Consistent casing of file types. Best practice?

[oscargus]

Currently the naming of file types is quite inconsistent: PDF, pdf, Zip, ZIP, AUX, aux, etc...

I'm not sure if I have a strong opinion here, but it would be nice to have it consistent.

Also, one one occasion it says .bib file, i.e. a dot before the file ending. Some of them have a dash, like Zip-archive.

Any opinions on the correct way of doing it? Lower case, except when starting a sentence, without a leading dot and no trailing dash?

[lenhard]

I agree that this should be consistent, but have no strong opinion in which way. We should probably just reach an agreement during a devcall and document that.

[simonharrer]

What a nightmare to rename all this with git+windows :(

[koppor]

Can this be done using sed/s/zip/ZIP/g *.properties with a review using git gui and line-based adding to index?

[matthiasgeiger]

During the dev call we were not quite sure what the general scope of your question is @oscargus

The general rule of thumb should be: the extension alone should be used in lowercase - if used in a sentence/context uppercase should be used ("Please select a PDF file").

An example for this is the manage file type dialog:

[oscargus]

Makes sense. I should have been more clear. These are some examples of current strings:

Follow_DOI_or_URL_link_and_try_to_locate_PDF_full_text_document
No_meta_data_present_in_bibfile._Cannot_regenerate_BibTeX_keys
Ill-formed_entrytype_comment_in_bib_file
The_Zip-archive_need_not_be_on_the_classpath_of_JabRef.
Add_from_jar
Always_reformat_.bib_file_on_save_and_export
AUX_file_import
found_in_aux_file
Use_the_bib_file_location_as_primary_file_directory
Autogenerate_PDF_Names

The "correct" should be

Follow_DOI_or_URL_link_and_try_to_locate_PDF_full_text_document
No_meta_data_present_in_BIB_file._Cannot_regenerate_BibTeX_keys
Ill-formed_entrytype_comment_in_BIB_file
The_ZIP_archive_need_not_be_on_the_classpath_of_JabRef.
Add_from_JAR
Always_reformat_BIB_file_on_save_and_export
AUX_file_import
found_in_AUX_file
Use_the_BIB_file_location_as_primary_file_directory
Autogenerate_PDF_Names

?

[lenhard]

@oscargus Yes, that is correct.

[oscargus]

Most (all?) of this is fixed in #1629.

[tobiasdiez]

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm not completely satisfied with BIB file and AUX file and thought that we arrived at a different result in the dev call. Speaking of a PDF file kind of makes sense if one think of it as an abbreviation of a file which is in "Portable Document Format". Hence one uses PDF as an acronym. But for BIB file there is no such interpretation. What is really meant is a file with ending ".bib". Note that a similar remark also applies to ZIP, which is why wikipedia uses a preceding dot everytime (i.e .ZIP archive).

On the other hand, .bib file is kind of ugly in my opinion. Thus in summary I would propose to always use bibliography / bibliographic file and auxiliary file. If one really wants to emphasize that a file with bib ending was meant, then bibliography (.bib file) would make sense.

[Siedlerchr]

Just my 0,02€, we should not spend too much on this, as I doubt that the normal user really thinks about if it is now BIB or bib or whatever.

[matthiasgeiger]

I agree with @Siedlerchr and close this again 😉