Richard Travers wrote:
In article<[email protected]>, James Knott
<[email protected]> wrote:
Tanstaafl wrote:
On 2010-03-13 7:23 AM, Daniel Lewis wrote:
When you save a document for the first time, the Save As window
opens. At the bottom near the middle is a check box. It is labeled
"Automatic file name extension". This should be checked. Normally, it
is, but if you accidentally unchecked it, it will remain unchecked
until you save a document and check the box. Just be sure to look at
this check box when you save a file for the first time. To correct the
files which have this problem, open them in OpenOffice.org and use
"Save As". To do this, click File to open the File menu. Click Save
As. This time make sure that this check box is checked when you save
the file.
Which begs the question - why is that checkbox even there? All it does
is cause this problem (our users have been bit by it a lot too)...
It's a problem in Windows, but not Linux, OS/2 and I expect Mac. Unlike
other operating systems, Windows still relies on the file extension to
determine the file type. Is the rest of the world supposed to be stuck
in the past because Microsoft can't get it's act together?
I know I'm going to regret this, but I'll ask anyway.
What exactly is wrong with using an extension to identify a file type? It is
a simple, straightforward system that works. Also it does have a couple of
advantages, as far as I can see, one being that it makes it immediately
obvious from the file name what application is needed to open that file, the
other that it makes it possible to use the same file name (eg all relating
to one project) on a number of files with different extensions.
As far as I can see, there are only three possible ways of identifying a
file type. One is to add an extension, one is to embed a coded file type
within the file, the third is to rely purely on the structure of the file to
identify it. Options two and three both rely on either the OS or an
installed application to identify the file which can cause problems if it is
either a new file type that the OS hasn't met before, or a file type for
which there is no installed application to handle.
There's nothing wrong with using a file extension, but also no reason
for it to be mandatory. I'm not sure of the details, but the file type
information is included in the file for many, but not all, file types.
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