Web File & Folder Naming
The University Naming Standard applies to all files and folders used on CSUDH web servers. Some common file types are:
- Web pages: .html, .shtml, .htm, .asp, .php, etc.
- Images: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, etc.
- PDF: .pdf
- MS Word: .doc, .docx
- MS Excel: .xls, .xlxs
- MS Powerpoint: .ppt, .pptx
- Text: .txt, .text, .rtf, etc.
- Archive/Compressed: .zip, .rar, .tar, etc.
Web files and folders should use the following rules to ensure they are easy to read, sort correctly, and display friendly URLs:
- Avoid spaces. Use dashes instead.
Browsers will convert space characters to %20 in the URL string. - Example:
Use "2011-11-21-undergraduate-application.pdf"
Avoid "2011 11 21 undergraduate application.pdf"
- Use ONLY lowercase letters, NO UPPERCASE.
Using uppercase letters in web page, folder, and file names may cause the URL to break since www.csudh.edu/PageName is considered different from www.csudh.edu/pagename. This may also negatively impact search results for your pages/files.
For more info, please see the article "Never Use Capital Letters in URLs
".
- Avoid underscores or special characters. (\ / : * ? " < > | [ ] & $ , .)
The characters listed above are frequently used for specific tasks in an electronic environment. Underscores may be difficult to see when a hyperlinked filename is underlined. It may also create issues when using the Google search engine. - Example:
Use "2011-11-21-application.pdf"
Avoid "2011_11_21_application.pdf", "2011/11/21_application.pdf"
- Use the format "YYYY-MM-DD" when including dates.
This format will sort files chronologically in the web folder. - Example:
Use "2011-11-21-event.pdf"
Avoid "11-21-2011-event.pdf", "Nov-21-2011-event.pdf"
- Use the format "YYYY-semester" when including a semester year.
This format will better sort files chronologically in the web folder. - Example:
Use "schedule-2011-fall.pdf"
Avoid "schedule-fall-2011.pdf", "Nov-21-2011-event.pdf"
- Be consistent.
Use the same naming convention for similar files. This will keep similar files grouped together when sorted. - Example:
Use "memo-001.pdf" and "memo-002.pdf"
Avoid "memo-001.pdf" and "memorandum-002.pdf"
- Be brief yet descriptive. Avoid confusing abbreviations and unnecessary words.
Generally about 25 characters is a sufficient length to capture enough descriptive information for naming. Omit articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions when sensible.
Avoid words that vaguely describe versions, such as: FINAL, RECENT, UPDATED, etc.
- Example:
Use "president-message.pdf" instead of "message-from-the-president.pdf"
Use "student-application-2011-fall.pdf" instead of "stu-app-for-fa-2011.pdf"
Avoid "memo-001-FINAL.pdf" and "memorandum-002-UPDATED.pdf"
- Avoid including the file type in the filename description.
This is redundant and generally unnecessary. - Example:
Use "2011-events.pdf" instead of "2011-pdf-of-events.pdf"
Use "2011-grads.jpg" instead of "photo-of-2011-grads.jpg"