Translations:Naamgeving van mappen en bestanden/15/en

Filenames must be short but strong, and preferably follow a fixed structure which you establish in consultation with your colleagues. The document’s contents partly determine how to name the file, which can include the following components:

• Type of document: report, agenda, expenses form, grant application, etc. Agreed abbreviations can possibly be used for this, but make sure they are explained in a centralised list.
• Author: if different authors are working on the same version of a document, or it is protected by copyright (e.g. a photo), it can be worth including their names in the title. You might want to make an agreement within your organisation just to use initials for this.
• Sender and/or addressee: it is best to include these in titles for email messages, possibly as initials.
• Project or classification number: this can be useful for series that are already numbered, such as order forms. Placing the number at the start of the filename ensures the computer automatically orders the files correctly.
• Version control: always make a distinction between different versions or iterations of the same text, so you can be sure you’re always working with the latest version. It’s best to use abbreviations such as: v0_1, v1, v1_1, v2.
• Date: always include the document’s date of creation in the title. This is because computers only show the date of the last modification, e.g. in Windows Explorer, which can cause confusion. Always use the structure YYYYMMDD. Placing the date at the start of the filename means you can easily order your digital documents chronologically.