atotic

3 Messages

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100 Points

Mon, Dec 30, 2013 6:26 AM

Lightroom can't import files whose name contains a "/"

Lightroom 5.3 on OS X can't import files whose names contain a slash (ex: "mom/dad.jpg"). / is a legal filename character on os x. My stepdad loves naming his files with it.

Responses

rob_cole_2221866

4.5K Messages

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76.3K Points

7 y ago

'/' is a path separator on Mac, so I don't see how it can possibly be used in a filename. Are you sure you don't mean '\' (backslash)?

Victoria_Bampton_Lightroom_Queen

Champion

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6.5K Messages

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109.6K Points

7 y ago

Either way, Lightroom's cross-platform, so Adobe will stick to cross-platform limitations.

Victoria Bampton a.k.a. The Lightroom Queen

www.lightroomqueen.com

Author of Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ and Adobe Lightroom - Edit Like a Pro books.

"/" is a legal Mac separator. They had to do this to support MacOS legacy filesystem. See http://www.tempel.org/RB/FilePaths

It is possible to write cross-platform code to handle all legal file names. I've done it, it is annoying, you get pelted by tons of bug reports.

john_beardsworth

1.3K Messages

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22.5K Points

7 y ago

Better to encourage your stepdad to adopt more robust file naming practices.

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

2 m ago

I just tried to add a bunch of files to Lightroom Classic 9.4, but it refused to add some of them, saying: “An unknown error occurred.”

The only commonality I can see is they all had a slash (/) in the file name, which Lightroom showed as a colon (:)- is that character not able to be used when importing files?

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Lightroom refuses to add files- An unknown error occurred

bill_3305731

1K Messages

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11.5K Points

/ and : are invalid in filenames.

2 m ago

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

I didn't realize that was an issue in this day & age, as my macOS lets me use the slash character, and Photoshop also let me use it when creating the file...so not sure why Lightroom won't accept it. Thanks.

2 m ago

John_R_Ellis

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5.8K Messages

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100.4K Points

I'm curious, how did you get a "/" in a file name? Windows or Mac?

2 m ago

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

Mac- macOS 10.13. Photoshop 21.2.4.

2 m ago

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

I also use the slash in naming Word documents and folders sometimes...

2 m ago

John_R_Ellis

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100.4K Points

Why conversations get merged:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/lightroom-classic/lightroom-auto-import-to-folders-organized-by-date/5f5f44f14b561a3d422ab0ba?commentId=5f5f48984b561a3d422bdf45

2 m ago

John_R_Ellis

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5.8K Messages

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100.4K Points

1 m ago

This is a bug in LR.

On Mac OS, "/" in file names is legal at the app level. Finder and other "native" apps, including Photoshop, allow "/" in file names.

But the Mac app-level libraries translate it to ":" at the operating system level. You can see that for yourself: Rename a file in Finder to contain "/", then start the Terminal app and look at the file name with "ls" -- the "/" is replaced by a ":".

LR (and at least some other apps, including Firefox) don't implement that app-level behavior of "/". LR's Preferences > File Handling has an option to replace"/" and ":" in file names with "-":

but that doesn't work with Import with Copy or Move -- you get "Unknown error" instead. Note that Import does translate spaces to "_" if you choose that option.

(edited)

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

Well, luckily it was only 17 Photoshop files, with 17 corresponding jpegs I was trying to import, so I just renamed everything, and will try to remember not to use a slash from now on in image file names. Since I am not importing Word files or folders, I don't have to rename scores of other things. Hmm, I wonder if having an image file in a folder with a slash will upset Lightroom...

1 m ago

Johan_Elzenga

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59.4K Points

Yes, it will. Slashes are used as path separators in Lightroom, so a folder called “A/B” will be seen as a folder called “A” with a subfolder called “B” inside it.

Johan W. Elzenga,

http://www.johanfoto.com

1 m ago

John_R_Ellis

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5.8K Messages

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100.4K Points

"I wonder if having an image file in a folder with a slash will upset Lightroom..."

I just tested this, and LR will import photos from a folder whose name contains a slash, though it doesn't display the name correctly.

For example, with a folder named "race/bibs", the Import window displays it correctly, but after import, the Folders and Metadata panels display it as "race:bibs". I did some cursory testing of the various modules, and it seemed to work OK, though it wouldn't surprise me if there are some spots in LR that would choke on the folder.

1 m ago

robert_ripps

183 Messages

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2.8K Points

Now that I am thinking about this, all of my images are in folders that have a near top level folder with a slash in the name that I created about 20 years ago. Also, I have collections which have a slash in the name, and have not had any issues. And yes, if I look in Lightroom's Folders, which I do not really use, it does display slashes as colons.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

1 m ago

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atotic

Lightroom can't import files whose name contains a "/"

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rob_cole_2221866

Victoria_Bampton_Lightroom_Queen

atotic

john_beardsworth

robert_ripps

bill_3305731

robert_ripps

John_R_Ellis

robert_ripps

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John_R_Ellis

John_R_Ellis

robert_ripps

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atotic

Lightroom can't import files whose name contains a "/"

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rob_cole_2221866

Victoria_Bampton_Lightroom_Queen

atotic

john_beardsworth

robert_ripps

bill_3305731

robert_ripps

John_R_Ellis

robert_ripps

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John_R_Ellis

John_R_Ellis

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