Proper ways to name your attachments
Deciding what to name your attachments can be an important part of the flow of our website. This is due to the fact that the Web is not as flexible as most desktop computer systems when it comes to file naming. Not naming your files correctly can make it impossible for users to download your attachments.
Here are some tips on the proper way to name your attachments.
1. Keep names short. Windows allows users to have filenames that are 255 characters long. But remember that long file names are harder to read. So try to keep it as short as possible.
- Do: catalog.pdf
- Instead of: thisisacollegecatalog.pdf
2. Use common and unique names. To make it easier for users to understand what the attachment is. And also to ensure that the user is downloading the right attachment.
- Do: eng101syllabus.pdf, eng102syllabus.pdf
- Instead of: coursesyllabus.pdf
3. Don’t use spaces. Browser, such as IE and Firefox, can not understand file names with spaces. Worst, it will usually convert the spaces into codes which would prevent your users from downloading the right files. Use dash (-) instead of spaces.
- Do: intro-to-english.doc
- Instead of: intro to english.doc
How about just removing the spaces or using underscore?
Deleting the spaces might make it tough for users to read the filename. --> introtoenglish.doc
You can use underscores for attachment but it will require you to use the shift key, which is a minor convenience. Used the character "-" instead to separate words (intro-to-english.doc) to make it easier for the users to read the filename.
4. Use lowercases. This is best to be consistent throughout the site and will not require you to use the shift key. Using the capitalization scheme would be alright (IntroToEnglish.doc). But some servers are case sensitive that if someone requesting "introtoenglish.doc" will not be able to receive a file named "IntroToEnglish.doc" if the site is hosted on Unix. Make sure that your links are correctly capitalized, and test all links after uploading your files! Also, when linking, use the same capitalization scheme as the files even if your Web server is not case sensitive. Inconsistency could result in broken links if you ever change servers to Unix.
5. Do not use special characters. Some characters that are available on your keyboard can cause unexpected results if they are used in file names. Do not use these characters when you name files.
| Invalid characters for file names | |
|---|---|
| Question mark | ? |
| Quotation mark | " |
| Slash or virgule | / |
| Backslash | \ |
| Less than sign | < |
| Greater than sign | > |
| Asterisk | * |
| Pipe | | |
| Colon | : |
Remember:
| Avoid | Do: |
|---|---|
| Spaces (this is a file.doc) | use dash (this-is-a-file.doc) |
| Periods (this.is.a.file.doc) | use dash to separate words (this-is-a-file.doc) |
| Any character that is not a letter, a number, a dash, or an underscore (this@#afile.doc) | Use only alphanumeric characters to ensure acceptable names. (this-is-a-file.doc) |
| Long Names (this-is-a-file-that-has-a-long-name.doc) | Short names (file-1.doc) |
Final note on file size:
Last but not least, please make sure your file does NOT exceed the upload size limit. The limit is 3 MB for attachments on our website while Webmail has a limit of 2 MB.
Also, you must remember, the larger the file size, the longer the download time. So try to keep your filesize as small as possible.
