MORE ON NAME CASING

To Kellee, Arpad, Will, and Committee

In jumping into the "casing" issue, I may be missing something. I feel
IBISCHK2 runs correctly as is.

For reference, here are the portions of IBIS which refer to naming files:

|==============================================================================
|
| General syntax rules and guidelines for ASCII IBIS files:
|
| 1) The content of the files is case sensitive, except for reserved
| words and keywords. File names must be all lower case.
|

|==============================================================================
| Keyword: [File name]
| Required: Yes
| Description: Specifies the name of the IBIS file, "filename.ibs".
| Usage Rules: The file name must comply with normal DOS rules (8 char. max.
| and no characters that are illegal in DOS). In addition, it
| must be all lower case, and use the extension ".ibs".
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[File name] ver2_1.ibs
|

While it was not intended that way, even if "file names" in 1) is interpreted
to NOT include the ".ibs" extension, the Keyword Usage Rules clarify that
the only allowable extension is ".ibs". Therefore, ALL characters in the
"filename.ibs" MUST be lower case.

Even in DOS systems, IBISCHK2 correctly detects any upper case violation
in "filename.ibs" in the keyword [File Name]. It also correctly processes
DOS uppercase "FILENAME.IBS" files without reporting an error.

In UNIX systems, IBISCHK2 will CONTINUE the checking, even if the actual
"FILEname.ibs" contains uppercase chararcters. An ERROR is reported, just as
Arpad suggested. As Kelley previously reported, the checking DOES NOT
CONTINUE with a mixed or uppercase EXTENSION ".IBS"; an ERROR is reported.
While inconsistent, both actions are appropriate since any variation from
".ibs" or usage of any other extension is in violation of IBIS. Stopping
at an extension violation prevents processing a non-IBIS file entered
by mistake.

To me, IBIS is clear regarding lower case filename requirements, and IBISCHK2
is taking all of the proper actions in rigid compliance with IBIS and also
in dealing with the DOS situation where the actual files (names converted to
upper case regardless of how they were entered) are processed without error.
IBISCHK2 should NOT automatically change any file name, and an ERROR should
be reported for any mixed case filename and extension.

The point that I may be missing is with respect to a Windows interface. If
a properly formatted lower case file name is presented with uppercase only
characters, then I would think that the DOS rules should be applied. The
risk is that there may ambiguity if any mixed case variations of the same
name exist. The user should take care that this does not happen, since I
think that IBISCHK2 has to assume the actual filename provided is correct if
used with a case-converting interface.

Bob Ross,
Interconnectix, Inc.
Received on Fri Mar 3 20:44:06 1995