directory naming

We have scripts that crash when somebody tries to submit files that are in a directory that is named with spaces. We have thoroughly tested, and have noticed this ONLY happens when files are submitted from directories with spaces in the file names. Has anyone heard of this before?

Lucas Cochrane
lcochrane@dc.com

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Migrateduser

Files and directories with spaces in the names is never a good idea. It can produce unpredictable results with all kinds of commands - TeamSite and OS commands. It's best practice not to allow filenames with spaces or strange characters. But if you don't prohibit this, you must account for it in your scripts. Make sure you always enclose complete filenames (and variables that can contain filenames) in quotes so the full name is captured. You are bound to run into trouble down the road if you allow filenames with spaces.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Ottawa_IWOV

Thanks for the info on that one. When you say "account for these in your scripts" might you be able to provide me with a quick example?

Thanks.

Lucas Cochrane
lcochrane@dc.com

Migrateduser

Say you have a file path as:

/iwoven/default/main/branch/WORKAREA/dev/this is a file.html

You would want to refer to this file enclosing it in quotes:

'/iwoven/default/main/branch/WORKAREA/dev/this is a file.html'

anywhere and everywhere you use this filename in a command. Think about it...when you execute a command, that command may take in additional parameters, including your filename, which are space delimited. If I executed a command with the above file being a parameter, without enclosing it in quotes, it would read the filename as /iwoven/default/main/branch/WORKAREA/dev/this and also think it was getting is and a and file.html as parameters as well. So whenever your file is an input parameter to a command, the full path must be enclosed in quotes to make it work properly.

Make sense?

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com