File formats and organization

File versioning

Version control strategies depend on whether files are being accessed by multiple users and in multiple locations. Consider using these best practices to keep track of file versions.

Best practices

• Keep a copy of the 'master' data, and never edit it.
• Add version information in file naming convention (eg. creation or modification date OR version number)
• Use tools or software to help track file versioning. This could include:
  • Tools that automatically assign version numbers (eg. Electronic Lab Notebooks)
  • File sharing services (eg. Dropbox, Google Docs)
  • Version control software (eg. Subversion, Git)
  • Version control tables (see below)
• Find out more
  
  

Version control table example

Source: UK Data Service