Rule 8: Order the elements in a file name in the most appropriate way to retrieve the record. The elements to be included in a file name should be ordered according to the way in which the record will be retrieved during the course of everyday business. This will depend on the way you work. For example, if the records are retrieved according to their date, the date element should appear first. If the records are retrieved according to their description, the description element should appear first. Example Correct file name /…/SausageCttee/ 20040630Agenda.rtf 20040630Minutes.rtf 20050120Agenda.rtf 20050120Minutes.rtf 20050201Agenda.rtf 20050201Minutes.rtf /…/Events/ GardenParty20040630.rtf ProcurementAward20040905.rtf WeddingDinner20030304.rtf (Ordered alphabetically as the files would be in the directory list) Incorrect file name /…/SausageCttee/ Agenda1Feb2005.rtf Agenda20Jan2005.rtf Agenda30June2004.rtf Minutes1Feb2005.rtf Minutes20Jan2005.rtf Minutes30June2004.rtf (Ordered alphabetically as the files would be in the directory list) /…/Events/ 20030304WeddingDinner.rtf 20040630GardenParty.rtf 20040905ProcurementAward.rtf Explanation: The first example shows minutes and agenda of the Sausage Committee. Minutes and papers of a meeting are likely to be retrieved on the basis of the date of the meeting, it is therefore best to have the date at the start of the file name, otherwise all the Agendas will come at the top of the directory list, followed by all of the minutes, and then by the papers. The second example shows the file names of the files in the Events folder. Because events are likely to be retrieved by the name of the event rather than the date of the event, it is most useful to have that element first. This article was published on 2024-04-17
