Unicode in file paths...

[Richard Gaskin]

If I read that correctly the LC 7.0.4 results for Unicode media paths 
could be summarized as:

Works:
- Windows     QuickTime
- OS X 10.10  AV Foundation
- OS X 10.9   AV Foundation
- OS X 10.8   AV Foundation

Fails:
- OS X 10.7   QuickTime
- OS X 10.6   QuickTime

Not described:
- OS X 10.7   AV Foundation (though I'd wager it would work
                              since it's the default)

That would only leave out OS X 10.6, but at this point it's abandonware 
anyway, too dangerous to use and with a 0.5% market share:
http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  Software Design and Development for Desktop, Mobile, and Web
  ____________________________________________________________
  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com        http://www.FourthWorld.com


Paul Dupuis wrote:

> I am trying to simply prompt for a movie file and set the filename of a
> player to that filespec. Essentially:
>
> answer file "Pick a movie:"
> set the fileName of player 1 to shortFilePath(it)
>
> If I have a movie file, say video.mov in a folder with Unicode
> characters, say "Κάποια έρευνα" (Greek), the answer file command in
> LC6.7.4 returns a string (i.e. C:/Users/Paul/Desktop/HR400-LC674/Media
> Testing/??p??a ??e??a/video.mp4) that is not recognized by the player
> object for accessing that file. The same movie file is recognized on OSX
> or Win if it is in a file path with no Unicode characters in it.
>
> Under LC 7.0.4, answer file returns a legible filespec (i.e.
> C:/Users/Paul/Desktop/HR400-LC674/Media Testing/Κάποια
> έρευνα/video.mp4), and the player recognizes the movie under Windows
> (using Quicktime - this is because of the use of the shortFilePath
> function, without shortFilePath, QT does not recognize a filespec with
> Unicode in it) and under OSX 10.8+ using the AVFoundation. However, it
> fails under OSX 10.7 and 10.6 (using QT instead of AVF)
>
> Given that every OS today support robust folder and file names, my
> question is: Is there any work around for this in LC6.7.4 (or 6.7.5)?
>
> I can not migrate to LC7 just now - we have too much code tied to the
> old way Unicode works that need to be updated and perhaps a zillion
> places where 'char' is used on binary data that need to be updated to
> byte. However, if I could go to LC7, it appear that you still can not
> play movies with Unicode in the file path under OSX10.6 or 10.7 (i.e QT
> under OSX) or is there a workaround for that?
>
> If there is anyone who has cracked this nut, help would be much appreciated.