But what about users? I mean most applications are smart enough nowadays to ignore file types and simply test file formats. If I feed a text file with no extension into notepad, it doesn't reject it cause there's no.txt extension on it, and even image viewers can determine the type of image without an extension (or the incorrect extension to boot!)
I think file name extensions are more important to the user than to the applications really. If I don't need a file extension, then I don't put one. If I do, then I do. Using windows with the file types hidden drives me nutty, since I'm not heavy into GUI, the icons are meaningless to me and not shown in all applications.
Example: Programming. In a project directory there can be multiple object, source, and header files, often with similar names. The extensions serve to show ME which is which, not to tell (insert favorite text editor here) that it's trying to open an object file, C source code, or a C header file. I can make extensions that tell me which files are what just at a glance. I can feed GCC any filename I want as long as I tell it what it is.
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I go to U of Guelph, am in computer science, and even have Deborah Stacey as one of my profs!
:)
I haven't heard of this until now.
I hope this doesn't screw up our lab machines cause I have to stay up late there doing my next assignment. *grins*
But what about users? I mean most applications are smart enough nowadays to ignore file types and simply test file formats. If I feed a text file with no extension into notepad, it doesn't reject it cause there's no .txt extension on it, and even image viewers can determine the type of image without an extension (or the incorrect extension to boot!)
I think file name extensions are more important to the user than to the applications really. If I don't need a file extension, then I don't put one. If I do, then I do. Using windows with the file types hidden drives me nutty, since I'm not heavy into GUI, the icons are meaningless to me and not shown in all applications.
Example: Programming. In a project directory there can be multiple object, source, and header files, often with similar names. The extensions serve to show ME which is which, not to tell (insert favorite text editor here) that it's trying to open an object file, C source code, or a C header file. I can make extensions that tell me which files are what just at a glance. I can feed GCC any filename I want as long as I tell it what it is.
Anyhow, just my two cents.