Minerva file name guidelines - Student Guide
The way you name your files and folders conveys information about what the file contains. Adopting a naming convention makes it easier to manage files and find what you want, quickly.
Good Practice
| Good Practice | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Keep your file and folder names short | It is easier to locate files and keeps file paths short |
| Make the name unique | Avoids confusing duplicates |
| Do not use any of the following characters: & , . ( ) % # ‘ “ / \ - { } [ ] : ; @ | Usually not allowed in most file systems |
| Do not include spaces | This can cause difficulties in most operating systems |
| When numbering similar types of files/folders try to anticipate maximum numbers | For example, if you think you will use 100 files, it is better to use 001 instead of 01, otherwise lists of files will be difficult to order. |
| It is good practice to keep the directory structure between 3 - 5 levels | Shallow directory structures are easier to manage |
Recommended naming convention
A popular naming convention which is used in a number of World Wide Web Consortium recommended protocols is CamelCase. CamelCase uses multiple words that are joined together as a single word. The first letter of each of the multiple words is a capital which aids readability. However, it is important not to create very long words e.g. ‘DontCreateVeryLongWordsBecause they LengthenFilepathsAndDontNecessarilyAidDescriptionOfFileContents’
There are two types of CamelCase, it doesn't matter which one you use - just pick one and stick with it:
- lowerCamelCase - the first letter of the filename is lower case e.g firstLetterLowerCase.txt
- UpperCamelCase - the first letter of the filename is upper case e.g FirstLetterUpperCase.txt
Optional date naming/sorting convention
If you want to insert a date in your file name, use the format: YYYYMMDD, separated by a hyphen or underscore e.g. 20080228-VLE.doc. Do not use spaces to separate fields.