I often name files using a convention such that I incorporate a version number at the end, similar to Some Deliverable - v0.1.docx
. Sometimes when colleagues make changes and send back revised versions they will update that version number, but they will also replace the extra period with a space, such as Some Deliverable - v0 2.docx
.
This happens often enough, with a wide enough variety of colleagues, that I wonder: Is there still a danger in naming a file with multiple periods? Are my colleagues being overly cautious or taking valid precautions? And if it is a valid precaution, under what circumstances would a file with multiple periods cause problems?
If this is a holdover from pre-Windows 95 days or something then I'm not worried, but if this is something that, for example, causes problems when sharing a file with a Mac user – or an iPad user? – or a Linux user then I'll change my ways and stick to one period in a file name, before the extension.
something-v1.23.4-something.tar.gz.sig
for years without any troubles... – user1686 Jul 18 '12 at 19:13