Tips: File Naming

How to Develop Good File Naming Habits...

Why? Some software applications can't open files with names that are too long or contain specific characters. It may open on your computer, but may not if you send this for others to view. It is a good idea to get in the habit of using the following tips.

Good Foundations:

Keep file names short but meaningful - you need to be able to find it again.
Use an underscore_ instead of a space.
do not use full stops as this indicates to the software that the file type (eg .docx) is coming.
Include any unique identifiers, e.g. case number, project title
Be consistent
Indicate version number where appropriate
Ensure the purpose of the document is quickly and easily identifiable

Try to Avoid:

Common words such as 'draft', 'letter', 'current' or 'active'
Unclear, vague or repetitive e-mail correspondence titles
Symbol characters such as: \ / < > | " ? [ ] ; = + & $ α β
Abbreviations that are not commonly understood, or which may frequently change throughout time