docs/hardware_keyboard_guidelines.md


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# QMK Keyboard Guidelines

Since starting, QMK has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to people like you who contribute to creating and maintaining our community keyboards. As we've grown we've discovered some patterns that work well, and ask that you conform to them to make it easier for other people to benefit from your hard work.


## Naming Your Keyboard/Project

All keyboard names are in lower case, consisting only of letters, numbers, and underscore (`_`). Names may not begin with an underscore. Forward slash (`/`) is used as a sub-folder separation character.

The names `test`, `keyboard`, and `all` are reserved for make commands and may not be used as a keyboard or subfolder name.

Valid Examples:

* `412_64`
* `chimera_ortho`
* `clueboard/66/rev3`
* `planck`
* `v60_type_r`

## Sub-folders

QMK uses sub-folders both for organization and to share code between revisions of the same keyboard. You can nest folders up to 4 levels deep:

    qmk_firmware/keyboards/top_folder/sub_1/sub_2/sub_3/sub_4

If a sub-folder has a `rules.mk` file it will be considered a compilable keyboard. It will be available in QMK Configurator and tested with `make all`. If you are using a folder to organize several keyboards from the same maker you should not have a `rules.mk` file.

Example:

Clueboard uses sub-folders for both purposes, organization and keyboard revisions.

* [`qmk_firmware`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master)
  * [`keyboards`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards)
    * [`clueboard`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/clueboard)  &larr; This is the organization folder, there's no `rules.mk` file
      * [`60`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/clueboard/60)  &larr; This is a compilable keyboard, it has a `rules.mk` file
      * [`66`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/clueboard/66) &larr; This is also compilable- it uses `DEFAULT_FOLDER` to specify `rev3` as the default revision
        * [`rev1`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/tree/master/keyboards/clueboard/66/rev1) &larr; compilable: `make clueboard/66/rev1`