INTERACT FORUM

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: File Name Length  (Read 2674 times)

mstan

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 275
File Name Length
« on: December 04, 2013, 08:54:56 am »

MC has reported 19 files failed to import because the file name is too long.    Is this a Windows limitation as Mac OS has imported them just fine with the, admittedly, very long file name path (these are classical files)?
Logged

connersw

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 661
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2013, 09:07:25 am »

Yes, this is a Windows limitation.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/file-names-and-file-name-extensions-frequently-asked-questions

What is the maximum length of a file name?

Windows usually limits file names to 260 characters. But the file name must actually be shorter than that, since the complete path (such as C:\Program Files\filename.txt) is included in this character count. This is why you might occasionally encounter an error when copying a file with a very long file name to a location that has a longer path than its current location.
Logged

mstan

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 275
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2013, 09:13:29 am »

Yes, this is a Windows limitation.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/file-names-and-file-name-extensions-frequently-asked-questions

What is the maximum length of a file name?

Windows usually limits file names to 260 characters. But the file name must actually be shorter than that, since the complete path (such as C:\Program Files\filename.txt) is included in this character count. This is why you might occasionally encounter an error when copying a file with a very long file name to a location that has a longer path than its current location.


This is 2013 and Windows still has this limitation?  As one of Nick Cage's characters would say, "SON OF A B*TCH!"
Logged

6233638

  • Regular Member
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 5353
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2013, 09:37:53 am »

It should be possible to have a total path length of 32,767 characters... but I've no idea how to make use of it.

The Windows API has many functions that also have Unicode versions to permit an extended-length path for a maximum total path length of 32,767 characters. This type of path is composed of components separated by backslashes, each up to the value returned in the lpMaximumComponentLength parameter of the GetVolumeInformation function (this value is commonly 255 characters). To specify an extended-length path, use the "\\?\" prefix. For example, "\\?\D:\very long path".
Logged

dean70

  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 508
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2013, 02:57:09 pm »

Supposidly at the Win32 API level you can have a 32k path length using the "\\?\" prefix, but MS decide in their infinate wisdom to retain the 260 char path limit from the 80's due to historic C runtime limitations. I mean really   ::)
Logged

Matt

  • Administrator
  • Citizen of the Universe
  • *****
  • Posts: 42336
  • Shoes gone again!
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2013, 03:16:45 pm »

Like others say, the shell limits you to 260 and the file system (normally) has a much larger limit.

JRiver performs a sanity check on import (on Windows only) and rejects filenames longer than the shell can safely support.  This is done because we don't want to create other problems later (why can't I find my file in Explorer, why is my sidecar not working, etc.).

I think we might someday remove the JRiver safety check on import.  After that, we would handle any length file but not create a filename longer than 260 characters ourselves.  We would make this change sometime when we were happy to deal with possible problems, which won't be in the near future.
Logged
Matt Ashland, JRiver Media Center

mstan

  • Galactic Citizen
  • ****
  • Posts: 275
Re: File Name Length
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2013, 03:25:48 pm »

Not a big deal.   It is just a handful of files.  I'd rather you spend your time adding the video features to the MAC version :).
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up