If the file will be maintained over time, use the convention v1, v2, v3, etc. Mark different versions of the same file.
Some conventions have the date at the front of every file name because that is the most logical way for their team to retrieve files. If all the other words in the file name are the same, this convention will allow us to sort by year, then month, then date. To ensure that files are sorted in proper chronological order, the most significant date and time components should appear first followed by the least significant components. For dates, use YYYY-MM-DD (or YYYYMMDD, or YYMMDD, or YYMM).For example, if your primary method of accessing a litigation case file is its number, then this should be the first element in your file naming convention: when you sort your documents in the file manager, you will see them order by case number first. This will allow you to organise files alphabetically or chronologically by that parameter without having to do any searching. Start off your filename with the most important parameter.Keep in mind that file sorting reads from left to right. How do you want to sort and retrieve your files? The answer to this question will help determine some of the essential components of your file naming convention. Consider how you want to sort and retrieve your files To design a file naming convention, you must decide which types of elements should be included and in what order.įor example, a file naming convention may include the following components, in the following order: _.xxxĮxamples of filenames based on this example convention might be:īelow are some guidelines for creating your own file naming convention. Manage files more easily, even when they’re all stored in one central folder or directoryĪ filename can be made up of a series of descriptive elements, such as keywords, dates, identifying numbers, etc.Easily browse long lists of files to inventory or check if any are missing.Find and identify files even if they are no longer in their original folder.Know the content of a file without opening it.A consistent and descriptive convention will allow you to: This is why file naming conventions are so important.Ī file naming convention is a systematic method for naming files that will make them easier to retrieve later. The more organised we are in managing information, whether it’s documents, spreadsheets or multimedia, the more effective and efficient we can be in our human rights work. This is just one small example of an information management weakness that can cause a lot of unnecessary frustration. Grant-proposal-final-Julia_edits_v4.doc.Grant-proposal-henry-edits-finalfinal.doc.You log into your organisation’s shared folders and look for the file, but you can’t tell which version of the document you should be reviewing: We’ve all been there: you’re asked to review the most recent draft of a document.
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