[net.micro.cpm] Special characters in SIMTEL20 files

WANCHO%simtel20@sri-unix.UUCP (12/08/83)

From:  "Frank J. Wancho" <WANCHO@simtel20>

It may appear that some files in MICRO: are inaccessible when you try
to GET certain files with FTP.  The following info ought to clear up
the apparent problems...

All of the non-alphanumeric characters in TOPS-20 filenames, except a
limited few, are considered "special" characters.  Thus, you must
quote them with a real ^V.

For example, it is BY3^V+SMDM.ASM and SQ^V/USQ.whatever.

Sorry for the confusion.

--Frank

POURNE%mit-mc@sri-unix.UUCP (12/09/83)

From:  Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE@mit-mc>

Are you actually under the impression that this essage
ELIMINATES confusion?
	Holy Catfish...


    Date: 7 Dec 1983  20:45 MST (Wed)
    From: Frank J. Wancho <WANCHO at simtel20>
    To:   INFO-CPM at brl-vgr
    Re:   Special characters in SIMTEL20 files

    It may appear that some files in MICRO: are inaccessible when you try
    to GET certain files with FTP.  The following info ought to clear up
    the apparent problems...

    All of the non-alphanumeric characters in TOPS-20 filenames, except a
    limited few, are considered "special" characters.  Thus, you must
    quote them with a real ^V.

    For example, it is BY3^V+SMDM.ASM and SQ^V/USQ.whatever.

    Sorry for the confusion.

    --Frank

MOOERS%bbna@sri-unix.UUCP (12/09/83)

TOPS20, for unknown reasons, normally accepts only the following
"standard" characters in file names: uppercase A through Z,
numbers 0 through 9, and the punctuation characters dollarsign
($), hyphen (-), and underscore (_).  Also, when you are creating
or typing filenames, TOPS-20 automatically converts lowercase a
through z to uppercase.

If you want to type any other "nonstandard" character, such as
lowercase a,  circumflex (^) or backslash (\), which appears in
a file name, you must "quote" the character.  The method of
quoting such a character is to type Control-V before you type the
character.  The filename that contains the nonstandard character
also contains a Control-V preceding the character, but TOPS-20
cleverly doesn't show you the Control-V.  (Except sometimes it
does, as "^V"; I can't give you the rule for when.)

Sometimes people include "nonstandard" characters in filenames
deliberately to keep other people from typing them.  I have come
to the conclusion, based on bitter experience, that this is a bad
idea.  I believe, however, that the "nonstandard" characters in
the files in question were standard characters on the machine
from which the files were transferrred.

---Charlotte Mooers