Naming conventions for images on docs

[Tom Hutchison]

Hi All

We need to address a subject which is long past overdue, image naming conventions on docs. Take a look at http://docs.joomla.org/JDOC:Image_naming_convention and I would appreciate some input in planning an easier naming system. My thought is the easier it is, the more likely someone will stumble on an existing image. Then can make the decision, update it, use it as is, or create another with a more finite specifics. 

Help screens will be a different structure, the actual images are automated now(thanks Mark D.) and the naming convention is too. So this is just for images someone adds to other articles.

Some of my thoughts Joomla specific screenshots. 

• Screenshot in the image name is a bit redundant. Aren't 99.999% a screenshot? I usually just add the word Screenshot to the "Summary" section on upload page which will add this information to the image's page.
  
• Date, redundant again. The file page contains the date an image was uploaded, by who, size, and other details.
• Version info needed. j25 or j32 prefixed at the beginning, prep for j4.x.
• Lang code at the end(lot more to it, but that's another email) So in preparation for localisation of docs, -en for English or -es for español, etc... as the suffix.
• admin or site in the name

Ok, putting this together.

Screenshot of "Article Manager: Edit Article" in admin view.

j32-admin-article-manager-edit-article-en.png or

<version>-<view>-<view page title>-<lang>.<ext type>

What if someone wants to show a piece of the "Article Manager: Edit Article" in a screenshot. 

<version>-<view>-<view page title>-<what>-<lang>.<ext type>

j32-admin-article-manager-edit-article-publishing-tab-en.png

I don't want to be the "image upload police" nor do I want this to be complicated. Are we going to stop duplication, in a word, no. I would hope with an easy, more common naming pattern, we can catch more of them.

Ideas, thoughts, suggestions welcomed so we can formulate an easy to learn, easy to use system.

Also, ideas on non-Joomla images. A screenshot of github or an image of eclipse. These will be harder and we should just push for the use of common sense.

github-pull-request.png

eclipse-editor-window.png

Thanks

Tom

--

----

Tom Hutchison

Joomla! Production Leadership Team

[Mark Dexter]

Hi Tom. As a practical matter, I have never had much luck re-using images after an article or set of articles has been written. For me, it's always been much quicker just to upload what I need vs searching for existing images.  Given that, I'm not sure there is much value in trying to build re-use into the naming convention. 

If we drop the re-use idea, then we just need unique names that are minimally descriptive. Putting a date or version number in the title would likely eliminate duplicates.

Having said that, I'm totally open to whatever people decide on. It's always a pain to decide how to name images. Whatever we decide, maybe we can have an article that includes some good example names.

Mark

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Joomla! Documentation" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to joomla-docs...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to jooml...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/joomla-docs.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

[Tom Hutchison]

Hi Mark

I was thinking more along the lines of serendipity coming into play. Running across an existing image because of similar naming pattern. Searching for images and trying to reuse them is too much to ask. It slows down contributions and makes it too difficult at the same time discouraging people who really want to contribute.

I think the best way to view this would be guidelines but nothing hard and fast. I agree it is a real pain trying to come up with names for images. So if we were to provide suggestions of a naming pattern that would probably be the best way to go. I think the only thing we really want to eliminate is someone using names such as 01, 02, 03 or image01, image02, image03, and similar naming patterns. Short and somewhat descriptive would be a better method to promote. At least put an idea out there for contributors as to how they should formulate the names. 

Thanks

Tom

---
Tom Hutchison
Joomla! Production Leadership

[Mark Dexter]

Hi Tom. I totally agree. The wiki on Joomlacode automatically names images numerically which makes it almost impossible to reuse images even when you are the one who created them.

Mark

[Adamo Crespi]

Hi guys, i'm new to this group but in the last days i've contributed a bit to correct some mispelling and similar thing on the wiki.

Actually, i didn't have yet used images, but thinking about it, i completely agree with your thoughts: a better naming convention should help all of us to reuse images and find the ones we need.

I not agree completely with ones who tell that this will be a more complicated way: i think is simpler to search for images i need in the wiki, instead of doing the screenshot, naming it, upload and insert.

Anyway, using descriptive names has a good reflection on the seo too.

Definitely, i completely agree with the use of a SIMPLE naming convention as the one Tom proposed.

I think something as the proposed patterns could work.

Definitely, i will use those conventions.

[Tom Hutchison]

Thanks Adamo! I saw your copyedits and your contributions are appreciated! If you need any help or have other questions, just email me or post on my talk page. 

Tom

On Sat, Jul 5, 2014 at 6:52 AM, Adamo Crespi <adamo....@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi guys, i'm new to this group but in the last days i've contributed a bit to correct some mispelling and similar thing on the wiki.

Actually, i didn't have yet used images, but thinking about it, i completely agree with your thoughts: a better naming convention should help all of us to reuse images and find the ones we need.

I not agree completely with ones who tell that this will be a more complicated way: i think is simpler to search for images i need in the wiki, instead of doing the screenshot, naming it, upload and insert.

Anyway, using descriptive names has a good reflection on the seo too.

Definitely, i completely agree with the use of a SIMPLE naming convention as the one Tom proposed.

I think something as the proposed patterns could work.

Definitely, i will use those conventions.