How should we handle a forward slash "/" in new file and rename dialogs?

[David Faure]

On Saturday 03 November 2012 00:45:14 Mark wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 3, 2012 at 12:40 AM, David Faure <faure at kde.org> wrote:
> > On Friday 02 November 2012 22:15:18 Mark wrote:
> >> On Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 10:08 PM, Mark <markg85 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> > On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 10:39 PM, Frank Reininghaus
> >> > 
> >> > <frank78ac at googlemail.com> wrote:
> >> >> Hi Mark and Emmanuel,
> >> >> 
> >> >> thanks for your investigations!
> >> >> 
> >> >> 2012/10/30 Mark:
> >> >> > Hi,
> >> >> > 
> >> >> > I'm doing a bit of dolphin bug triaging and encountered a few bugs
> >> >> > already that have something to do with a "/" in a filename. See [1]
> >> >> > and [2]. I can see a few possible solutions here.
> >> >> > 
> >> >> > 1. "/" is forbidden.
> >> >> > --------------------------------------
> >> >> > Since "/" is a directory seperator it might just be unwise to even
> >> >> > consider using it in a filename. Also, if dolphin supports this it's
> >> >> > by far a certainty that others support it as well.
> >> >> > 
> >> >> > 2. Replace "/" by "⁄".
> >> >> > --------------------------------------
> >> >> > It looks like a slash but is a divider sign. This might be a
> >> >> > workable
> >> >> > solution but will change the user input (a "/") to the divider
> >> >> > symbol.

Yes this is exactly the current solution.

> >> >> it seems that this currently happens when renaming with the rename
> >> >> dialog, even though I can't see why this could make sense. Before we
> >> >> discuss this further, could someone investigate where in the code the
> >> >> replacement happens and why it's done?
> >> >> 
> >> >> Best regards,
> >> >> Frank
> >> > 
> >> > I've done a few hours (!!) of digging just to find where the / is
> >> > replaced by a ⁄ and couldn't find it within the dolphin sources.
> >> > Actually, the new file stuff all seems to be going through
> >> > DolphinNewFileMenu which goos back to a KNewFileMenu which can be
> >> > found here:
> >> > http://api.kde.org/4.9-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kfile/html/knewfilemenu_8cpp
> >> > _s
> >> > ource.html From there on i'm losing it's path since i'm trying to
> >> > follow
> >> > the
> >> > KInputDialog, but that class in only included in that file, not
> >> > actually used.
> >> > 
> >> > Adding David to the CC since he might know more here? (he is in the
> >> > author list of that file). David, what i'm trying to figure out is why
> >> > a "/" is replaced by a "⁄" (notice the subtle difference) when it's
> >> > used inside a filename. A "\" doesn't get replaced and just works as
> >> > expected.
> >> 
> >> GOTCHA!
> >> http://api.kde.org/4.9-api/kdelibs-apidocs/kio/html/global_8cpp_source.ht
> >> ml
> >> line 149 is the one that translates "/" to "⁄".
> >> 
> >> Now the question is: Why?
> > 
> > So that it can be used in a filename.
> > 
> > E.g. you can create a file named http:⁄⁄www.kde.org.desktop
> > containing a link to that URL.
> > 
> > KDE - no limitations in file names, even '/' is allowed.
> > 
> > --
> > David Faure, faure at kde.org, http://www.davidfaure.fr
> > Working on KDE, in particular KDE Frameworks 5
> 
> Ehh, i understand the reasoning since the full path is used for all
> kio operations and that will probably cause issues if an actual "/" is
> used within a filename. 

That's not the reason. See below.

> However, i do think it's wrong to replace a
> "/" with "⁄". I think the actual forward slash should be either
> allowed or forbidden, not renamed.

We allow it, by converting it to a fraction-slash.

There's no way to allow it "as is", the filesystem won't let us do that, for 
good reasons ("a/b" would be ambiguous).

-- 
David Faure, faure at kde.org, http://www.davidfaure.fr
Working on KDE, in particular KDE Frameworks 5