Web Structure and File Naming Conventions

Last Revised January 6, 2004, 10:10 PM, PST

This web site has a planned and fairly rigid structure design and uses a consistent file naming convention.  There is a comparable "course naming" convention also described here.

First the web structure.

Web Structure Convention

There is, of course, a root directory at http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/

Folders, or directories, within that root directory I will refer to as "first level" directories.  Most of those are named with capital letters:  A, B, C, D etc.

http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/A/

Within each such folder there is a "second level" of directories, also designed with capital letters:  A, B, C, D, etc.

http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/A/B/

Within those folders there is a third level of directories designated with simple numbers:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.

http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/E/A/1/

Within the number folders, only, are files containing eCourses.  Each such file consists of a file for "images" for that one eCourse, plus the HTML and other pages that make up that eCourse.

Quiz file:

http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/E/A/1/JQuiz0d.htm

Images in a separate folder within the eCourse folder:

http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/E/A/1/images/

There are other directories, such as http://www.vibrantelectroniccourse.com/Administration/ where this particular page is located.  There can be any number of these other directories with names other than the capital letters used for eCourses.

The main point here is that the central focus of this entire web site is eCourses and generally they will all be located within the structure of folders such as those described here.  The limits on the number of folders and files is simply the limit of the server capacity -- more or less 18 GB.

File Naming Convention

Within the numbered folders each individual eCourse, as far as possible, will adhere to the following file-naming convention:

• folder for the eCourse  (all of the eCourse in this one folder)
• images folder  (contains all images used for this eCourse
• files folder  (contains the following)
• t1.htm  refers to a page of study text, full article of data.  Generally "t" pages include a link to a quiz.
  • t2.htm would be the next page of study text
• t1a.htm refers to a "hunk" of t1.htm
  • t1b.htm would be the next hunk, etc.
  • t2f.htm would be a hunk of t2.htm, etc.
• ReStudy.htm refers to an exact duplicate of a "t" page, but does not include a navigation link.  It is intended to be opened in a new window, read, and closed
  • ReStudy1b.htm would be comparable to t1b.htm, but without the navigation link
• end1.htm refers to an "end page" in the course. There can be as many "end pages" as needed, referred to as end.htm, end2.htm, end3.htm, etc.
• JQuiz1a.htm refers to a quiz, based on the JQuiz structure, and related to the study text in t1a.htm.  JQuiz1.htm would refer to study text t1.htm.  JQuiz 3f.htm would refer to study text t3f.htm.
• JMix, and other similar Hot Potatoes names can be used -- simply follow the above naming convention.  There is no practical way for JMix to present more than one quiz item at a time.  Thus,  a several JMix quizzes, each based on t2c.htm would be labeled as JMix2c1.htm, JMix2c2.htm, JMix2c3.htm, etc.  Some Hot Potato quizzes would be labeled such as JQuiz and others like JMix.
• JMix.js may be used -- these being separate Java  Script files connected with a JMix file.  Likewise, there would be a separate "js" file for each separate quiz if this option is used by the author of the quiz.
• JQuiz.jqz is the name of a file not seen by the student, but created by the author of the eCourse.  Typically it is located in the same directory as the HTML pages.
• Def1.htm, typically will be used for a page called from inside a study or quiz segment.  This file could have any other file name.
• The preference by Hot Potatoes is to locate image files in a separate folder, "images," but where that folder is located WITHIN the larger folder for the entire eCourse.
• Thus the eCourse folder might be labeled "1" with an "images" folder within that and then a set of various files comprising the entire eCourse.
• eCourses can have links to external files, but the author must be responsible for those links and the availability of those external files and those links must open in a new window
• content.htm is a page that lists of all segments including study and quiz segments which are controlled by the PHP script as to access.  These references are links to those segments.  This page would not be available to a student until he had completed the course.

The initial course that was created did not have the above plan completely in mind -- so you will find exceptions to this naming convention in the first course.  Later courses are expected to follow this convention.

Various other authors of eCourses may eventually be allowing us to serve as host for their eCourses since we have a fairly unique Learning Management System here.  These authors will fit most easily into the Learning Management System if the eCourses they place here follow the conventions on this page.

Course Naming Convention

I had no idea when I started this project how difficult for a student I was making a course.  I just assumed, wrongly, that I should create courses that would be the right level of difficulty for myself.  Fortunately, I sought good counsel and realized that there must be a series of gradiently created courses -- for all levels of willingness and current ability.

I have designed the following naming convention for course names and expect to follow this personally -- and urge any other eCourse authors to follow the same.

First, I wanted a naming convention that was "infinitely expandable."  I think I have that.

Next, I wanted a naming convention where the "name" (actually a number which would be part of the name) would show the level of difficulty for that eCourse.

Finally, I wanted a naming convention where the "name" (actually a letter prefix for the number which is part of the name) allows sorting and classifying.

Obviously the actual numbers must be unique -- used only once when you take into account all the parts of the name (Prefix Letter, Main Number, dash number).

This numbering system is intended to be non-intrusive into the student's use of the system.  The "text names" given to the Courses should be unique, but the number portion of the name MUST be unique.

So, here it is.

The Main Number Is Three Digits  --  The First Digit Is Very Significant

There is also a Significant Two-Letter Prefix

A "course name" could be, for instance:  "ST101-1 Introduction To Study."

The "ST" portion of the name will be uniquely assigned to some significance.  In this case it is "Study" and places the course within a general category.

The "101" portion of the name shows the significance of the first digit -- "1" with the following convention:

101  The most basic, most simple level of eCourse  Typically it would have no words, only sound and images
201  This level could add in simple words and concepts
301 This level could be a bit more complex
401
501  Various levels of difficulty and simplicity for the numbers in between
601
701
801
901  The most difficult, advanced level of eCourse

The remaining digits (up to 99 digits for two places) is not significant and would generally be assigned in numerical sequence.

SA908  A very advanced Course, probably the 8th numbered course at this level for whatever letter designation may be included.

The Next Number Is One Digit  --  That Digit Is Not Significant

The " -1" portion of the name allows for infinite expansion in that it can be added, or not, and can allow a three digit course number to be added to with an infinite number of numbers, such as
 

ST101-1009  Basic Study Course on the word "of"

ST101-2 Basic Study Course on the word "too"

ST101 Basic Dictionary Course

ST102 Basic Habit & Repetition Course

ST901 Advanced Dictionary Course

ST917 Advanced Study Course

ST917-1 Advanced Study Course on Adverbs

Or any logical variations of the above.

Letter assignments, so far, are shown HERE.

The only limitation on this naming convention is the the two letter start for the name, and there would be a fairly limited number of letter combination which implied some word (such as "ST" for "Study") but a very large number of letter combinations that didn't necessarily carry a suggestion of meaning.