With file sharing, there is a need to keep track of permissions, and the need for intense organization. Being clear what files are where can cause another issue to surface. For instance, Windows 10, by default, has a character limit on file names of 256 characters. So the entire file name, which includes the location of the file, can be no longer than 256 characters. Sometimes less depending on the program you’re using.
For example, a file called “estimate-for-company.pdf” located in “C:\Users\user\Dropbox\February-2019” has the full file name/path of “C:\Users\user\Dropbox\February-2019\estimate-for-company.pdf”. The entire length of that name/path is subject to the file name length limit of 256 characters.
Because multiple people must be able to find what they need, every folder’s contents must be easily identifiable by its title. Without a rigorous system in place, creating clear folder names means that these names can get lengthy. Combining long names with the number of folders deep a file might be can quickly cause files to reach this limit.
If you exceed the limit, files will stop saving in certain programs, and there can be other difficult to diagnose issues. It’s important to have a system in place that prevents this issue. It can be difficult to come up with an alternative organization and naming convention after you’ve started. The new method would need to be implemented quickly throughout the entire system. Every folder will need changing manually to remedy the situation.
