Long File Names

[Sannyasin Sivakatirswami]

We have a somewhat "giant" archive process in the works where hundreds  
and hundreds of audio tapes are being digitized by a firm in Seattle  
and will eventually be archived here on DVD and then distributed via  
the net for transcription and later public web access. I am using  
Revolution for the transcription process and most probably will build a  
cataloging application tailor made for our needs. The issue of long  
file names arises. Here are parts of the conundrum:

a) we see recommendations among the WC3 standards docs to stay with a  
maximum 31 char file name.

b) Windows allows long file names.

c) On Mac OSX, one can, for example, save an email with a long subject  
line (say 75 characters long) and the OS file system will save it to  
disk with a file name that is 75 characters long.

e.g.

Receive a Bonus Upgrade or XT From Markzware.txt

d) But! if I read this into Revolution , using "answer file" I get this:

/Users/katir/   Working/  Editorial/  Letters to the editor/
Receive a Bonus Upgr#10AA21.txt

where the Rev engine or the Mac OSX (can't determine which) has  
truncated the file name to 31 chars, hashing the overlength portion  
using a mysterious algorithm.

e) Mac OSX itself, in a number of applications, disallows entry of more  
than 31 chars.

f) but the Mac OSX Finder allows me to enter a file name of 255  
characters:

123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789- 
123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789- 
123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789- 
123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-1.txt

So, this leaves me scratching my head. If i could get Rev to preserve  
long filenames from "answer file" I might stay with long file names  
despite the "prohibition" that we see because as far as I can  see,  
anything to 255 chars is now legal... but some dialog boxes  only allow  
31 and we are getting back long file names hashed down to 31 char...

Any insights appreciated... what is the unix limit? Linux?

Sannyasin Sivakatirswami
Himalayan Academy Publications
at Kauai's Hindu Monastery
katir at hindu.org

www.HimalayanAcademy.com,
www.HinduismToday.com
www.Gurudeva.org
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