I used to have this problem, but now I go with one of two solutions:
filename-$(date +%F) (or similar)
example: notes-2024-12-14.txt
can be expanded to include further time details if more than one iteration per day is released
filename-Mk#
example: product-design-MkII (Or Mk2 if you prefer)
pretty much infinitely expandable and you always know which is latest
admittedly I’m pretty sure most systems wouldn’t sort Roman numerals correctly, but I rarely have enough iterations of anything to worry about it
edit: Also, with either, you could pretty easily write a script that would symlink something like filename-latest to the newest one, but depending on how you’re generating the files in question, that might be less viable.
Because I formed these habits in the nineties and 00’s, well before git was a thing; and because nothing I write matters, other than possibly to my employers, in which case I do use (primarily) git … Or other version control. (Believe it or not, I’ve used subversion.)
Most of the documents to which I apply this are things like my resume and DNS server. No one but me will ever care.
Also, I like you both for asking this question and for how you put it.
![Files [Admiral Wonderboat]](https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/113/646/155/351/268/686/original/51afce17454aa02b.png){kind=link}
I used to have this problem, but now I go with one of two solutions:
edit: Also, with either, you could pretty easily write a script that would symlink something like
filename-latestto the newest one, but depending on how you’re generating the files in question, that might be less viable.You know how to script and what a symlink is; why aren’t you using git or any other kind of version control instead?
Because I formed these habits in the nineties and 00’s, well before git was a thing; and because nothing I write matters, other than possibly to my employers, in which case I do use (primarily) git … Or other version control. (Believe it or not, I’ve used subversion.)
Most of the documents to which I apply this are things like my resume and DNS server. No one but me will ever care.
Also, I like you both for asking this question and for how you put it.