On 2007-05-28, Janis Papanagnou wrote:
> Dave Kelly wrote:
>> I don't know where to ask this. If there is a better place, please let
>> me know.
>>
>> Is there any limit on file length now-a-days?
>
> Yes. Depending on the OS and filesystem.

It is defined by the NAME_MAX macro. A common value is 255.

>> When I started it was 8 char . 3 extension
>
> (Or even 6.3 - ...were there even 6 someday?)

The reason the Forth language was so named rather than Fourth (as
in Fourth Generation Language) was because the file system couldn't
handle longer file names. I don't know what system that was and my
Forth book is upstairs and I'm too lazy to go and look.

--
Chris F.A. Johnson, author <http://cfaj.freeshell.org/shell/>
Shell Scripting Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (2005, Apress)
===== My code in this post, if any, assumes the POSIX locale
===== and is released under the GNU General Public Licence