”HFS uses 31-byte strings to store file names. HFS does not store any kind of script information with the file name to indicate how it should be interpreted. File names are compared and sorted using a routine that assumes a Roman script, wreaking havoc for names that use some other script (such as Japanese). Worse, this algorithm is buggy, even for Roman scripts. The Finder and other applications interpret the file name based on the script system in use at runtime.”
The bug (or part of it) was that some punctuation sorted before everything else.
For non-Macheads who are confused, this refers to the original HFS from 1985, which was replaced with HFS Plus in 1998:
> HFS Plus uses up to 255 Unicode characters to store file names. Allowing up to 255 characters makes it easier to have very descriptive names. Long names are especially useful when the name is computer-generated (such as Java class names).
I have to admit I let out a laugh at Apple's reference to Java class names...
”HFS uses 31-byte strings to store file names. HFS does not store any kind of script information with the file name to indicate how it should be interpreted. File names are compared and sorted using a routine that assumes a Roman script, wreaking havoc for names that use some other script (such as Japanese). Worse, this algorithm is buggy, even for Roman scripts. The Finder and other applications interpret the file name based on the script system in use at runtime.”
The bug (or part of it) was that some punctuation sorted before everything else.