Valid file names in the OS/2 FAT file system have the following form:

    [drive:][directory\]filename[extension]

The drive parameter must name an existing drive and can be any letter from A through Z. The drive letter must be followed by a colon (:).

The directory parameter specifies the directory that contains the file's directory entry. The directory name must be followed by a backslash (\) to separate it from the file name. If the specified directory is not the current directory, directory must include the names of all the directories in the path, separated by backslashes. The root directory is specified by using a backslash at the beginning of the name.

For example, if the directory ABC is in the directory SAMPLE, and SAMPLE is in the root directory, the directory specification is:

    \SAMPLE\ABC.

A directory name can also have an extension, which is any combination of up to three letters, digits, or special characters, preceded by a period (.).

The filename and extension parameters specify the file.

FAT File-Naming Rules
For file objects managed by the FAT file system, the following rules apply:

• File names are limited to 8 characters before and three characters after a single dot. This is referred to as the 8.3 file name format.

  The 8 characters before the dot are blank-filled. Embedded blanks are significant, trailing blanks and blanks immediately preceding the dot are not significant. Trailing blanks are truncated.

  For example, "FILE.A" is really "FILE .A ". "FILE.A" and "FILE .A " are treated as the same file by the operating system and refer to the same file. Also, "FILE.TXT " and "FILE.TXT" are treated as the same file.

  Blanks elsewhere in the name are significant-"F I L E.TXT" is not the same as "FILE.TXT".

• Names are not case sensitive. This means that "FILE.TXT" and "file.txt" refer to the same file. Lowercase and uppercase characters are folded together for name comparison purposes.

• Names returned by file system functions are in uppercase. This means that if "file.txt" is created, DosFindFirst returns "FILE.TXT".

• Directory and file names can be any combination of up to eight letters, digits, or the following special characters:

      $   %   '   -   _   @   {   }   ~   `   !   # (   )
  

  File extensions can be any combination of up to three letters, digits, or special characters, preceded by a period.

• Invalid characters for directory names, file names, and volume labels are:

  • the range 0 - 1Fh

  • and the characters:

        <   >   |   +   =   :   ;   ,   .   "   /   \   [   ]
    

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