Long files names truncated can lead to problems

"For example, Fetch will truncate long filenames when uploading to a non-Mac server that does handle long filenames. For example, I first noticed the problem when I tried to upload some Java class files from my Mac to a Solaris workstation. Later, when my Java app didn't work on that workstation, I realized it was because many of the class filenames had been truncated (Java is pretty strict about filenames). As far as that computer was concerned, the original filename never existed.

StuffIt offers a similar conundrum. For example, say I tarballed some Java classes, using the tar program, for the purpose of distributing a program to users. Most Mac users would try to use StuffIt to expand that file (in OS X, StuffIt takes ownership of .tar and .tgz files). Unfortunately, even if the original filenames and file structure are stored in the file, StuffIt would invariably mangle the long filenames, and the app I was distributing then would not work.

There are work-arounds for these problems. However, the best solution will be for updated versions of these apps that better handle long file names."