Sunbelt Computer Software

Naming Conventions 🏷️

Bad file names are technical debt with a friendly face. final_v2_REAL_final.xlsx has ended more careers than any bug.

Pick a convention, stick to it, and your repo reads like a well-organized library instead of a junk drawer.

File type	Convention	Example
Microsoft Word	`Title Case.docx` or `Title_Case.docx`	`Quarterly Report.docx`
Microsoft Excel	`Title Case.xlsx` or `Title_Case.xlsx`	`Sales Tracker.xlsx`
Dataset (CSV)	`snake_case.csv`	`customer_orders.csv`
Tableau Workbook	`Title_Case.twbx` or `kebab-case.twbx`	`Sales_Dashboard.twbx`
PDF	`Title Case.pdf` or `Title_Case.pdf`	`Project_Report.pdf`
Jupyter Notebook	`snake_case.ipynb`	`exploratory_data_analysis.ipynb`
Python	`snake_case.py`	`clean_data.py`
SQL script	`snake_case.sql`	`monthly_revenue.sql`
Java	`PascalCase.java`	`OrderService.java`
R	`kebab-case.R`	`sales-model.R`
HTML	`kebab-case.html` or `snake_case.html`	`index.html`, `about-me.html`
CSS	`kebab-case.css`	`main-styles.css`
JavaScript	`snake_case.js`	`chart_helpers.js`

Be consistent before being clever. One convention per file type, everywhere.
No spaces in code and data files. Spaces break scripts and command lines. Use _ or -.
Say what it is, not how you feel. customer_churn_analysis.ipynb beats stuff2.ipynb.
Dates go year-first. 2026-09-30 sorts correctly on its own; 30-09-2026 does not.
Use version numbers, not the word "final". report_v3 is honest. report_final_FINAL is a cry for help.
Keep it lowercase where possible. Case-sensitive systems (Linux, some servers) will punish you otherwise.
Short but readable. If you need to squint, rename it.