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DONE: "Filegrab"-like functionality integrated into the file explorer.
IainB:
There is something that I have needed for a long time. It should probably be part of my file explorer (I use xplorer²), but xplorer² only seems able to do a part of what I am after. I would like to have the below functionality integrated into the file explorer.
In xplorer²:
Alt+C copies the full path of any selected filename(s) to clipboard. It is a very handy function.
Ctrl+Alt+P copies just the filename+ext. of any selected filename(s).
However, sometimes I want to capture more metadata about selected filename(s), and play about with it. For this I Copy the selected file(s)/folder(s) and Paste into a utility called Filegrab, which acts a bit like a bucket for file/folder metadata. After adding and deleting metadata for files/folders, this can give an editable and sortable display something like this:
The displayed columns in the view can be changed, like this:
When you have the display as you would like it, you just click, select and copy those lines of the display you want to communicate.
Any ideas on how to integrate this into the file explorer?
rjbull:
I don't know if it helps, but XYplorer offers extended metadata as standard. The screenshots show the metadata tab on the main pane, and the send to clipboard popup from right-clicking on a file. Choosing extended data puts something like the following on the clipboard (XY's Help says this data changes according to the file type):
Name: P1010606.JPG
DOS name: P1010606.JPG
Type: IrfanView JPG File
Location: C:\Zdir\
Size: 1.51 MB (1,588,078 bytes)
Space used: 1.52 MB (1,589,248 bytes), 388 clusters
Created: 11/11/2012 22:07:28
Modified: 11/11/2012 16:01:06
Accessed: 11/11/2012 22:07:28
Attributes: Archive
Metadata tab:
DONE: "Filegrab"-like functionality integrated into the file explorer.
Clipboard popup:
DONE: "Filegrab"-like functionality integrated into the file explorer.
IainB:
@rjbull: Thanks, but that's not what I meant. I can get a view of all the properties and metadata I need, in xplorer² (and presumably Windows Explorer too?).
If I give an example of what I use Filegrab for, it might help:
1. Select files in Explorer (xplorer²) and Copy:
2. Paste what's in the clipboard (n file metadata records) into Filegrab's workspace, and tick ON for all the columns in view that Filegrab can offer:
3. Untick those columns I don't want:
4. Delete the metadata for desktop.ini ( I don't want that) and Sort the metadata records on file size in ascending order (I could also add more files to the Filegrab workspace at this point if I wanted):
5. Select and Copy all the files listed in Filegrab (I could select fewer if I wanted):
6. Paste them into a Text editor:
What I want is to integrate this Filegrab functionality (not duplicate it), so that I can select a few files in xplorer², press a magic hotkey which starts Filegrab (if not already running), pastes the files, and leaves me viewing them in Filegrab, where I can then manipulate the metadata records as I need.
I'm not sure, but I think an AHK-L script could help me do this, but I do not know enough about AHK-L, so I hoped someone in the forum might be able to help please. :tellme:
f0dder:
Does FileGrab support command-line arguments? If it does, it would be very easy to integrate into x2 through the use of "Customize -> User Commands".
IainB:
Does FileGrab support command-line arguments? If it does, it would be very easy to integrate into x2 through the use of "Customize -> User Commands".
-f0dder (November 12, 2012, 05:46 AM)
--- End quote ---
Bugger. I don't think it can support command-line arguments.
Here's the Filegrab.txt notes file contents (note the date!) - there's nothing in it about using the command line:
Spoiler________________________________________________________________
FileGrab (VERSION 1.00) by Michael J. Mefford
Copyright (c) 1997 Ziff Davis Publishing Company
First Published March 4, 1997
________________________________________________________________
About FileGrab...
Purpose: FileGrab lets you harness the power of Explorer's listing ability for use by other applications. When you drop files from Explorer onto the FileGrab window, you get a usable list of filenames rather than the files' contents. You can then save the list to disk, print it, or copy it into the clipboard for pasting into another application. View options let you choose which file characteristics (such as date, size, or attributes) to include with the file names.
