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Conventions

This page documents various conventions in use in NeuroML.

In general, please prefer underscores _ instead of spaces wherever possible, in filenames and ids.

File naming

When naming different NeuroML files, we suggest the following suffixes:

  • channel.nml for NeuroML files describing ion channels, for example: Na.channel.nml

  • cell.nml for NeuroML files describing cells, for example: hh.cell.nml

  • synapse.nml for NeuroML files describing synapses, for example: AMPA.synapse.nml

  • net.nml for NeuroML files describing networks of cells, for example: excitatory.net.nml

For LEMS files that describe simulations of NeuroML models (“LEMS Simulation files”), we suggest that:

  • file names start with the LEMS_ prefix,

  • file names end in xml

For example LEMS_HH_Simulation.xml.

Neuron segments

When naming segments in multi-compartmental neuron models, we suggest the following prefixes:

  • axon_ for axonal segments

  • dend_ for dendritic segments

  • soma_ for somatic segments

There are 3 specific recommended names for segment groups which contain ALL of the somatic, dendritic or axonal segments

  • axon_group for the group of all axonal segments

  • dend_group for the group of all dendritic segments

  • soma_group for the group of all somatic segments

Ideally every segment should be a member of one and only one of these groups.