:: Design Tips
File Names and Conventions
- All file names should be lower case only: ex. “psychology.html.”
- Be as brief as possible when naming files. Ex. for History Department Faculty List use “hist_fac_list.html.”
- No spaces or special characters like “ @, #, &” except for the underscore ( _ ).
- Files that are date specific should include the date of the posting or date of the event, class, workshop etc. ex. “english_workshop_052307.html.”
- Be consisent in how you name files and the logic to your naming. Ex. if you precede all press releases by date_description, follow this convention throughout. Do not change the order. This will allow you to see files sequentially and better manage your site.
- Every folder should have a file named index.html for its primary file.
- If the left side menu is used, it must be labeled “_menu.html.”
- If the right side column is used, it must be labeled “_menu_right.html.”
- Make sure that you use the proper file extension names. Ex. “.doc” for Word files, “.pdf” for Adobe Acrobat files, “.html” for web files.
- File naming conventions should mimic the folder naming convention they are in. Ex. staff folder should use files named “staff_dir.html”, workshop folder should be “workshop_050807.html” or “workshop_locate.html.”
- Use the fewest folders possible and try not generate more than 3 folders within any given folder. Too many nested folders is harder to maintain and confusing to your visitors.