# Individual Files don't get JD numbers, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Concepts\ **Created:** [March 20, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15 "2021-03-20T13:33:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![canion](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/user_avatar/forum.johnnydecimal.com/canion/32/5_2.png) [@canion](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/canion)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/1 "2021-03-20T13:33:36Z")
To confirm, no individual file gets a JD number, am I right? It’s always [Area ID]folder \> [Index ID]folder \> file? Where that file is an arbitrary name? ---
**Author:** ![jack.baty](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/user_avatar/forum.johnnydecimal.com/jack.baty/32/392_2.png) [@jack.baty](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/jack.baty)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/2 "2021-03-20T13:53:43Z")
I wondered this, and it seems that when using multiple projects, the full PROJ.AREA.ID numbering is suggested. > I do use the project number in my ID folders, and when I name files. And… > Within that folder, if I saved an Excel file I would call that file 496.21.11 Whatever descriptive name I’d use.xlsx. This is important to me, since I plan to utilize J.D for multiple project, but I’m not in love with the idea of numbering individual files. ---
**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:** [March 20, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/3 "2021-03-20T22:13:16Z")
This is an ‘it depends’. I find the ID-in-filename really very useful sometimes. Word and Excel docs primarily, at work, so I can scan my recent or currently-open files and immediately see what they relate to. As per the example Jack notes above. But it’s not mandatory, no. By the time you’re in an ID folder you’re already hyper-organised, you’ve done enough. 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 20, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/4 "2021-03-20T22:45:57Z")
> [@jack.baty](#): > > This is important to me, since I plan to utilize J.D for multiple project, but I’m not in love with the idea of numbering individual files. This is one where you can mix and match. Try it out, see how you feel — changing this particular element of your system is trivial and doesn’t involve re-organising stuff. ---
**Author:** ![cobblepot](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@cobblepot](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/cobblepot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 6:51am UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/5 "2021-03-23T06:51:10Z")
So if I want to use ID-in-filename, I would have a folder with AC.ID foldername and within that folder a file with the same AC.ID in the filename, correct? Or do you ever put a file with an AC.ID in the filename in a category folder but not in a Johnny.decimal folder? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2021, 9:24am UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/6 "2021-03-23T09:24:09Z")
> [@cobblepot](#): > > So if I want to use ID-in-filename, I would have a folder with AC.ID foldername and within that folder a file with the same AC.ID in the filename, correct? This is what I sometimes do, yes. Again, my primary use-case is to see the number in a ‘recently opened’ list, or in the list of currently-open windows (the ‘Window’ menu on Mac, I guess it’s shown on the task bar in Windows?). > [@cobblepot](#): > > Or do you ever put a file with an AC.ID in the filename in a category folder but not in a Johnny.decimal folder? I don’t, but only because I never thought of it. @Heloise gets credit for this idea. She came up with a great example: sewing patterns. Her email to me last week, quoted with permission: > Also, sometimes I wonder if, for some categories, it would make sense to have a folder for the category, and then just name the files with the ID number (I barely ever get more than one file in this category, if so they will be named differently and potentially ordered)… but it feels like I might make something explode if I do that? ---
**Author:** ![spirit](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@spirit](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/spirit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/7 "2021-06-13T14:54:42Z")
So @Heloise, the idea is that instead of having folders under categories, for some instead you just have files labeled with Johnny decimal numbers? ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://forum.johnnydecimal.com/t/individual-files-dont-get-jd-numbers-right/15/8 "2021-06-25T19:53:16Z")
Yep That’s when most of these folders would only be filled with one file, then it feels like a real waste to put them in folders. When I occasionally have more than one file in there, I’ll just “number” them with b, c, d… as necessary in addition to their JD number 🙂