# "validate" function: extension to more characters ?

**URL:** <https://community.mp3tag.de/t/validate-function-extension-to-more-characters/16098>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [September 2, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/validate-function-extension-to-more-characters/16098 "2014-09-02T08:16:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![soundcheck](https://community.mp3tag.de/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@soundcheck](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/soundcheck)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 8:16am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/validate-function-extension-to-more-characters/16098/1 "2014-09-02T08:16:02Z")

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Hi there.

I'm using my files on more then one platform (linux/android/osx/windows).  
Those systems do have different rules for special characters in filenames.

Is there are way to extent the Windows list of special characters that's used in the validate function?

Or do I have to prepare a replace action for every single character instead?

BTW.

Can the validate funtion also remove leading spaces? Leading spaces might occur when doing tag2file!??!  
Obviously I could also create a replacement rule for spaces.

Thx

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**Author:** ![ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/user_avatar/community.mp3tag.de/ohrenkino/32/4843_2.png) [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/validate-function-extension-to-more-characters/16098/2 "2014-09-02T08:46:12Z")

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> [@soundcheck](#):
>
> Hi there.
> 
> I'm using my files on more then one platform (linux/android/osx/windows).  
> Those systems do have different rules for special characters in filenames.
> 
> Is there are way to extent the Windows list of special characters that's used in the validate function?
> 
> Or do I have to prepare a replace action for every single character instead?  
> ...

You can use the $replace() function to enter pairs e.g.  
$replace(%_filename%,:,_,,_)  
and so on.  
If you want to cut away leading or trailing spaces, use the function $trim(), e.g.  
$trim($replace(%filename%,:,,,_))

If you use the files across plattforms, I would say, that it is safest to create valid filename on one platform first and then use a cross-platform copy-tool as usually these tools have a built-in conversion table.

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**Author:** ![system](https://community.mp3tag.de/uploads/default/original/2X/c/ce7035d426cb755a7916793326d23b465222a407.png) [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/validate-function-extension-to-more-characters/16098/3 "2026-02-09T12:25:14Z")

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Closed on February 9, 2026, 12:25pm UTC