Bug 98467 [WorkbenchLauncher] [Preferences] Workspace path with comma
If a workspace is opened which has a comma in the path (eg "C:\docs\clients\surname, firstname"), when eclipse is closed then re-opened, the workspace does not open correctly. It instead creates a new folder of "C:\docs\clients\surname" and creates a new workspace there. Noticed that recent workspaces are kept in eclipse\configuration\.settings\org.eclipse.ui.ide.prefs and that the list is comma separated. Reccommend either making the delimiter a character not usable in filenames/paths (eg. pipe character '|') or enclosing paths in quote marks.
bundles/org.eclipse.ui.ide/src/org/eclipse/ui/internal/ide/ChooseWorkspaceData.java
showDialog = store
				.getBoolean(IDE.Preferences.SHOW_WORKSPACE_SELECTION_DIALOG);
		
		int max = store
				.getInt(IDE.Preferences.MAX_RECENT_WORKSPACES);
		max = Math.max(max, RECENT_MAX_LENGTH);
		
		String workspacePathPref = store
				.getString(IDE.Preferences.RECENT_WORKSPACES);
		recentWorkspaces = decodeStoredWorkspacePaths(max, workspacePathPref);
		return true;
	}
	/**
	 * The the list of recent workspaces must be stored as a string in the preference node.
	 */
    private static String encodeStoredWorkspacePaths(String[] recent) {
		StringBuffer buff = new StringBuffer();
		String path = null;
		for (int i = 0; i < recent.length; ++i) {
			if (recent[i] == null) {
				break;
			}
			if (path != null) {
				buff.append(","); 
			}
			path = recent[i];
			buff.append(path);
		}
		return buff.toString();
	}