Who would have thought there is actually a system to naming your files and file storage. The below information is from our IT Coordinator, Raihan. All businesses should take these tips on board when naming and saving files. It could save you a lot of time in the long run and stop some of those corrupt file issues.
How to name your files
A filename with regular characters (letters) and numbers is fine. The drama starts when you start using special characters (e.g. @#$%^). While using special characters are essential in passwords, try to avoid using them in file or folder names.
Apparently most harmless characters are : (colon), / (forward slash) and \ (backward slash). Apparently harmless – because you can use these characters in Mac.
Activity 1:
Try to create a folder using any of these characters : (colon), / (forward slash) and \ (backward slash) in your desktop and see what happens. Compare the results in Mac and Windows computers. The result is not good.
Activity 2:
There are restricted folder names as well. Try to create a folder on your desktop and name it. Compare the results in Mac and Windows.
- PRN
- LPT1
- COM1
- NUL
A filename should be simple and meaningful. Everyone has a personal preference and has their own style, but it becomes difficult to work with in a collaborative environment where everybody is working in a shared library.
Keep your file names simple!
- Avoid # , @ and & in a filename
- Avoid unnecessary long file names, because filenames are just filenames and not a story board. You can’t see the and long filenames at once anyway.
- Avoid-unnecessary-dashes-or-underscores
- AVOID ALL CAPS
- avoid all small letters
- If necessary, use – (dash) instead of : # @
- Keep it short and simple.
For more tips have a quick look at this article https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT202808