Re: the first version of abstract path manipulation class (interface)

From: bill_kempf (williamkempf_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-01-24 16:29:51

--- In boost_at_y..., "Stewart, Robert" <stewart_at_s...> wrote:
> From:	Carl Daniel [SMTP:cpdaniel_at_p...]
> > 
> > From: "Stewart, Robert" <stewart_at_s...>
> > > > - In DOS/Windows, pathnames are case insensitive, but they 
are stored
> in
> > > > upper case, so "norm_case" returns the wrong case. Other case
> insensitive
> > > > platforms may conventionally use lower case, so this should be
> configurable.
> > 
> > Not true.  Windows filesystems since Windows 95 are case-
insensitive,
> case-preserving.  Only Windows 3.1 era and earlier
> > versions of DOS store directory/file name as uppercase.
> 
> I don't think that's quite right either.  Those OSes maintain two 
versions
> of the filename if it was supplied using anything other than all 
upper case
> or doesn't fit the 8.3 format.  Command line tools in some of those 
versions
> of Windows may even coerce the filename to all upper case if it 
fits the 8.3
> format; I haven't tested that.

True.

> The view given by Windows Explorer is different; it always shows 
directory
> names with a leading capital and the rest lower case, unless the 
filename
> was expressly set with a specific case that forces a "long" 
filename version
> to be stored (such "long" names needn't be longer than 8.3).  IOW, 
Windows
> Explorer shows 8.3 directory names with a leading cap and shows 
those with a
> long name entry using that long name.

Not true.  Explorer displays the "long file name", which may have any 
case. There's no requirement that the first letter be capitalized, 
and in fact most of my own files aren't named that way and appear 
with lowercase letters on my system.

I believe there is a registry setting that causes explorer to init-
cap file names when you first create them (and this may even be the 
default?), but you can always go back and change the case later even 
with this setting.

Bill Kempf