Export with period in filename flags warning

[mr-b]

Hi

I'm using Audacity 1.3.12 on Windows 7 and if I use Export and the filename contains a period, then Audacity warns that file extension will be non-standard e.g. "You are about to save a FLAC file with the name "test.me" [sic]. Normally these files end in ".flac" etc. etc..

However I'm not changing the extension since the "Save as type" is still set to FLAC, so why does Audacity complain about it?

[Irish]

Because the period is used to separate the "name" part of the filename from the "type" part, Audacity is warning you that some applications may not recognise the file properly if you use a period as part of the "name".

To be safe, the only characters you should use in filenames are A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9, space and hyphen. I wouldn't even use space.

PO'L

[mr-b]

I don't know which apps these are, but in any case, that would be an error on their part.
Periods are perfectly valid in filenames and should be allowed - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename#R ... _and_words.

If this "safe" LCD-type naming logic was carried further then only 8.3 filenames should be allowed!

[steve]

why does Audacity complain about it?

Because Audacity does not know if you want to save the file as "test.me" or as "test.me.flac" or as "test.me.<something else>"

In certain situations people will want to use a non-standard file extension and Audacity allows you to do that (if you want to use ".me" as the file extension you can) however this is relatively uncommon, so Audacity asks if you are sure that you want to do so.

In the event that you do not enter a file extension (if you name the file "test") then Audacity will assume that you are happy to use the default file extension and will add ".flac" for you. (A pretty safe and convenient assumption).

In the event that you want to name the file "test.me.flac" then you can do so by typing the name in full (including the .flac extension).

[kozikowski]

You're not thinking big enough. I ship files all over earth on all three computing platforms and I maintain the department standard of not using spaces and trying really hard not to use multiple periods in filenames.

I think it's lovely that the standard is to allow multiple periods, but if the client tries to open the work on an older Windows machine, they might find significant problems. If they find enough problems, they might find their way to getting somebody else to do the work.

We actually had an instance recently where we couldn't get some work through because we violated the older Mac 32 character filename standard.

8.3 indeed.

Koz

[mr-b]

Because Audacity does not know if you want to save the file as "test.me" or as "test.me.flac" or as "test.me.<something else>"

When I save the file, the file save dialogue box says that the file type is Flac, so in what way exactly doesn't it know?

All other sound edit apps I've just tried allow me to save files with spaces and multiple periods in the filename and so far the sky hasn't fallen. So although I can understand the intentions to be "safe", unfortunately the end result is that Audacity just looks overly conservative and "old hat" i.e. regressive. Which is unfortunate and surely not the impression that is desired.

[steve]

All other sound edit apps I've just tried ....

I presume that you mean on Microsoft Windows? Microsoft Windows does some things differently to other operating systems. One example is that, on Windows, files usually have the file extension added automatically (and hidden by default) without giving the user the opportunity to use a different file extension. While this is often useful, it can be an absolute pain in other situations (have you ever tried to create a ".htaccess" file with NotePad?)

If I want to create an MP3 file with a WAV extension, how do I do that?

[mr-b]

Yup sorry I forgot to say that I was referring to the Windows version.

As for notepad, I'd use a proper text editor.

Also even if one would want to create a mp3 file with a wav extension (why, in the name of [insert deity of choice]?), surely this is a corner case and best treated as such, rather than restricting functionality compared to other apps?

[steve]

As for notepad, I'd use a proper text editor.

and a "proper" text editor would let you name the file anything you wanted? So if you wanted to name a text file "test.me" then the file would be called "test.me"?

I don't see that it's "restricting functionality" that Audacity allows you to use custom extensions where some other apps force you to have the default extension. Perhaps it could be described as a minor inconvenience, but it's not a restriction. If you want to call a file [email protected]&*>?>,4 then Audacity will warn you that .w4&*>?>,4 is not the usual extension, and the operating system may stop you, but the current version of Audacity (1.3.12 unicode) will allow it.

[mr-b]

I use Textpad as a text editor and it allows you to save a file as 'test.me' just fine.

Plus my issue wasn't with extensions, it's with the filename that Audacity is overly restrictive compared with other Windows apps.