Re: Reading long filenames

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from "Chuck Creesy"  on Tue,
27 Jan 2004 14:02:50 -0500

Chuck:

> I'm using XyWrite 3.56 and need to read and write filenames longer than 8.3
> (they are 10.3 to be exact, representing ISBN numbers). I try reading
> the VA$fi value to a variable, but when I PV it, all I get is the first
> five characters followed by a squiggle

You mean a tilde? I think that's the name -- at least that's what that call it
in Princeton.

> and an exclam. Is there a way to
> print the entire ten characters into the file?

I would like to be able to say, "Yes -- Nota Bene v7.0b, the latest." But NB
can't do it either. None of the XyWrite word processors can do it. You can
only do it with programming. I wrote such programming for OS/2: Xy-OS/2 File
Manager, in U2. I didn't port it to Windows because all Win32 operating
systems recognize 8.3 "short names" (so you can edit any file). Under *nix, I
don't know. What is your OS? What is your specific need -- to get hold of the
full filename, for use in the selfsame document? What do you want to be able
to do -- issue a command (or hit a key) and it inserts the "long" filename in
the document at cursor position? (very easy to do, actually, by a variety of
methods...)

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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