shapefile name lenght

Question

Hello,
Is there a maximum length for the shapefile name? I read somewhere it is 10 characters.
Is it true?
Thanks

curtvprice · Answer

Field names cannot be longer than 10 characters. No limitation for the file name that I'm aware of.

Luke you're absolutely right. I posted a little quick there. The 10-char limitation is indeed on the field names. In general, you should always at least start with a letter and stick to alphanumeric characters plus "_" for folder paths and names in ArcGIS.

Luke_Pinner · Answer

Field names cannot be longer than 10 characters. No limitation for the file name that I'm aware of.

curtvprice · Answer

Is there a maximum length for the shapefile name? I read somewhere it is 10 characters.

Yes, for this and other details of shapefile limitations, see this article in the help:

Geoprocessing considerations for shapefile output