Why underscore in file names

Recommended: avoiding-cliches. Not recommended: avoidingcliches. Not recommended: avoidingCliches. It's okay to have some inconsistency in filenames if it can't otherwise be avoided.

For example, sometimes tools that generate reference documentation produce filenames based on different style requirements or based on the design and naming conventions of the product or API itself. In those cases, it's okay to make exceptions for those files. Recommended: In the following build. When you're discussing a file type, use the formal name of the type. The file type name is often in all caps because many file type names are acronyms or initialisms.

One means accepts spaces and underscores, but not dashes; the other accepts dashes but not spaces or underscores among other idosyncrasies! So our recommended filename format for the repository is to use all lowercase characters, with numbers permitted as long as not the first character , but no special characters. Based on our experience, I'd strongly suggest spaces in filenames be avoided.

It may be difficult to reinforce this at the local level, though. For example, I've had an ingest fail because of a folder with 50, subdirectories. The drive I was transferring from allowed unlimited subdirectories. I can't find documentation of the specific length, but I think some were over characters long. That structure is well-established and is used for a very large number of existing files, making a change on our end untenable.

Send feedback. Snow Theme by Q2A Market. For example, names beginning with capital M will group and sort alphabetically and then names beginning capital N will display, and then names beginning with capital O, etc.

The lowercase letters will all display grouped together after the upper cased ones. This is why it's suggested that file names be used that are all lowercase. How words are separated will also change the ordering of your files. If multiple users will be involved in a site, this is often a subject that must be agreed upon by the users. Come to an agreement on how files should be named and make sure to communicate your convention to new users who are introduced to your system.

Skip to main content. Toggle menu Go to search page. Search Field. You are here Home » Frequently Asked Questions. What are good file naming conventions? Spaces in File Names Generally, in the computer science and IT worlds, it is typically frowned on when files, web addresses - or really any kind of programming at all - are named with spaces inside of the title. Non-Alphanumeric Characters Using non-alphanumeric characters in your file names can be disastrous.

Dashes are preferred for a couple of reasons. They are visible when an underlined hyperlink is rendered on the screen - underscores get covered by the underline. Some search engines do not recognize underscores and will drop pages that contain them.