CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptnaming-conventions
ripper234
ripper234

Reputation: 229998

What is the javascript filename naming convention?

Should files be named something-with-hyphens.js, camelCased.js, or something else?

I didn't find the answer to this question here.

Upvotes: 384

Views: 298492

Answers (5)

jfriend00
jfriend00

Reputation: 707158

I'm not aware of any particular convention for javascript files as they aren't really unique on the web versus css files or html files or any other type of file like that. There are some "safe" things you can do that make it less likely you will accidentally run into a cross platform issue:

  1. Use all lowercase filenames. There are some operating systems that are not case sensitive for filenames and using all lowercase prevents inadvertently using two files that differ only in case that might not work on some operating systems.
  2. Don't use spaces in the filename. While this technically can be made to work there are lots of reasons why spaces in filenames can lead to problems.
  3. A hyphen is OK for a word separator. If you want to use some sort of separator for multiple words instead of a space or camelcase as in various-scripts.js, a hyphen is a safe and useful and commonly used separator.
  4. Think about using version numbers in your filenames. When you want to upgrade your scripts, plan for the effects of browser or CDN caching. The simplest way to use long term caching (for speed and efficiency), but immediate and safe upgrades when you upgrade a JS file is to include a version number in the deployed filename or path (like jQuery does with jquery-1.6.2.js) and then you bump/change that version number whenever you upgrade/change the file. This will guarantee that no page that requests the newer version is ever served the older version from a cache.

Upvotes: 185

Tom W Hall
Tom W Hall

Reputation: 5283

I generally prefer hyphens with lower case, but one thing not yet mentioned is that sometimes it's nice to have the file name exactly match the name of a single module or instantiable function contained within.

For example, I have a revealing module declared with var knockoutUtilityModule = function() {...} within its own file named knockoutUtilityModule.js, although objectively I prefer knockout-utility-module.js.

Similarly, since I'm using a bundling mechanism to combine scripts, I've taken to defining instantiable functions (templated view models etc) each in their own file, C# style, for maintainability. For example, ProductDescriptorViewModel lives on its own inside ProductDescriptorViewModel.js (I use upper case for instantiable functions).

Upvotes: 9

zzzzBov
zzzzBov

Reputation: 179046

There is no official, universal, convention for naming JavaScript files.

There are some various options:

  • scriptName.js
  • script-name.js
  • script_name.js

are all valid naming conventions, however I prefer the jQuery suggested naming convention (for jQuery plugins, although it works for any JS)

  • jquery.pluginname.js

The beauty to this naming convention is that it explicitly describes the global namespace pollution being added.

  • foo.js adds window.foo
  • foo.bar.js adds window.foo.bar

Because I left out versioning: it should come after the full name, preferably separated by a hyphen, with periods between major and minor versions:

  • foo-1.2.1.js
  • foo-1.2.2.js
  • ...
  • foo-2.1.24.js

Upvotes: 81

Bryan Menard
Bryan Menard

Reputation: 13364

One possible naming convention is to use something similar to the naming scheme jQuery uses. It's not universally adopted but it is pretty common.

product-name.plugin-ver.sion.filetype.js

where the product-name + plugin pair can also represent a namespace and a module. The version and filetype are usually optional.

filetype can be something relative to how the content of the file is. Often seen are:

  • min for minified files
  • custom for custom built or modified files

Examples:

  • jquery-1.4.2.min.js
  • jquery.plugin-0.1.js
  • myapp.invoice.js

Upvotes: 242

Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson

Reputation: 8694

The question in the link you gave talks about naming of JavaScript variables, not about file naming, so forget about that for the context in which you ask your question.

As to file naming, it is purely a matter of preference and taste. I prefer naming files with hyphens because then I don't have to reach for the shift key, as I do when dealing with camelCase file names; and because I don't have to worry about differences between Windows and Linux file names (Windows file names are case-insensitive, at least through XP).

So the answer, like so many, is "it depends" or "it's up to you."

The one rule you should follow is to be consistent in the convention you choose.

Upvotes: 25

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