Naming Conventions

Erin Buell:

Hi Andrea,

We are also looking for ideas on how people are naming their queries and exports. Currently, we only have one standing procedure that when possible the year should be used at the beginning of a query. I don't know that this is the most effective way to do it but it does make it easy to find last years queries and copy them to tweak for this year.

- Erin

 My query names are as descriptive as possible as to what the query will pull.  Details are recorded in description.  I don't tend to use dates (date created field is shown on page) as it would often mean renaming.  I use folders a lot.  At beginning of year, I move my queries for say our annual campaign into a folder "Annual Campaign 2012".  I know where they are when I want to tweak them for 2013 and keep older queries off the folder list I use every day.

My folders are for the campaigns we run, data management, monthly/annual reports etc.  I do the same for export.  Folder for active campaigns, forms/mail merge masters,

 As 99% of the queries and exports are ones I've created it's a bit easier than naming them so other users know what query pulls [8-|] but I still find need for clarity in the names. 

For what it's worth here's link to RE blog from last month that talks about naming queries.  Pretty detailed and more than I needed but some good ideas.  http://www.blackbaudknowhow.com/the-raisers-edge/raisers-edge-data-cleanup-series-tips-and-shortcuts.htm

just a few thoughts