change file extension for VS Code notebooks

[jonsequitur]

The current file extension, .dotnet-interactive, is a placeholder. We should come up with something more concise.

[LadyNaggaga]

Here are some suggestions

• .dib - dotnet interactive book

• .dibs - dotnet interactive book scripts

• .dsx - dotnet scripts

• mls - multi language script

• dni - dotnet interactive

• .inet - interactive

[colombod]

• .dsx
• .dni
• .mls

[LadyNaggaga]

• dibs
• dsx
• dib "Hey can you share that .dibs file ?" " Do you have that dibs file"?

[BillWagner]

I think my favorite is

• .dni

What about:

• .icsn
• .innb (interactive .net notebook, pronounced "inn-bee".

It will show my age, but a "dib" once referred to a "device independent bitmap".

[csharpfritz]

I’ve got dibs on this one.

[glennc]

I liked the idea of having NB for notebook in it.

• dnnb : has no real results if I google for it.

Most of the suggestions so far have common files that exist with that extensions. That's not necessarily a show stopper. But it'd be nice if there wasn't a conflict.

It also amuses me a little that it reminds me of this:

[glennc]

No real results in terms of an existing file extension that is :)

[LadyNaggaga]

@glennc and @BillWagner I like both your suggestions. .NET Interactive isn't purely for notebooks so, we were trying to leave out of the name. But, I really like both your suggestions

• dnnb : dotnet notebooks
• .innb (interactive .net notebook, pronounced "inn-bee". cc @jonsequitur thoughts

[jonsequitur]

I think the "nb" suffix helps make the association to notebooks so even though these files are also usable as automation scripts, that might be less important.

[shanselman]

oh my it's gotta be .dnb, dni, dib, any of those.

[jongalloway]

Yep, was thinking .dnb too. Three letters is best and dnb is fun anyways because

[LadyNaggaga]

Thanks @jongalloway and @shanselman I kind of like dnb because it could be dotnet books or dotnet notebooks. Low-key I am still rooting for . dib

[bradygaster]

with all due respect I don't like the .dni option. I can't not think of "DNI" - 'do not resuscitate'. my favorite was dib but now I think I like dnb better. I mean, I was a d'n'b dj for a moment.

but not dni.

[LadyNaggaga]

@bradygaster good point about .dni. I also immediately think about D&I as well.

Looking at the options so far these three seem to resonate

• .dib- dotnet interactive book Pros: Catchy and simple. Identifies it as .NET being interactive and can also be used in notebooks. Cons: used to be device independent bitmap. Seems like it hasn't been used for a while.
• .dnb - dotnet notebooks Pros: Simplicity. It immediately resonates with a ecosystem the exist without mimicking it. Cons: DNB file is a Microsoft Windows DNS Binary DNS Database.
• .dnnb - dotnet notebooks Pros: Not in use. Simple and resonates with an existing ecosystem.

[gcrev93]

I like .dib and .dnb

But looking at the pros and cons @LadyNaggaga has listed .dib is the best choice since device independent bitmap hasn't been used in awhile

[captainsafia]

I'd vote for dib first and dnb second.

I'm a bit of the fan of the "interactive book" because it does a better job of explaining what the document is for than notebook. The term "notebook", popularized by Jupyter (and MATLAB before that) is a child of the academic origins of these technologies -- but is super easy to conflate with others thing, like a OneNote notebook, for newbies to the ecosystem. It also obfuscates the best parts of these technologies: the interactivity portion.

I like that dib highlights how the document works (it's interactive!) instead of just what it is (it's a a notebook!).

Also, TBH, from my experience whether or not "nb" exists in the file extension won't really affect whether people colloquially refer to it as a notebook or not. That depends more on how it functions (does it have code cells, does it have outputs, does it have the concept of a "run cell") than what's in the file extension. So you can get away with not having nb in the extension but still using notebook in the marketing to indicate what it's all about it.

Anyhoooo, I'll stop rambling now but you can tell which one I am passionate about. :P

[LadyNaggaga]

💯 @captainsafia

[bamurtaugh]

My top two choices are .dib and .dnb, in that order.

I agree it's nice to keep "interactive" as part of the extension name so that this isn't thought of as just a notebook solution, and so that the transition from .dotnet-interactive -> new-extension-name is smooth. But .dnb is a really close and nice second choice.

I also can't help but think of all of the demo fun you could have when saying it's time to open your dib file 😄

[briacht]

I agree -- .dib or .dnb sounds best to me 👍

[mairaw]

I really like dib. It's catchy, rolls off your tongue, and represents the product well.

I dislike dni. I think the acronym could conflict with other things as well (dotnet interop, dotnet installer, etc.) even though I know we're choosing a file extension not am acronym per se.

[jonsequitur]

I also like .dib but wonder if the fact that Windows has a default icon for it would confuse people. Maybe not a big deal once people change their file association to VS Code?

[jonsequitur]

[amarie401]

My vote is for .dib or .dnb as well! Those two sound the best to me overall - though, I'm slightly leaning towards .dib more ;)

[jonsequitur]

.dib wins.

The latest version of the extension supports this.