Concise naming of files

Hi Folks!

I have a library of sample files that demonstrate various methods of accomplishing some task in Excel. Currently the library contains 459 sample files.

All of the files contain several examples for a particular task (mostly formulas and VBA procedures).

Some of the files demonstrate complex tasks and it's kind of hard to come up with a nice short concise file name that conveys what the sample file demonstrates.

For example...

If you were naming this file and wanted a nice short concise name, what name would you come up with?

Description:

Sum column E where cells in columns A:C contain either X or Y or Z anywhere within the cell. If multiple cells in a row meet the criteria that row only gets counted once.

This sounds like a pretty good file name:

Sum column E where cells in columns A:C contain either X or Y or Z anywhere within the cell

But that's entirely too long!

So, I've been thinking about creating a table of contents with file descriptions and then just naming the files something like File1, File2, File3, etc.

Doing this will enable me to use more specific file descriptions with no restriction as to the length of the description.

Any thoughts on this? Is this a good idea? Sounds like a good idea to me (but what do I know!).

The only thing that might be a negative is that it will take twice as long to find the right file. Right now it's just look for the file name. With a TOC, it's find the description then goto the file.

Wha'da'ya think?

I think it sounds like a good approach but I don't understand why you think it'll make it harder/longer to find a particular file.

It might actually make it easier.

You could might also consider taking things a bit further and grouping the files in some way.

consider taking things a bit further and grouping the files in some way.

Click to expand...

Definitely will do that.

Although, some things can be classified in more than one group.

Count the number of Tuesdays within a date range. Does that fall into the general category of "Counting Techniques" or "Working With Dates"?

SUMIF on filtered data. Does that fall into the general category of "Summing Techniques" or "Working With Filters"?

Now, should I create the TOC in an Excel file and hyperlink to the sample files or, just use a plain text file (like Notepad) for the TOC and then have to manually open the sample file?

Here's my thoughts on hyperlinking...

If I have 2 or 3 work files open then I have to open yet another file, the TOC, which is going to open yet another file, the sample file.

I'm inclined to go with the plain text file.

Maybe I'll just test both methods.

I have a lot of files to rename!

Grouping in some sort of hierarchy (tree view control), where a file can belong to more than one node, may be useful...

Example:
Excel
- UI
- Data
- - Filters
- Formula
- - Mathematical
- VBA

You could tag your file with excel,data,filters,formula,mathematical

That way if you want to see all of your files (and descriptions thereof) you would choose the parent Excel, and filter results as you drill thru the hierarchy...

I would definitely suggest you don't use Notepad.

Excel with hyperlinks on a worksheet could be a start but how about taking things a little further by using a userform?

With that you could have say a combobox for the categories and a listbox for the actual topics.

The user selects the category and then the relevant topics are listed in the listbox.

They then select the topic they want, hit a command button and then the file is opened.

Also there's no reason that a topic couldn't be in more than one category.

Tried some things...

Think I'm going with the TOC as an Excel file with hyperlinks.

Thanks for the input and suggestions!

Hi,

bit late in the day to join this discussion but, similar to Jon's post, I'd be tempted to use tags so you can have multiple tags per file.

If you put the tags in the file properties you could use the scripting filesystemobject to run through each file and create your hyperlinks for your TOC. That way adding another file or changing the tags associated with it would be much easier.

Just a thought.

Nick

A bit more complex but I was thinking along the lines of popping an access database together linking to files where necessary and having some king of tag cloud that would enable me to easily search for things.

That or I might just carry on as I have been for the past x number of years and just use the site search or Google.

Dom