v002

After trying many things, this is what I  do:
I figure out where the physical item is to be filed.......
If it is paper, it can go in paper file.  If it is a CD, or DVD it  
can go in the general paper files or in separate paper files.  If it  
is a sample, It can go in the paper file if it is small enough,  
otherwise I throw it in a sample box.  If it is a finished project I  
throw it in a box large enough to hold it.

I then give it a filing # ( aka F# ) .
If it goes in the general paper file I label it Gnnn-xxxx.  I give it  
the next number in sequence.  If it is a DVD or CD or tape , I label  
it Tnnn-xxxx.   I give it the next number in sequence.   If it is a  
sample I bag it in a clear small bag and label and file it in Snnn- 
xxxx. If it is a large thing, I tag it as Lnnn-xxxx and throw it in a  
box.   If the item has not physical substance ( image, source file,  
etc. , I label it Vnnn-xxxx ( virtual ).  I then electronically  file  
it in a V folder.  If I have a project , in which  I want  to keep to  
keep all the items together, I create a new Project category Pnnn-0000.

The key to all this is my database.  In my database I have a
2 filing # fields, first 4 symbols  (F# hi ) and last 4 symbols (F# lo )
a created date field,
a revised date field
an author field
a description field  ( be sure to include key words here )

This allows me to search for created date, revised date, description  
keywords, etc.
I then get a filing # that I can use to go access the file contents.



Example:
G001-9999 was the last general paper based thing I filed.  Now I want  
to file another paper based thing.  I increment the F# to get  
G002-0001 ( I never use 0000 for a lo number ).

If I am creating a new project I look for the largest Pnnn ( F# hi )  
number I can find.  If it is P043 , then I create a P044-0000 entry  
and in the description field I describe the project.  If I get to  
P999, then I create Pa99 as the next F# hi entry.


Oh, yeah     I use Filemaker for my database, and almost any other  
database would be easy to use.  When I post my projects or documents  
on the internet , I use my F# as the first part of the file name.    
ex:    P023-0087  Cis-Lunar Strobe project timetable
To save this file on my F# server, I put this in a folder entitled  
"P023"  which is in a folder P000   "Projects"
To do a search ( on a computer ) I use the Mac OS X spotlight search  
to find any files that have strayed from the correct folder.
This system has few dependencies on database quirks or search quirks  
or operating system quirks.





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