Saving (unusual) linux filenames

[Grant Edwards]

On 2010-08-31, MRAB <python at mrabarnett.plus.com> wrote:
> On 31/08/2010 17:58, Grant Edwards wrote:
>> On 2010-08-31, MRAB<python at mrabarnett.plus.com>  wrote:
>>> On 31/08/2010 15:49, AmFreak at web.de wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> i have a script that reads and writes linux paths in a file. I save the
>>>> path (as unicode) with 2 other variables. I save them seperated by ","
>>>> and the "packets" by newlines. So my file looks like this:
>>>> path1, var1A, var1B
>>>> path2, var2A, var2B
>>>> path3, var3A, var3B
>>>> ....
>>>>
>>>> this works for "normal" paths but as soon as i have a path that does
>>>> include a "," it breaks. The problem now is that (afaik) linux allows
>>>> every char (aside from "/" and null) to be used in filenames. The only
>>>> solution i can think of is using null as a seperator, but there have to
>>>> a cleaner version ?
>>>
>>> You could use a tab character '\t' instead.
>>
>> That just breaks with a different set of filenames.
>>
> How many filenames contain control characters?

How many filenames contain ","?  Not many, but the OP wants his
program to be bulletproof.  Can't fault him for that.

If I had a nickle for every Unix program or shell-script that failed
when a filename had a space it it....

> Surely that's a bad idea.

Of course it's a bad idea.  That doesn't stop people from doing it.

-- 
Grant Edwards               grant.b.edwards        Yow! !  Now I understand
                                  at               advanced MICROBIOLOGY and
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