Long file names not working with Entourage

[René Logeais]

The ability to accept long file names was the
feature that convinced me to buy Word 2004.
Now I find that when I send a file with a long
name using Entourage, the name gets truncated as
usual.
I sent one to myself, and sure enough the long name doesn't show
properly.

The whole idea was to make sure that my clients
would receive files with their proper names
(without having to enclose them in folders, etc.)
What gives?

Ren

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

The ability to accept long file names was the
feature that convinced me to buy Word 2004.
Now I find that when I send a file with a long
name using Entourage, the name gets truncated as
usual.
I sent one to myself, and sure enough the long name doesn't show
properly.

The whole idea was to make sure that my clients
would receive files with their proper names
(without having to enclose them in folders, etc.)
What gives?

Are you sure you're not just seeing the usual "..." for attachment names
when they're too long for various display headers. What happens when the
recipients save the attachments - don't they see the full names?

You haven't given a single example or detailed description of what you see
at which stage of the adding attachments, sending them receiving them,
saving them, opening them process.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[mournac]

OK, I've just created a file that I've called "This is the kind of long
file name I'm talking about".
When I drag it to the attachment window in Entourage, it instantly
becomes
"This is the kind of#14EA271.doc"

If I send it to myself I receive it (in Eudora) with the exact same
name: "This is the kind of#14EA271.doc"

(I don't think it's worth explaining why I use Entourage only to send
out work files, and Eudora for everything else, unless you think it's
relevant.)

I have of course no way of knowing how my clients deal with their
attachments.

Maybe I should mention that my version of Entourage is from Office X
(could there be a compatibility issue?)

René

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

OK, I've just created a file that I've called "This is the kind of long
file name I'm talking about".
When I drag it to the attachment window in Entourage, it instantly
becomes
"This is the kind of#14EA271.doc"

If I send it to myself I receive it (in Eudora) with the exact same
name: "This is the kind of#14EA271.doc"

(I don't think it's worth explaining why I use Entourage only to send
out work files, and Eudora for everything else, unless you think it's
relevant.)

I have of course no way of knowing how my clients deal with their
attachments.

Maybe I should mention that my version of Entourage is from Office X
(could there be a compatibility issue?)

YES! Office X could not do long file names. You started this thread by
saying:

"The ability to accept long file names was the feature that convinced me
to buy Word 2004."

So why aren't you using Entourage 2004?

In Entourage 2004 there is no truncation at all as the attachment name. I
sent a message with an attachment with exactly the same name. I've attached
it here too, but I'm not sure that the news server will accept attachments.

I haven't the faintest idea what Eudora would do with it, nor other email
clients or newsreaders, for that matter. If you receive it in Entourage 2004
you'll see the whole attachment name if your window is wide enough.



--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[mournac]

Why don't I use Entourage 2004?
Because I didn't know I needed it for the long files names (must have
missed the big announcement about it).
I thought it was a Word issue.
I had no idea I needed to buy the entire Office suite.
Now I know.
Thanks

René

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Rene:

OK, let's remove the confusion...

ALL of the file-handling dialog boxes that appear in Microsoft products on
the Mac are Apple Macintosh Finder windows

Any Office X application calls the "old" style Finder window that truncates
names at 31 characters. It still exists in the Finder, for compatibility
with OS 9 and before. Office X uses it because the new style window was not
available when it was built (and it required a lot of work to change the
code for every call to anything that had anything to do with files...)

All Office 2004 applications call the new-style Finder window that does not
truncate file names.

So Paul is quite correct: all of the old applications call the Mac OS X that
truncates file names, none of the new versions do.

Cheers

Why don't I use Entourage 2004?
Because I didn't know I needed it for the long files names (must have
missed the big announcement about it).
I thought it was a Word issue.
I had no idea I needed to buy the entire Office suite.
Now I know.
Thanks

René

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410

 

[mournac]

Thanks for the info, John. Now I know what's going on.
Unfortunately, I will need to buy Office 2004 (which means buying Word
2004 twice).
I should have inquired ahead of time, and actually the thought crossed
my mind that there could be compatibility issues (though I didn't think
the long file names would be one of them).
Stupidity has its cost.

René

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Thanks for the info, John. Now I know what's going on.
Unfortunately, I will need to buy Office 2004 (which means buying Word
2004 twice).
I should have inquired ahead of time, and actually the thought crossed
my mind that there could be compatibility issues (though I didn't think
the long file names would be one of them).
Stupidity has its cost.

I think you're probably eligible for the "Upgrade" price, at least.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.