Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #235327

Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator

From	Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator
Date	2026-08-18 22:13 -0400
Organization	PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
Message-ID	<mddpkzex3gc.fsf@panix5.panix.com> (permalink)
References	<v8p8g6$ai44$1@dont-email.me> <87se4c5s1d.fsf@hyperbola.mail-host-address-is-not-set> <11607nk$1u4d$1@gal.iecc.com>

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John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> writes:

> According to  <anthk@not.dev.null>:

>> Under ITS I think they were just separated by a space 

> It was a dot on the DEC PDP-6 monitor that evolved into TOPS-10. I believe
> TOPS-10 is where both CP/M and MS-DOS got their filename syntax.

I have been told by people who were there that Kildall worked on PDP-11
systems, which also used a dot separator, so it was natural in CP/M.

MS-DOS got it from QDOS which got it from CP/M.

-- 
Rich Alderson					  news@alderson.users.panix.com
      Audendum est, et veritas investiganda; quam etiamsi non assequamur,
	  omnino tamen proprius, quam nunc sumus, ad eam perveniemus.
									--Galen

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Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator anthk@not.dev.null - 2026-08-17 23:57 +0200
  Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator John Levine <johnl@taugh.com> - 2026-08-18 00:07 +0000
    Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-18 11:51 +0000
      Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2026-08-18 22:15 -0400
    Re: Origin Of Filename Extension Dot Separator Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2026-08-18 22:13 -0400

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