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Topic: using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names (Read 8420 times) previous topic - next topic
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using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

In the past, some programs would have or make trouble dealing with files whose names included spaces. Also, files on the internet with spaces still display those spaces as %20.
The filename conventions I've used for music have always included underscores instead of spaces. I've done the same with folders.

But I'm wondering, is there any value at this point to filenames having underscores instead of spaces?
Or folders?

What I'd tentatively like to do is to rename all of the folders in My Music automatically replacing underscores with spaces, but leave the filenames with underscores. (Because if there is any value to underscores over spaces, it's more important to filenames than to folder structure. Plus I use underscores for things other than spaces - e.g., in place of a question mark in the song title - in filenames.) There are plenty of programs for automatic file renaming, but I don't know of any that will work on folders as-is (foobar2000 and others will redo the folder structure, but I just want the folders themselves renamed, not restructured.
If the concensus is there's no value in underscores in filenames or folder names, then I'm fine just setting a program loose that can repace spaces with underscores in filenames and in folder names. But I'd rather just do the folder names, at this point, because of the various ways I've used underscores in my filenaming conventions.
God kills a kitten every time you encode with CBR 320

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #1 –
There won't be any benefits from leaving the file names out. If an application has troubles with spaces, then it will affect the whole path anyway.

Personally I've never had any problems with spaces in files and directories on Windows XP/NTFS, and needless to say I don't use underscores at all.

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #2 –
same story on ubuntu linux. spaces in file/directory names are handled fine.

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #3 –
Spaces haven't been an issue since Windows 3.1/DOS 6.22.

People need to let go of their 15-year-old fears and embrace our friend the space

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #4 –
Total Commander does what you want --> rename just folders. Anyway, it is far from being one of the most useful programs I have ever used: it can't prepare a white coffee for you    (Excuse the bad joke) 

It requires some "delving" into it but it just amazing 

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #5 –
you should only need to use underscores for online stuff, parts of a website etc. and even then you usually can get away with spaces and have the whole "%20" thing

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #6 –
Well on Linux Systems its a mess to deal with Spaces...

If I need to type something like "The\ Cult\ -\ Born\ Into\ This\ \(2007\), to enter a folder, its just annoying.

I know there is tab-complete, but if you have several files, starting with the same words, you dont get around this...
 

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #7 –
That's not a Linux thing, the same applies to any OS (that I'm aware of), although I don't know how escape characters work on Windows so I've always had to type stuff with spaces in quotation marks in Windows.

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Rasi on
If I need to type something like "The\ Cult\ -\ Born\ Into\ This\ \(2007\), to enter a folder, its just annoying.
I don't think it's annoying at all, but quite genius. Using "\" as an escape char is much better than having to worry about correct recursive quoting like in other OSs.

using underscores vs. spaces in filenames and folder names

Reply #9 –
I had this problem with Slackware 8.0 I believe, it was a *mess*, it was ext2 filesystem but at that time Red Hat already handled spaces alright. I never had a problem with NTFS or ext3, I think it's just a matter of configuration of your system. I did convert my files to lowercase and underscores replacing spaces, but with time, that became *very tiring* to read/interpret...