RGdot

Tag: move

  • Siren: Infinite Ways To Rename And Organize Files

    Siren (Version: 3.01) is a freeware file renamer, it features many ways to rename, move and copy files using expressions to create renaming rules.

    The expressions can be any in number or combination and use almost any file attribute one can think of. One can change the case, remove parts of the file name, use file paths, extensions, audio file tags, modified dates, checksums and lots more. It can use and read attributes belonging to many audio, video, image and other kinds of files.

    Siren works by loading a folder and checking off or selecting files to work on or alternatively work on all files and subdirectories. The next step would be to click on the right hand side of the Expression text field to add rules. The first (tag icon) presents all the options available, the second (magic wand icon) helps test and build expressions. When done the new file name(s) will be shown and one can click Rename (play icon) to rename the files. The Create copies (fast forward icon) button will create copies first then apply the rename rules.

    The filter option at the top right lets the user filter visible files. Filters can be any combination of file types and regular expressions too. For example to filter down to “jpg”, “bmp” or files beginning with a letter use *.jpg;*.bmp;[A-Z]*

    The Favourites menu lets the user save expressions or rules to re-use later. It is also possible to test the expressions and renaming rules with a “testbed” that is available under the ? menu, the same menu also includes Siren’s detailed help file which includes examples.

    Siren has some command line support, works on Windows XP and newer and doesn’t require installation.

  • Freeware Shorts: Bram (Batch File Renamer)

    Freeware Shorts: Bram (Batch File Renamer)

    Bram stands for Batch Renamer and Mover. It is a simple tool that does what its name says.

    Bram

    It works both with folders (and optionally its subfolders with configurable depth) and if required with files alone skipping any folders that may exist along side them. Bram can also filter to specific file types and ignore others and one can also select only the files needed using the native windows’ method utilizing the Shift and Ctrl keys.

    The renaming part can configured using the Parts button with any combination of sequential numbers, current file name, file extension, parent’s folder name and date format. The date format itself has many options accessed via the Change Date Format button and includes variations on how the date is written for the renamed files based on the files’ own created or last modified dates.

    The user can preview the results and finally to complete the renaming to click Apply which has its own set of actions (click on the arrow to the right of apply to view and choose one.)  These actions are rename, copy and rename, move and rename, rename then copy, only move, only copy, and delete. The actions are explained on a dedicated page. Of them rename then copy might cause confusion and the aforementioned page describes it as “Rename then Copy renames the original items, then it copies them to a location you specify. (So both the originals and the new copies are renamed.)”

    There is an undo feature to revert the last set of files to their original state and also a log file for review as well. Bram requires the .NET framework.

  • Freeware FileSieve 3 Sifts Through Files And Folders

    Freeware FileSieve 3 Sifts Through Files And Folders


    FileSieve 3 is a small program which organizes files and folders into highly configurable destination folders. As with software of its kind it is best used for organizing large amounts of files that accumulate on a system over many download and similar sessions.

    The process or work flow of FileSieve 3 is well defined in a five numbered step process (see image). A profile and/or a list of directories can be created, saved and loaded for future sessions. These source folder(s) would contain all the files that will be sorted using FileSieve. Then a destination folder is chosen where the sifted and sorted files will be placed in. The third step is to choose method(s) and if applicable modifiers.

    A method, one of 13 that FileSieve 3 supports, defines how the chosen files are sorted and processed. These methods are themselves very configurable and it is very easy to come up with complex criteria to operate on the chosen files. Methods include:

    Sorting by attribute: Subfolders in the destination directory will distinguish files that are Read Only, Hidden, Temporary, Offline, Compressed, Normal and more.

    Biggest: The biggest file from the source directory is placed in the destination directory.

    Consolidate: All Files from the source directory are placed into the root directory of the destination folder.

    Date Stamp: Files separated into dated destination folders.

    Delimiter: Files sorted based on delimiter characters in their names, for example “-” in the file name.

    Extension: Files are separated and sorted based on their extension. Likely the most used feature of the program.

    MP3 Tag: MP3 files are sorted based on their tags such as album and song name.

    Owner: Files are sorted based on the Windows account or domain they belong to.

    Parent Rename: First or biggest file in the source directory is renamed after it’s parent directory name and placed in the destination folder.

    Smallest: Opposite of Biggest!

    A-Z: 27 directories are created (for file names starting with numbers and those starting with A to Z) and files are placed into them based on their names.

    Substring: The user chooses which position of a file name is the ‘StartIndex’ and how many characters to read from there, files are then sorted based on ‘substring’ matches.

    Word: Files are sorted based on words contained with their names.

    Once method(s) are chosen modifiers can be added to change the way the path, file name or extension of files are written in the destination. These include all lower case, word capitalization and others. Step 4 is where the user chooses to move or copy the source files. Here one can also create a simulation and preview the results in the simulation window. Step 5, the final step, lets the user limit the sorting to files within the ‘root’ of the source directory, to all files or just folders residing in the source directory.

    FileSieve 3 should run on all Windows systems, even Windows 95, but requires the .NET Framework 2.0.

  • Freeware Digital Janitor Tries To Organize Your Files

    Freeware Digital Janitor Tries To Organize Your Files

    Digital Janitor helps you organize and specifically sort files and folders. The main purpose or usefulness of Digital Janitor is that when many files are downloaded from the, say, internet they tend to sit in one folder with differing files lost in the maze of documents, images, music and the like.

    Enter Digital Janitor and its rules based organizer.

