Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows

From	Don Y <this@is.not.me.com>
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
Subject	Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows
Date	2014-10-10 06:59 -0700
Organization	Aioe.org NNTP Server
Message-ID	<m18p0e$8ke$1@speranza.aioe.org> (permalink)
References	<m18295$e3o$1@speranza.aioe.org> <m187i5$rav$1@speranza.aioe.org>

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On 10/10/2014 2:06 AM, glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know which filesystem naming constraints are imposed
>> in Windows itself vs. the file system layer?  Said another way,
>> which constraints are *invariants* regardless of the filesystem?
>
>> E.g., can a non-native filesystem redefine '+' to replace "../"?
>> Or, allow support for ':' in names?  Or, replace '\' with '/'?
>> Or, ...
>
> Interesting question.
>
> It is well known that the actual system calls accept either / or \
> as a separator.  The command option processor uses / for options,
> and so requires \ for the separator.

The problem is, these are just observations from *outside* the system.
You (I) don't know if the "system" imposes these conventions... OR, if
it relies on the filesystem implementation to impose conventions that
are appropriate for that specific file system!

E.g., imagine the "system" invokes a file system specific *method*
to "parse pathname".  In that case, all the system does is parse
enough of a pathname to get to a particular mount point, *notice*
which sort of file system is mounted *at* that mount point, then
pass the balance of the pathname off to filesystem->parse_pathname().

Ancient versions of MS C had library routines to parse pathnames
that hard-coded such separators.  But, that still doesn't indicate if
this was mimicking a service performed within the filesystems of
that era *or* was the sole mechanism for handling pathnames.

> The more interesting cases come when you use NFS.

That's an idea!  I have NFS client and server running under Windows.
I can mount an external filesystem and see if the Windows client
recognizes "FILENAME" and "filename" as two coexisting files.  And,
if it "does the right thing" when I refer to one or the other.

Similarly, export a portion of the Windows filesystem ("Foo") and verify
that it can ONLY be accessed as "Foo" (and not "fOo" or "FOO").

> I was just reading yesterday that it is possible to have an NFS
> server on a Windows system that allows for case significant names.
> (Unlike most that are case preserving.)
>
> The NFS protocols are independent of the actual separator.
>
> The : in drive selection has to be processed pretty early.
> I am not so sure what to say about : later in the name.

Again, it depends on whether the *system* implements this as a
"rule".  You can think of drive letters as objects at the "root"
of the filesystem.  Rules for objects at that level may require
<letter>':' (among other top level name conventions).

Or, it could be a hardwired prohibition elsewhere in the filesystem
hierarchy.

> As far as I know, CMD has to keep track of the current
> subdirectory. That would complicate any other treatment
> for \ and :.

That's only an issue if *it* hardcodes an algorithm for extracting
current directory (instead of calling a filesystem specific *method*
for doing so).

Thread

Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 00:31 -0700
  Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-10 09:06 +0000
    Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-10 13:32 +0200
      Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 07:23 -0700
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 07:26 -0700
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-10 19:17 +0300
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-10 19:12 +0200
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-10 20:34 +0300
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 11:32 -0700
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 10:53 -0700
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-10 21:24 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 13:36 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-11 00:18 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 15:28 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Tonton Th <tTh@nowhere.invalid> - 2014-10-12 20:07 +0000
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-12 19:52 -0700
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-10 21:15 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-10 23:04 +0300
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-11 11:28 +0200
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-11 17:13 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-11 17:26 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-11 18:51 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-12 12:04 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-12 15:59 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-12 08:04 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-12 18:47 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-12 09:01 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-12 09:05 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-12 19:17 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-13 19:26 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-13 22:00 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-14 10:25 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-14 13:28 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-14 14:37 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-14 16:00 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-14 06:19 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-15 19:57 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-16 00:06 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-16 18:16 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-16 20:49 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-14 18:59 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-14 21:39 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-14 23:29 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-15 00:46 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-15 01:38 +0200
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-10 17:31 +0200
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 10:34 -0700
    Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 06:59 -0700
  Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-10 18:42 +0200
    Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-10 19:00 +0000
    Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-10 13:43 -0700
      Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-11 11:06 +0300
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-11 01:35 -0700
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-11 17:24 +0300
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-11 17:43 +0200
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-12 12:07 +0200
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-12 23:41 +0200
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-13 19:14 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-13 20:18 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Mel Wilson <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2014-10-15 18:43 +0000
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-15 21:58 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-15 23:55 -0400
    Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-20 09:45 -0700
      Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-21 18:47 +0200
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 15:38 -0700
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 17:51 -0700
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-22 01:35 -0400
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 23:22 -0700
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-22 18:39 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-22 11:34 -0700
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-22 22:11 +0300
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-23 00:20 +0000
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-23 01:36 -0400
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-23 09:08 +0000
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2014-10-23 14:50 -0400
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-23 21:42 +0200
      Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 01:21 +0300
        Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 15:51 -0700
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu> - 2014-10-21 23:27 +0000
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 16:50 -0700
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2014-10-22 21:00 +0200
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows upsidedown@downunder.com - 2014-10-22 22:54 +0300
          Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 02:32 +0300
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 17:21 -0700
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 03:52 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Don Y <this@is.not.me.com> - 2014-10-21 21:13 -0700
            Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-22 08:10 +0200
              Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 12:00 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-22 13:11 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 15:19 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-22 15:21 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-22 17:26 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2014-10-22 18:46 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-23 02:37 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-22 23:09 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-23 03:06 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-23 10:18 +0200
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2014-10-23 13:56 +0300
                Re: Filesystem syntax constraints under Windows David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2014-10-23 15:59 +0200

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