diff --git a/app/models/analysis_job.rb b/app/models/analysis_job.rb
index aa6fb4f3..3be86c70 100644
--- a/app/models/analysis_job.rb
+++ b/app/models/analysis_job.rb
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ class AnalysisJob < ActiveRecord::Base
                   :data_set_identifier,
 
                   # this is a copy of the information from the analysis_scripts table
-                  # duplicated create and instance snap-shot of the data that will not change
+                  # duplicated to create a instance snap-shot of the data that will not change
                   :script_description, :script_display_name, :script_extra_data, :script_name,
                   :script_settings, :script_version
 
diff --git a/app/models/analysis_script.rb b/app/models/analysis_script.rb
index 4d6e43e4..645e0580 100644
--- a/app/models/analysis_script.rb
+++ b/app/models/analysis_script.rb
@@ -1,29 +1,112 @@
 class AnalysisScript < ActiveRecord::Base
+  before_validation :populate_name
+  after_initialize :init
+
+  Whitelist_characters  = "a-zA-Z0-9_\\-\\."
+  Negative_whitelist    = /[^#{Whitelist_characters}]/
+  White_listed_filename = /^[#{Whitelist_characters}]+$/
+  White_listed_filepath = /^([\\\/]?[#{Whitelist_characters}]+)?([\\\/][#{Whitelist_characters}]+)+$/
+
+  def initialize
+    @name_unforced = true
+    super()
+  end
+
+
   # flex store
   store :notes
 
-  # attr
-  attr_accessible :description,
-                  :display_name,  # the original name
-                  :extra_data,
-                  :name,          # a filesystem safe version of display_name
-                  :settings,
-                  :version,
+                            # attr
+  attr_accessible :display_name, # the original name given by the user to name the script,
+                  #   e.g.: "My awesome/brilliant analysis!!"
+                  :name, # a filesystem safe version of display_name (computed)
+                  #   Note, this should not be a path
+                  #   e.g.: "my_awesome_brilliant_analysis__"
+                  :extra_data, # a manually entered settings file, copied to script dir on execution
+                  :settings, # a file-path to a settings file
+
+                  :description,
                   :notes,
-                  :verified
 
-  # userstamp
+                  :version, # an incrementing field tracking changes
+                  :verified # whether or not this script has been checked (security purposes)
+                            #   TODO: THIS FIELD SHOULD BE RESTRICTED
+
+                            # userstamp
   stampable
   belongs_to :user, :class_name => 'User', :foreign_key => :creator_id
   acts_as_paranoid
   validates_as_paranoid
 
   # validations
-  validates :name, presence: true, length: {minimum: 2, maximum: 100}, uniqueness: {case_sensitive: false}
-  validates :display_name, presence: true
-  validates :settings, presence: true
+  validates :name, presence: true, length: { minimum: 2, maximum: 255 },
+            uniqueness:      { case_sensitive: false }
+  validates_format_of :name, :with => White_listed_filename
+
+  validates :display_name, presence: true, length: { minimum: 2, maximum: 255 }
+
+  validates :settings, allow_nil: true, format: White_listed_filepath
+
   validates :version, presence: true
-  validates :display_name, presence: true
-  validates :verified, inclusion: {in: [true, false]}
+  validates :verified, inclusion: { in: [true, false] }
+
+
+  # methods
+
+  def init
+    @name_unforced = true if @name_unforced.nil?
+  end
+
+  def display_name=(value)
+    self[:display_name] = value
+    if @name_unforced
+      self[:name] = (make_safe_name value)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def force_name=(value)
+    self[:name]    = value
+    @name_unforced = false
+  end
+
+  def name=(value)
+    # if it the first value to be set, or name's are being forced, or the value is not blank -> then set it
+    if self[:name].blank? || !@name_unforced || !value.blank?
+      self[:name] = value
+    else
+
+    end
+
+  end
+
+  def populate_name
+    if !display_name.blank? && name.blank? && @name_unforced
+      self[:name] = make_safe_name display_name
+    end
+  end
+
+  # removes invalid characters, and replaces them with underscores
+  def make_safe_name(old)
+    return old if old.blank?
+    old = old.dup
+
+    old = old.gsub(Negative_whitelist, '_')
+
+    old = old.downcase
+
+    # remove duplicates
+    old = old.squeeze('_')
+
+    # trim start and end chars
+    if old[0] == '_'
+      old = old[1..-1]
+    end
+
+    if old[-1] == '_'
+      old = old[0..-2]
+    end
+
+    old
+  end
 
 end