A System Is the Key to Naming Computer Files
| Publication year | 1985 |
| Pages | 1803 |
1985, October, Pg. 1803. A System Is the Key To Naming Computer Files
Lawyers who deal with computers soon find it easy to lose information (briefs, spreadsheet templates, data files) on a computer disk by simply forgetting the name of the file. Because most files used in the law office are not even in regular ASCII files, it can be quite a process to go through each file, examining the contents, to find a particular file.
With floppy disks organized by client or by case type, this problem is merely difficult. When a hard disk is involved, with many more computer files (and sub-directories), it may be easier to recreate the file than it is to find it.
Among 800 files, which is the one that contains the seven-page opinion letter on the condominium project? Which is the one that contains the amortization schedule that took five hours to develop and fifteen hours to test? If only the letters of the alphabet are used to name files, a width limitation of eight characters (plus extension) can be a real straight-jacket. Numbers may be used so that each file has a unique name. However, since it is difficult to remember an eight-digit number, and index may be needed.
With CP/M and MS-DOS systems, a solution lies in the other keyboard characters that are allowed in document names. In MS-DOS, those additional characters are:!, @, #, $, %, ^, &, ', `, ~, {,}, ___, - and the comma. Certain programs reserve some of these characters for their own use, or refuse to recognize them. Nevertheless, with most programs these additional characters may be used as codes providing a lot of information about the computer file, leaving an additional seven characters for a client name or other information.
In this author's office, the following codes are used in identifying word processing files in MultiMate:
@ = letter
( = client data file for merge printing
title opinion
% = court paper-pleading
^ = primary merge document
~ = secondary merge document (data file)
' = library of phrases, formats or captions
$ = statement or bill
# = will
) = durable power of attorney
} = form
Usually, the client's name will be used if a document has been written for a particular client. A complaint in the Smith v. Jones case might be named "%SMI-COM.DOC" with the...
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