Re: Oracle Client @ Windows: ORA-12154 when calling from path with brackets "("

In article <40ecf546$1_at_olaf.komtel.net>, andrehartmann_at_hotmail.com says...
>
> "Daniel Morgan" <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:1089259208.998522_at_yasure...
> > André Hartmann wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > I tested and found that even Oracle client applications like SQL*Plus
> act
> > > that way. when I copy sqlplus.exe to a directory that has "(", it wont
> > > connect. When I copy it to a directory that has no "(" it will still
> work!
> > >
> > > Now my questions are these:
> > >
> > > (1) Has anyone observed that before ?
> > >
> > > André
> > > :)
> >
> > Probably not because other than having a death wish I can't imagine what
> > would drive any person to create a directory name with parentheses in it.
> >
> > Why are you doing this to yourself?
>
> Its not me doing this to myself. If it was for me all file and directory
> names could simply consist of letters, digits and underscore. The problem is
> that
>
> (A) Microsoft file systems support space, (, ) and others in their file and
> directory names and
> (B) The customer expercts us to deliver applications that are windows
> compliant, meaning that they install into what ever the "ProgramFiles"
> environment variable is set to (a path) and that could be anything that is
> legal under the windows filesystem used on the computer.
>
> Anyway, if there is no fix (like stated in SB's response) I am still in
> need of some "official" statement by Oracle, a document, "problem
> acknowledgement" or "feature acknowledgement" of this fact because somehow I
> have to prove to my customer that it's not my fault when our application
> (which acts as an Oracle client) does not function properly unlike all their
> other applications (which do not act as Oracle clients) do install properly
> into any path that is found in "ProgramFiles". I cant just say "It was
> posted in "comp.databases.oracle.misc" that this is just so." Maybe that is
> sufficient for me but not for a customer who pays for a fully functional
> application.
>
> I hope you understand my point... on one hand we are developers or
> administrators who are used to struggle with the daily odds and ends but on
> the other hand there are customers who expect the highest of service and

Suggestion: You are probably using a Setup programm like InstallShield, no? If so, have it suggest a destination folder like "C:\Program Files \MyApp". 99% of your users will accept this and click "Next". For the dopes who change the directory to something with garbage characters, have your Setup check for this and show a polite error message. I don't think anyone will protest this approach, everybody's happy.

Otherwise you are spending 97% effort on a 3% sized problem.

• Tom