). It's just a legacy thing. There really is no more need for it. Unix uses the form (such as .o for object file or .c for C source code) in some cases, but it does not constitute an extension. It is all just part of the file name.

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          • C Chris J Saunders

            Do MIME types relate to your problem? Regards Chris Saunders

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            Shog9 0
            wrote on last edited by
            #39

            Apart from using it to recognize files pulled from the Web or email, i'm not aware of much in the way of MIME support in Windows. But it'd be nice.

            ----

            ...the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more...

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            • Z zoid

              Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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              DigitalRacer
              wrote on last edited by
              #40

              "Why.not.have.longer.extensions?" Sounds like William Shatner DR

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              • Z zoid

                Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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                patbob
                wrote on last edited by
                #41

                Don't some (really small) USB flash drives use FAT16? I can't recall if MS ever retrofitted long filenames into that file system like they did with FAT32. Floppies (yeah, like anyone cares about _those_ anymore) are another reason. I don't think anybody is still using WinFW3.1 anymore, so probably no issue on that front. I didn't care when I made up our new file format at work, but since our files tend to be in the 20-160GB range, it didn't matter anyway. :)

                patbob

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                • Z zoid

                  Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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                  Ever Green
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #42

                  MS use an extension .csproj...

                  Sigh

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                  • S Shog9 0

                    Something which never ceases to frustrate and annoy me.

                    ----

                    ...the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more...

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                    jara88884
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #43

                    Also most applications to use or read the extensions must recognise the longer extension before it will open it.

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                    • G Gary R Wheeler

                      peterchen wrote:

                      "hide known extensions"

                      Very possibly the dumbest program option I've ever seen :|.


                      Software Zen: delete this;

                      Fold With Us![^]

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                      Kelly Herald
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #44

                      I agree completely! Not to mention that when some people see a file VacationPic.jpg in their explorer they will double click it thinking that is is a "harmless" JPEG picture when in reality it could be a virus file named VacationPic.jpg.exe with an embedded icon set to Window's image icon to complete the illusion that it is just an image file.

                      Kelly Herald Software Developer

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                      • Z zoid

                        Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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                        PeterFromMelba
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #45

                        The challenge.:laugh: Seriously, there are longer extensions e.g. aspx, ascx, html, etc. PeterE

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                        • Z zoid

                          Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions? I am in the process of choosing the extensions that my app will use and I am leaning toward using 4 - 6 character extensions. The main reasons are: To avoid colisions with extensions that are used by other apps. The extension names do a better job explaning what kind of data is stored in the file. I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

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                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #46

                          zoid ! wrote:

                          Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions?

                          For some reason I like those three letter extensions, it feels more natural.

                          zoid ! wrote:

                          I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

                          I wouldn't worry about it. Go for the longer extension. I think people still use the 8.3 format because certain tools do not support anything else. Such as restore disks and hardware utilities that use DOS. Windows 95/98/Me need the 8.3 format for its most primitive functions under the hood since Windows 9x/Me uses DOS to load its self.

                          █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒██████▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██

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                          • L Lost User

                            zoid ! wrote:

                            Is there any (compelling) reason to continue using 3 character file extensions?

                            For some reason I like those three letter extensions, it feels more natural.

                            zoid ! wrote:

                            I am worried however, because it seems almost applications still use 3 letter extensions for their files. Aside from compatibilty issues with old 8.3 format DOS systems which I think for 99% of current applications isn't an issue anymore, why are people avoiding using longer file extensions for new formats?

                            I wouldn't worry about it. Go for the longer extension. I think people still use the 8.3 format because certain tools do not support anything else. Such as restore disks and hardware utilities that use DOS. Windows 95/98/Me need the 8.3 format for its most primitive functions under the hood since Windows 9x/Me uses DOS to load its self.

                            █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒██████▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██

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                            JMOdom
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #47

                            This may sound like a stupid question, but here goes anyway. :laugh: Why doesn't somebody write a program that will set the file extensions to what you want and then shorten them if the need comes up? Say you save a file with a .document extension for internal use and it gets chopped to .doc if it gets sent anyplace other than the starting computer. :confused: :~ Just my two cents worth. (Which today really aint worth all that much.) ;P

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                            • J JMOdom

                              This may sound like a stupid question, but here goes anyway. :laugh: Why doesn't somebody write a program that will set the file extensions to what you want and then shorten them if the need comes up? Say you save a file with a .document extension for internal use and it gets chopped to .doc if it gets sent anyplace other than the starting computer. :confused: :~ Just my two cents worth. (Which today really aint worth all that much.) ;P

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                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #48

                              JMOdom wrote:

                              Say you save a file with a .document extension for internal use and it gets chopped to .doc if it gets sent anyplace other than the starting computer.

                              An extension is nothing special. It is just part of the file's name. However the extension is used to determine which program to open the file with. If the program opening the file actually looks at the extension then it may throw a fit. Your proposal is not a practical solution for anything because the extension is part of the file's identity.

                              █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒██████▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██

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                              • L Lost User

                                JMOdom wrote:

                                Say you save a file with a .document extension for internal use and it gets chopped to .doc if it gets sent anyplace other than the starting computer.

                                An extension is nothing special. It is just part of the file's name. However the extension is used to determine which program to open the file with. If the program opening the file actually looks at the extension then it may throw a fit. Your proposal is not a practical solution for anything because the extension is part of the file's identity.

                                █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒██████▒█▒██ █▒█████▒▒▒▒▒█ █▒▒▒▒▒██▒█▒██

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                                JMOdom
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #49

                                Didn't say that it was a good idea. :rolleyes: It was just an off the wall suggestion made late at night while half asleep. ;) ;P

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                                • A Andy Brummer

                                  Why? Do you have a lot of .jpg.cpp files?


                                  Using the GridView is like trying to explain to someone else how to move a third person's hands in order to tie your shoelaces for you. -Chris Maunder

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                                  joon vh
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #50

                                  MS Uses it a lot actually. .docx .config .resx .aspx.cs .csproj.webinfo if math hasn't forsaken me going from 3 to 6 chars makes for 308915776 instead of 17576 ...

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