[Ffmpeg-devel] [PATCH] from DivX, Part 2: Multifile source

[Aurelien Jacobs]

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:23:14 +0000
M?ns Rullg?rd <mru at inprovide.com> wrote:

> Michael Niedermayer <michaelni at gmx.at> writes:
> 
> > Hi
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 25, 2006 at 09:36:10AM -1000, Steve Lhomme wrote:
> > [...]
> >> >>+#define IO_MULTI_FILE_SEPAR  '*'
> >> >
> >> >IMHO a '*' is a uncommon choice as seperator, what about : or , ?
> >> 
> >> The idea is to be able to use -i cat:file1.vob*file2.vob from the 
> >> command-line. * is the only one I found that can't be set (easily) in a 
> >> filename on Windows and Linux.
> >
> > ok, personally i dont care, so if noone complains iam fine with * as
> > seperator
> 
> It is always a good idea to avoid using shell metacharacters,
> particularly those that expand into multiple names, and * as a
> separator feels unnatural to me.  In Unix systems : is the typical
> separator for things like $PATH, and files with a : in the name are as
> rare as those with a *.  In Windows, I suppose : is not such a good
> choice because of the drive letter mess.  Since any character is legal
> in a Unix filename, it's hard to come up with a good choice though.

I don't like * either. And also agree that : sounds like the more
natural choice.
Maybe / would be a good choice ? I don't think it is legal in a unix
file name, and IIRC, it's not allowed in windows either. Moreover,
it's not a shell metacharacter.

Aurel