Currently we wish to have a 1 to 1 relation with QAC Test Cases. In QAC we have structured our test cases as follows
TC.Project-Page.Feature-TCID
which translates to something like this
TC.ATC-01.01-01
However in TC we cannot create a keyword test or script test with those characters forcing us to use underscores.
TC_ATC_01_01_01
which is not what we want.
Keyword tests are saved as files. So, if you look on your hard drive, TC_ATC_01_01_01 is actually saved as TC_ATC_01_01_01.tcKDT. If "dots" were included in keyword test files names, that would mess with storage of the keyword tests. This is the reason for the restriction.
Periods in file extension names have been allowed and are currently allowed. The fact that there is a period in the file name doesn't mess with the file extension. As you can see in my file below, i have a javascript file named TC-ATC.01.01.01-01.js no problem. Still opens and runs the file. I can rename it in windows file explorer, but the keyword test is presented (left) with underscores.
Regardless, lets take periods out of the argument. Why disallow spaces? or hyphens?
For the same reason... Keyword file names are stored in an XML formatted KeywordTests.tcKDT file. Including spaces or hyphens would mess up that file structure. It really makes sense to have the restrictions we do... for code units, would you allow spaces, hyphens, periods when naming a js file to be used on a web site? Most likely not... same deal for keyword tests.
What about having numbers start off the file name? All I am saying is that these restrictions do not make sense in 2017. Perhaps 13 years ago, these restrictions might have made more sense, but at this moment there are a ton of solutions. Saying "this is just how it is because we built it this way" isn't the solution.
