Leading dots as extension separators

[mdruiter]

From the 2.52 beta 2 changes list: 'Old hack removed: the dot in the beginning of the file name means the extension separator now. For example file ".txt" has the text file icon. Directories has no extension, the part behind the dot is just another part of the directory name.'
I personally do not like the consequences of this change.

In my experience, a leading dot is almost never meant as an extension. I have some (actually: many) files starting with a dot, most of them with a UNIXy origin, like .emacs, .bash_history, .NET, .cvsignore, ...
As I normally use a view with separated extension, these "extensions" are displayed separate from the other filenames, and cause a wide Ext column.

I think I understand the rationale, as Windows itself also regards a leading dot as an extension separator (evidenced by a Type of BASH_HISTORY File). Also, for examples like .txt, where the extension is "known" (by Windows), it would be ok.

Please reconsider the change.

[Ether]

There's been quite a discussion about this and it seems that ALTAP wants to imitate Explorer's behavior in all respects. But, of course, people who are advanced enough to use a file manager tend to have different opinion on these matters than Microsoft and his Explorer, so ultimately, I recommend ALTAP to give the users some choices: whether to regard leading dot as extension separator or to interpret the file as hidden. An example of such choice already exists and it's sorting - you can choose to disable numerical and language-specific sorting.

[mdruiter]

Do you have a link to the discussion?

[Petr Solin]

I have fixed this. All names containing only one dot at the beginning are shown in Name column instead of Ext column. It will be available in 2.53 (also in its preview build).