Why does renaming Task List not display %20?

Question

Here is a question about naming conventions for SharePoint 2013 and the Task Lists.

When I name a Task List "This_Task_List" and save I don't get the %20 in the URL for because of the naming conventions. When I go into the edit List section and take out the underscores the spaces are there and yet there are not %20 in the URL. Why is that?

Yet, when I have spaces "This Task List" the %20 are displayed in Task's URL. However, when I rename the Task List as "This_Task_List" the %20 remain.

Why is that?

Answer 1

Because the first name you assign becomes the internal name and the (same) display name

The URL is built from the internal name

If you rename a List (or Page or Field or ContentType) you rename the display name, the internal name is NOT changed

General advice when creating SharePoint items (lowercase i): List, Field, ContentType is never to use spaces (for creating the Internal Name)

Create them from a programmers POV (CamelCase or _ notation), then rename them for the UX part (displayname)

When you start working with Code on SharePoint you will almost always use internal names

Answer 2

Because in SharePoint once when you created list or list column first time it will create the unique internal name. That internal name of the list or list column can't be change after creation while you can change the display name.

You are changing the display name, but internal name will remains as it is. It can't be change. So when you first create with name This Task List it will create internal name with %20 but when you change display name it to This_Task_List the internal name won't be change.

Read more : Static Name vs. Internal Name vs. Display Name in SharePoint