Despite decades of “improvements,” the best filename conventions haven’t changed. Here’s what still works:

The Rules

  • All lowercase
  • No spaces (use underscores or dashes)
  • Use ISO dates when needed: 2025-03-15

Examples:

  • meeting_notes_2025-03-15.txt
  • quarterly_report_q1.pdf
  • user-authentication-system.js

Why This Still Matters

  • Command line compatibility. No quotes needed:
$ mv project_files.zip archive/
  • Universal compatibility. Works on every system, old or new.
  • URL-safe. No %20 nonsense in web addresses.
  • Script-friendly. Automated tools won’t choke on your filenames.
  • Consistent sorting. Alphabetical order actually makes sense.

What About Readability?

Yes, My Important Document.pdf is more readable than my_important_document.pdf. But which one works better when you’re:

  • Running a backup script
  • Uploading to a server
  • Processing files in bulk
  • Sharing via URL

Technical reliability beats minor readability gains.

Common Patterns

  • Documents: project_proposal_v2.docx
  • Backups: database_backup_2025-03-15.sql
  • Images: hero_image_1920x1080.jpg
  • Code: user-auth-middleware.js
  • Archives: site_backup_2025-03-15.tar.gz

Bottom Line

Modern systems handle spaces fine. But your files don’t always stay on modern systems. Stick with conventions that work everywhere, always.

Your future self will thank you.