Folder Structure and Naming Conventions
Modern lifestyles require us to process a lot of data on a daily basis. Computers and laptops are crucial tools in handling this task. It is important to arrange and organize files and folders on a computer so that we can easily navigate and find the files we need.
Why it’s important?
- Save Time and Storage
- Prevent Data Loss
- Efficient Collaboration
- Facilities Preservation & Reuse
What Does File Organization Involve?
- Folder Structure or Hierarchy
- File Naming Convetions
- Version Control Strategy
1. Develop File Naming Convention
Main identifier of a file reflects file content without ambiguity. Included:
- File type; Images, Word, Excels, PPT’s, and more
- Unique Characteristic; Date Collected, Date Modified, or Date Created.
- File Format Extensions; TIFF, XLS, DOC, PDF, and many more
- Naming Schema; YYMMDD_ExpCode <or> YYYYMMDD_ExpCode_V1.docx
- Example: 230423_Design.psd
File Naming Convention: Best Practices
- Lenght
- Avoid Long Names (Remove unnecessary elements)
- Use Code & Acronyms
- Special Characters
- No Spaces
- Avoid Special Character: ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) ` ; < > ? , { } ‘ “
- Use Underscores and Camelcase instead (e.g: Date_Name.psd or DateName.psd)
- Date
- Use ISO8601; YYYMMDD (e.g: 20230314_name.txt)
- Numbering
- Use leading zeroes for sequential numbering fo multi version control
- e.g: NameDate001.txt, NameDate010.txt, an others
- Read More: File & Folder Naming Conventions
2. Folder Structure
Where we place files in a folder that makes it easy for anyone to find them. and its must be:
- Avoid Overlaping Categories and Folder Redundance (Maximum 5 folders deep)
- Find Balance: Folders not too large VS not too deep
- Follow file naming guidlines for folders that reflects folder contents
3. Version Control System (VCS)
Manual Change Log
- File Name: e.g: 20230405_filename.txt or filename_v2.txt
- File Header: Locate the version log in the header
- Change Log File: You can create a Changelog file to control the version of your file
- Version Table: There’s third party app that can automatically track the version history of the file
Automatic Change Log
- Version Control System functionalities in Cloud Storage platform
- Use Version Control System like GIT, GitHub, and GitLab.
File Organization: Final Tips
- Plan file organization at beginning of the project; Develop a file naming convention decide on your folder structure and how you will approach version control.
- Document your decision; this way you and people you work with can easily adopt the rules you have set up
- Apply your file organization rules consistently