[Closed] Why use underscores instead of spaces?

All the computer nerds come out of college programmed to do it.

I suspect they secretly hate everyone else for not doing it...

If you are copying a location of file or something in the address bar spaces break the link is one reason.

Username, I'd guess desired name already taken.

"I don't know"

IPreferCamelCaseMyself.

joshvegas - Member
"I don't know"

😆

Back in the old days, file names couldn't contain spaces. Some of us old men hang on to that.

Sometimes spaces aren't allowed characters in a single 'entity.' Easier to err on the side of caution if you want consistency.

I seem to remember from when I reregisterd here that it wouldn't accept spaces. Is there anyone with a space in their name?

Spaces aren’t, or weren’t, permitted in STW usernames. That’s why mine has underscore.

As above, sometimes you can't use spaces as it messes stuff up so an underscore is used in lieu to make it more readable to the eye.

But some people seem to use them when they don't need to.

Mines has an _ because stw didnt play well with spaces.

My original was ;joshvegas

But everyone ignored me

Ah, OK. I'd noticed that some names had spaces but some didn't. Looks like it's from the olden days. Cool.

As for the filename thing, I'd get it if it was an IT pro doing it as they'd probably be doing some crazy UNIX command line stuff.

My colleague, on the other hand is the kind of person who makes folders full of documents called things like 'chemistry_test_NEW.doc' and 'NEW_chemistry_test.doc' and 'chemistry_test_LATEST.doc'. Which I LOVE.

joshvegas - I don't get your jokes but I'm really pleased that they're there.

iPreferCamelCase myself but my email has an underscore rather than a full stop as the separator because it's the right thing to do.

drop table users; wasn't allowed.

No_idea

Oh god, this is just going to turn into a thread of nerd jokes.

[shakes fist at Stevoius] see what you've started?

My colleague, on the other hand is the kind of person who makes folders full of documents called things like 'chemistry_test_NEW.doc' and 'NEW_chemistry_test.doc' and 'chemistry_test_LATEST.doc'. Which I LOVE

We know the same guy ?

My folder structure at work is full of shit like that because my.back to.back saves all the old.shit. I can look at a pressure test for 1999 for a tool that's been rebuilt 30 times since then and had 17 new parts and is no longer relevent and hasn't been for at least 10 years.

I use a _ in place of a : in a file name some times. Why am I not allowed to use : in a file name?

Oh god, this is just going to turn into a thread of nerd jokes.

There's 10 types of people in this world, those that like nerd jokes, and those that don't.

_

Because : defines a function i think

I should point i'm not an IT geek but ivcant programme but i can butcher others to make things work.

Genuinely worth having a quick read of the basics.

The solution to bad namers is dump everything in the superseded folder nd keep doing it.

My original was ;joshvegas

But everyone ignored me

Very good.

I use a _ in place of a : in a file name some times. Why am I not allowed to use : in a file name?

Because in the Windows (well, DOS) world, a colon is the delimiter for a drive letter or other data stream source. Eg, C:\Windows

There's 10 types of people in this world, those that like nerd jokes, and those that don't.

And those who understand ternary.

My username was based on only fools and horses but everyone else left

Del *.*

*wildcard

My colleague, on the other hand is the kind of person who makes folders full of documents called things like 'chemistry_test_NEW.doc' and 'NEW_chemistry_test.doc' and 'chemistry_test_LATEST.doc'. Which I LOVE

Don't get me started. File, file_new, file_newer, file_newest [date:2006]. HULK SMASH

I like using hyphens in filenames too.

2017_05_13-quantock-hills-ride/

CHANGES#2--this was the original filename.docx

#live-life-to-the-max

I used to have a space in my username in the old forum. I think the new one runs on MS-DOS though 🙂

Meh.

just leaving this for cougie & chums; a gift from my home PC:

"1 1 very latest LIVE VERSION CURRENTEST Apr 2013 to Jun 2016 MASTER For data working report"
😆

(it's not entirely my fault but I am responsible for it 😳 )

Room 101 was actually the fifth door along.

Until another guest checked into Hilbert's hotel

Another underscore user here. All Google sheet names with underscore rather than spaces because ctrl + (or + shift) left (or right) arrow allows selecting or navigating the whole string for faster keyboard based editing. Spaces interrupt the navigation shortcut.

And filenames always go "yymmdd projectname VerNo"

I still use _ for file names..or version updates.

I did an old DB4 dB whilst at Uni (in the dark ages) and it’s stuck..

And filenames always go "yymmdd projectname VerNo"

Nooooooo!

Project name. File number. File name. Version

Date when superseded a date tells you nothing other than the date it was named. Undayted is current add a date when superseded and move it.

So your current folder has one version of each file that sit nicely in alphanumerical order.

no%20need%20for%20it%20whatsoever

Should we list all the reasons for using underscores?

I'll start
[list]

[*]STW usernames didn't allow spaces

Every now and then I register for a sir that doesn't allow underscores.

Which means I will always have trouble, and it'll take several goes to reset my password whilst I work out what's wrong. Add then realise my password was correct...Until I reset it....

That_was_a_long_list.stw

But everyone ignored me

😀

Ah... The good old days of spaces being replaced by %20 in IE. Having to rename every single element that worked fine with Netscape Navigator with spaces in its name. Bugger!

Every now and then I register for a sir

Take the hint, you are not in the Queens favor. 😀

Joshvegas, that would be ;*tired to you. I'm a SAS need at heart.

My email has _ not . As I used the. Before spam was properly filtered. It looks better too.

Spaces in filenames <shudder>

I would have probably asked the question differently, maybe "what stupid ****er decided to have file/directory names with spaces";-)

It is put there to annoy those of us who prefer to do things properly. I get annoyed that I am not allowed to use an oblique stroke when saving things. So what if the blasted computer doesn't like it. It's my slave not the other way around.

When I registered Stw didn’t accept capitals. Or rather it accepted them but didn’t display them. So my username displays all in lower case here on the forum but has capitals if you click through to my profile.

You’d probably be able to carbon date the creation of peoples accounts by these little typographic quirks.

I used to have a space...

Edit. Ooh, I still do.

jimdubleyou - Member
Oh god, this is just going to turn into a thread of nerd jokes.
There's 10 types of people in this world, those that like nerd jokes, and those that don't.

likethat (max 8 characters)

I used to have a space...

Edit. Ooh, I still do.

Notice that when you click on your own profile, you have a hyphen, instead of a space in the URL:-

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/profile/jam-bo

Otherwise it would look ugly, like:-

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/profile/jam%20bo

Because you can't have spaces in URI's, it has to be replaced with %20

From a programmers point of view, spaces in any kind of identifier are a pain in the arse, and i'm not just talking about MS-DOS, so most people get used to substituting spaces with underscores or hyphens.

Well if they are so bloody clever why can't they sort it out within the correct rules of the English Language?

How about 'this?space' in a username? 😉

My use of them in username stems from ancient email address set up for me by an old employer.

We all had firstname_outandabout@hotmail email addresses for when we were, well, out and about not in office. We used web service via the shared office laptop, our files and outlook remained on desktop in office.

I think in the days of Windows 95 and Amstrad, our 'IT' man was guessing....

Any how, the matt_outandabout stuck, and I'm now family_outandabout etc...