Using Box: Naming & Reordering

We all have our own naming conventions for our files. We often use a shorthand that makes sense to us and allows us to sort and find files quickly. But if you shared a digital file with someone else without any explanation about it, would they be able to figure out what it was just from the file name? It is helpful to adopt a consistent naming convention that will work for people unfamiliar with your personal filing system.

Consistency is key to storing, retrieving, and sorting documents. Some guiding elements to consider include:

• avoiding using words like "the", "a", and "an" to begin your file names.
• clarity over brevity
• limit characters to A-Z, a-z, 0-9, Underscore, and hyphen

Examples:

• For a lecture on March 31, 2020: 2020-3-31_Lecture
• For a reading from E.P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class: Thompson_Making-of-English_Ch3 

1. Place your mouse's cursor over the file you want to change. A pencil and a balloon saying "rename" will appear. Click on the pencil.

2. Enter the new file name for your document and hit save.

1. You can sort your items online using a "list" view or a "grid" view. You can switch back and forth using the grid box at the top of the page on the right. (Next to the sharing/details box.)

2. Items will sort so that folders are at the top and individual files are at the bottom. If you don't see your file/folder, scroll to the bottom of the page and look to see if you have the option to go to "page 2."

3. If you would like to see more items per page, you can change your settings under "Account Settings." You will find "Account Settings" by clicking on your profile icon in the top right corner of the page.

4. Files will sort numerically and then alphabetically.