    The main interface of the program, seen in the image, is the place where a source (perhaps the aforementioned download folder) is chosen. Then based on any combination of file formats, keywords or sizes files are moved into a destination folder. A ‘rule’ is first added via the add rule button and then also saved – and given a name. For example a rule can exist to move *.jpg files into an images folder and another rule to move *.wmv files greater than 100MB into a movies folder. Rules are saved for repeated and future use and pressing the sort button runs the chosen or highlighted rule.

    From here on Digital Janitor gets confusing. It has a sort of pre-defined rule set for working with music files in its ‘Sort Music’ menu. This is where mp3 files can be sorted by artist or album. This feature is somewhat confusing because at first look it is not clear if any destination folders are automatically created or not and if they are indeed not it is not a very productive way of sorting the mp3 files anyway.

    Another confusing aspect of the program is the ‘Schedule’. It resides in a separate window from the program’s initial rules yet it uses the same rules. Therefore it is not clear why the Schedule window not only requires one of the named and saved rules but requires a source folder too. If a rule is already created in the main window then a source folder should already be part of the rule that was created there.

    To yet further confuse the user the ‘Automate’ window asks for a source and destination folder to sort files by similar name, similar extension or same type. It is again not very clear what the differentiation is between the three options and if this adds anything new to the main window rules.

    Digital Janitor is useful without looking at the additional windows. Just choose a source and destination folder in the main window and create and run rules there. Digital Janitor runs Windows XP, Vista or 7 and requires .NET Framework 2.0.

  • Organize Files With File Bucket

    Organize Files With File Bucket

    File Bucket is one the many excellent programs and coding snacks from DonationCoder. File Bucket’s main purpose is to copy or move scattered files into one central or organized location. It was created because a user on the DonationCoder forums asked for a program to ease disc creation. The user wanted to automatically copy media files to one single folder and then burn them to a disc. In my opinion the same concept can be applied to backing up files. Working on my system I am using File Bucket and moving files that have been created in various My Documents and other folders into one location so subsequent system backups are easier and cleaner.

    File Bucket is divided into four panes or areas, the top left hand side shows all systems drives and below it the folder tree. Highlighting a folder in the tree will show its files in the upper right hand pane. The lower right hand pane is the bucket or list of files and folders that will be moved or copied.

    The three buttons on lower left side of the interface act as aids or shortcuts for adding files or folders to the bucket. “Add folder’s file to list” will add only files – from the folder selected in tree – to the bucket, ignoring any subfolders. “Add folder & subfolder’s files to list” will add all files including those in subfolders. “Add to list as a folder” will add the selected folder as is to the bucket thereby moving or copying it as a folder and not only the individual files that are within it. The “Add selected to list” and “Add all to list” buttons work on the folder(s) and file(s) visible just above them. After the bucket is populated the destination folder can be configured and the option to move or copy – or “Delete items to Recycle Bin”, “Save list with absolute paths” and other – chosen.

    One other feature that adds another degree of usefulness to File Bucket is the filter (middle right of the program interface). Using the filter one can specify the file formats that will end up in the bucket. For example one can only move *.mp3 or *.jpg files. Any number of formats can be defined in the filter list which pops up when clicking the filter button. The filter(s) must be defined before any files are added to the bucket and in that sense the location of the filter button – and its associated dropdown – is perhaps not the best as one can mistakenly add files to the bucket before ‘reaching’ or getting to the filtering part on the right hand side of the program.

    Once used it becomes clear that File Bucket is more difficult to describe than to use and it joins a long list of very useful utilities coded at DonationCoder.

  • DragTargets Makes Moving Files Convenient

    DragTargets Makes Moving Files Convenient

    DragTargets is a desktop tool that is similar to DropIt featured here on RGdot.com.


    DragTargets
    DragTargets makes the task of moving or copying files more efficient by providing an interface that acts as alternative of opening instances of Windows or alternative Explorers and then navigating to a particular folder.
    When installed DragTargets presents a small window on the desktop, right clicking the window one can browse to a drive or folder and create a new dragtarget. After a new dragtarget is created any files dragged and dropped into the interface or target will copied to that destination or chosen folder. The default action here is to copy the files but checking the small square (see image) at the bottom of the program interface changes the action to move instead of copy.

    Additionally, clicking on any of the saved targets opens the destination folder so targets are also alternative shortcuts to folders and drives on the computer.

  • DropIt Organizes Files And Folders

    DropIt Organizes Files And Folders

    DropIt is a small portable download that helps manage the process of moving, copying and organizing files and folders. When installed DropIt adds a floating image or icon on the system desktop. Dragging and dropping files or folders over or into the icon moves or copies the files or folders into a configurable destination.

    DropIt
    Right clicking on the floating image one can access the program Settings where one can choose to move or copy files when using DropIt and to activate the feature which treats folders in the same way as it does files.

    Managing the main settings of the program is done via the same right click but instead choosing the Manage option. Here one can use the Search File button to find a file with the extension (*.jpg for example) one wants to work with or type the extension in the small box to the immediate right of the Search File button. After doing that one should press the Folder button to browse to the folder where the *.jpg (or other) files will be moved (or copied) to when ‘dropped’ on the DropIt icon. The chosen extension will then appear in the far right Extension List box. There after one can edit the association or setting for each file extension by highlighting it and editing the settings that appear in the Edit Associations area.
    DropIt is a useful tool for cleaning up the desktop or indeed any other folder.