Re: [MACCAWS] Filenames and directory structure conventions

MJ Ray wrote:
> Doug Winter <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Putting metacharacters in filenames is asking for trouble from other
> > systems that manipulate referenced documents.  [...]
> 
> Such systems are likely to be insecure and should be fixed, though.

Yes.

> I'm forever fixing sloppy programming like failure to properly quote
> parameter expansions in Bourne Shell scripts, so they die horribly if
> you give them files with spaces in their names.  If you craft the file
> name correctly, you can do evil things to them, possibly provoking
> unintended side-effects.  The problem is the bad programming, not the
> specification of the file names.  Fix the cause, rather than making
> workarounds.

However some people will be using non-free software, and so will be
unable to fix it themselves.

> I understand that the suggestions are just a "should", but when they
> start to obstruct justifiable activities without good reason, they
> make me object.

When dealing with interoperability, I think the IETF put it best:

    "strict in what you generate and forgiving in what you accept".

doug.

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