In message , Char Jackson
writes:
On Thu, 14 Dec 2017 17:24:34 -0000 (UTC), Lewis
wrote:

In message Paul wrote:
[]
Windows is not limited to 8.3.

Might not be in Windows 10 (though I think it is)

Nope. I can't remember what happened before XP, but at least with XP
through 10 you can create a filename with 200+ characters in the
extension, as long as you don't exceed the total number of characters
allowed.

Long filenames came in with '95, I think.

but certainly up
through 8 every file had to conform to 8.3 at some level. This is why
you would occasionally see a filename like LONGFI~1.DOC instead of
"Longfilename.docx"

You're confusing the 'long' filename that humans usually use with the
'short' filename that Windows creates for its own use. There's a little
more to it than that, but not much. For us humans, it's been a very long
time since we were limited to 8.3 filenames.

And for the computer. Yes, the 8.3 name _is_ used internally for some
functions. But for the part of the computer that uses the extension to
decide what sort of file it is (e. g. what to open it with), it looks up
the long name. (Strictly it isn't just "long" versus "short"; odd
characters that aren't allowed in 8.3, or a long extension even if the
total is less than 11 - such as a.bcde - is a "long" or at least encoded
name.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Lucy Worsley takes tea in Jane Austen's Regency Bath. - TV "Choices" listing,
RT 2017-5-27