"$" symbol in file names

[AStoker]

In the modules library, there are many files that start with $. When using TFS to manage projects, this is not allowed, as "$" are invalid characters for file names (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa980550(v=vs.120).aspx#SourceControl).
What gives? Is there a reason why these files start with a "$"? This is a significant limitation for those who are using TFS (see stackoverflow issue too: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32081002/team-foundation-error-with-the-in-the-path).

[zloirock]

Holy shit... Team Foundation Server limitations... What will be next? Dots in filenames? Oh, wait... previous issue.

What gives? Is there a reason why these files start with a "$"?

$ is a mark that it's an internal module. Why $? It's non-alphabet character allowed in a variable name and in a file system path. Each additional character here - additional minimum 0.5kb for minified code with browserify without bundle-collapser or with other bundlers which keeps a path - internal. instead of $. - +3.5kb.

I'll think that can be done.

[zloirock]

It's internal API, but too often I see something like that, so if I'll change this prefix - it will be breaking change for many projects. Makes sense do it only on the next major release.

[AStoker]

Yah, TFS is not my favorite for a number of reasons, and this adds to it, but I'm limited to what we're using at the office.
Thanks for explaining that all to me, I appreciate it. Is that something to look forward to in the next major release? Or is it too soon to tell?

[zloirock]

I'll change prefix in the next major release, but I have no ideas when it will be. If will be convenient to add enough breaking changes in the near future - instead of next minor release I'll publish the major release in the end of this or in the next month. Otherwise - only in the next year.

[mizrachiran]

@zloirock Thank you so much for this fix.
I'm blocked on this one, can you publish a minor version to npm?

[AStoker]

Or maybe at least a pre-release version, that way dependencies that wrongly use your internal modules won't automatically get a breaking change, but those of us who need the change can manually get the pre-release.

[zloirock]

2.0.0-beta