Data Organization
File and Directory Names
Data
Discovery
Proposal
Planning
Writing
Project
Start Up
Re-Use
Data
Collection
Data
Analysis
Deposit
Data
Archive
Data
Sharing
Re-Purpose
Data Life Cycle
End of
Project
Organizing Your Files and Directories
Improves
Searching & finding
Sharing
Security
Clarity
Preservation
Organizing Files & Directories
• Folders named for major
functions/activities
• Structure by date or event
(especially subfolders)
• Names should be selfexplanatory
• Avoid duplication
• Make it simple & consistent
File Names
• Use descriptive names
• Not too long; CamelCase
• Try to include time
– Date using YYYYMMDD
– Use version numbers
• Don’t use spaces
– May use “-” or “_”
• Don’t change default
extensions
File Naming and Directory Organizing
1
Directory: source + date
Ex. September 2012 = sep12
Source: c40 = Las Campanas 40-inch
2
Sub-Directory: one directory for each night; n# (# for the number of the night).
Additional directories for “special” data, and log files that apply to entire run.
3
Files: for each nightly directory, number sequentially starting w/1001
(for night 1, first data frame), then for night two start with 2001, etc. The
original raw data files are kept in a separate, read-only directory.
Astronomy Observatory Runs
1
3
2