On Sun, 27 Mar 2005, Alan E. Davis wrote: > Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 00:26:30 +1000 > From: Alan E. Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: gnumeric-list@gnome.org > Subject: Re: File extension when saving > > Thank you for your response: > > I may actually take the time to file a bug report; however, you state > that this is a well reasoned feature, not a bug. Other programs do > automatically add the extension (eg, The Gimp), without complaining > about a dot in the file name. What's the big deal, if it isn't a nod to > the dark side?
I can take a guess what you mean by the dark side but I would choose to take a different meaning. The old school omniscient Unix types never much liked the idea of file extensions (a different kind of dark side but disturbing none-the-less). In my not so humble opinion the correct solution was to ingore them and their unusual use case* and to always automatically add a file extension as most ordinary normal users would expect. The Gnumeric developers have gone out of their way to accomodate this unusual request which makes things more annoying for the average user, however I believe that things have moved on and that most people see the convenience of file extension as a quick and easy way to identify different files types (and disambuiguate all the different XML based file types of which the standard file tool continues to be blissfully ignorant). > And I hope you will not take it as an unkindness if I suggest that > perhaps a check of the file's internal content would provide a more > reliable indication of the type of file involved? I may be missing > something here. So many file formats are now XML as to make this inefficient at best or at worst entirely worthless. > I apologize if my statement seemed to be over-the-top, or in any way > critical of the excellent work of the volunteers who have been > developing this great (and improving!) package. It was a little but it is easy to write thing quickly but hard to express exatly what you want to see through the written word. I think we can all understand how the behaviour might be annoying for you though and understand your reaction but it reads more harsh than you probalby intended. I prefer to try the nice approach first, that way if it doesn't work I always have a Plan B ;) > use of any sort of legal filename, whatsoever. Unless this is > necessary to accede to a M$ designed behavior, most of which that I > have encountered seem to be idiosyncratically flawed. I may be wrong > about all or any of this. * the microsoft behaviour is to simply add the extension (".ext" for example) unless the name already includes that extension (rather than a more simple check for a '.', this allows filenames like testfile.txt.doc) and in the rare case you are an old school type that doesn't like using file extensions Windows allows you to force your chosen filename by putting it in inverted commas so by typing "filename" including the quotes in a windows file save dialog you will get exactly what you specify. Microsoft have done a lot of things wrong and need to sort out their business practices but this doesn't happen to another example of what they got wrong. Sincerely Alan H. _______________________________________________ gnumeric-list mailing list gnumeric-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gnumeric-list