File and Directory Naming Conventions

Part of creating an intelligent architecture in the beginning of a development cycle is adopting good file and directory naming conventions. This was briefly discussed above in regard to the following structure:

 /index.html /images/ /includes/css/global.css /includes/css/format.css /includes/js/rollover.css /includes/templates/template-top.inc /includes/templates/template-bottom.inc 

This directory and file structure implies some things that need to be clearly stated. These are:

• File and directory names should contain all lowercase letters

• File and directory names cannot contain any spaces or special characters (?, %, #, @, etc.)

• File and directory names should be brief and not overly descriptive

• Files and directories should be organized into subdirectories that reflect the structure of your site as well as your business. Some dynamic CMS systems will render this point redundant, but others will require defining directory paths. Be smart about that.