# IDs go with files or folders or items?

**URL:** <https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/ids-go-with-files-or-folders-or-items/750>\
**Category:** The Johnny.Decimal system\
**Created:** [May 21, 2023, 7:34am UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/ids-go-with-files-or-folders-or-items/750 "2023-05-21T07:34:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AquariusDue](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@AquariusDue](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/AquariusDue)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 7:34am UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/ids-go-with-files-or-folders-or-items/750/1 "2023-05-21T07:34:26Z")

</div>

Basically I’m trying to understand if IDs should point to a folder that serves as a container of related items or if IDs should point directly to an item/file. Then does that mean you’re limited to 99 files per category and if you need more than that the category is too broad?

```auto
10-19 Fitness and Health
├── 11 Nutrition
│ ├── 11.01 Meal Plan --> Should this be a folder (with a single file inside) or file?
│ └── 11.02 Recipes --> A folder with multiple [recipe].md files?
├── 12 Exercises
│ ├── 12.01 Deadlift --> Same dilemma, what if I have a video demonstrating form and a personal records.md? 
│ └── 12.02 Overhead Press
│ ├── Video Instruction.mp4
│ ├── Video of my biggest OHP.mp4
│ └── Personal Records.md
├── 13 Medication
└── 14 Running
        ├── 14.01 Favorite running shoes.png
        ├── 14.02 Coveted pair of running shoes.png
        ├── 14.03 Some thoughts on running.md
        └── 14.04 List of all runs.rec

```

Is category 12 the right way to do it e.g. 12.02 or category 14 the correct way?

Thank you, I hope I’ve made my point of confusion clear enough.

And so far from all the methods of organizing a Second Brain and reducing cognitive load this one seems like it has the most bang for the buck imo.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![johnnydecimal](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/user_avatar/forum.johnnydecimal.com/johnnydecimal/32/1759_2.png) [@johnnydecimal](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/johnnydecimal)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 10:49am UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/ids-go-with-files-or-folders-or-items/750/2 "2023-05-21T10:49:30Z")

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99.9% of the time you want your IDs to be folders that then contain a bunch of files. Category 12, in your example.

Some of my folders do only include a single file. I usually don’t know this when I create it, it just turns out that way.

[This thread](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/6) also discusses this idea, and an exception. @Heloise has a category which is ‘sewing patterns’, and in this case one ID = one sewing pattern.

In this case she did _not_ bother creating the folder, as she knew 100% that there would only ever be one file in it. This is definitely an edge case though, just for your information.