A File Naming Convention (FNC) is a framework for naming your files in a way that describes what they contain and how they relate to other files. Developing an FNC is done through identifying the key elements of the project, the important differences and commonalities between your files. These elements could include things like the date of creation, author's name, project name, name of a section or a sub-section of the project, the version of the file, etc. An advantage to using unique and standardized filenames is the ability to follow path names and link to other systems that require unique filenames.
A file naming convention (FNC) can help you stay organized by making it easy to identify the file(s) that contain the information that you are looking for just from its title and by grouping files that contain similar information close together. A good FNC can also help others better understand and navigate through your work.
Consider the following examples:
Files without employing an naming convention:
Files with a naming convention:
The files with a naming convention provide a preview of the content, are organized in a logical way (by date yyyy-mm-dd) identify the responsible party and convey the work history, unlike the files without a naming convention.
Establishing an effective file naming convention is an investment of time and effort. It should be based on your articulated needs as well as your team. There are no perfect file naming conventions, but there are some basic rules that can help guide you.