Usage: To install FileGrab, copy the program files FILEGRAB.EXE and FILEGRAB.HLP to a subdirectory on your hard disk, and create an icon for FileGrab in your shell. When you first launch FileGrab, you'll see an empty window ready to accept file names from Explorer. For a quick demonstration of how it works, open an Explorer window (it's okay if the windows partially overlap), highlight a group of files, drag them over to FileGrab, and drop them in its window. Voila! There's your file list.
Note that you can copy file names from Explorer's Find utility, as well as from Explorer itself. You don't have to worry about anything happening to the files when you drop them on FileGrab.
They'll stay where they are; only the file name data is copied into FileGrab.
You can also minimize FileGrab, highlight the files in Explorer, and then drag them to FileGrab's button on the taskbar. The taskbar button itself won't accept drag and drop, but if you hold down the mouse button, the window will open and then you can drop the files. The advantage of this method is that you can still use FileGrab when Explorer is maximized.
Another way to copy the files without having to view both windows simultaneously is to use cut and paste. Select the filenames you want in Explorer, then select Edit|Copy from the Explorer menu, or right click on the selected files and choose Copy from the pop up menu, or simply press the Copy hot key Ctrl+C. After you've copied the file data to the clipboard, switch to FileGrab and paste the copied file names by selecting Edit|Paste from the FileGrab menu, or pressing the Paste hot key, Ctrl+V.
File names appear only one time in the FileGrab list, no matter how many times you add them. FileGrab considers the fully specified file name, including the path, when checking for duplicates. If you seem to see two occurrences of the same file in the list, check the Full Path item in the View menu and you'll see that they're actually different.
Explorer can be in any of its View modes (Large Icons, Small Icons, List, or Details) when you drag or copy files.
FileGrab, however, always displays the file names in the style of Details mode. Once you have a file name list in FileGrab, you can use the View menu to select which of the file properties you want to include in the display. Checking an item adds it to the display; unchecking the item removes it. The View options are Full Path, DOS Name, Size, Creation Date, Modified Date, Accessed Date, and Attributes. By default just the Full Path and Modified Date properties are displayed. If you turn off Full Path, just the file name will be displayed.
Once you have set the View options to display the file name list as you want it, you can save the list to disk, print it, or copy it into the clipboard. To enable the Copy feature, you must first select the files you want from the list. Click the Copy to clipboard button or select Copy from the Edit menu to copy the selected file names as ASCII text to the clipboard. If you select Cut instead of Copy, the file names are removed from the FileGrab list as well as copied to the Clipboard. The Clear button removes the selected items from the FileGrab list without copying them to the Clipboard.
To clear the entire FileGrab list, choose Select All from the Edit menu or press the hot key Ctrl+A, and then click the Clear button.
When FileGrab copies the selected file names to the Clipboard, it ensures that the columns for each displayed file property will neatly line up vertically by making all the entries in a particular column the same number of characters. Fields that have fewer characters than the longest entry in the column are padded with spaces. Fields are separated with tab characters so that the columns line up even when a proportional space font is used, and so they will be formatted correctly when pasted into a spreadsheet.
When saving the list to disk, the default format is the same as when copying to the clipboard; FileGrab pads columns with spaces so that they line up. You can also choose to separate the file properties with commas instead of spaces and a tab character (the CSV or comma-separated values option). This option is useful if you're importing the list into a database or spreadsheet. To save the file list to disk, click the Save As button or select File|Save As....
The Save as type drop-down filter lets you choose between the .txt and .csv formats.
When you print a file name list, by default FileGrab uses a ten point Courier New font so the characters in the columns will line up. To select a different font, select Printer Font under the File menu. You do not have to use the same font for printing and screen display. To select a different font for screen display, choose File|Screen Font. Note that the font is not saved when you copy the list to the clipboard. You'll have to reselect the desired font from within the application where you paste the list.
FileGrab supports in-place editing, like Explorer, in case you want to make any changes to the list. To shift into edit mode, select a file, wait a moment, then click on it again. The original file won't be renamed; only the text that is sent to the clipboard, file, or printer will reflect your changes. You can also sort the list by clicking on the column header buttons. A second click on the same button before clicking on any other will sort the list in descending order. You can also resize the columns by dragging the left or right edge of the header button above it. FileGrab remembers all your custom settings.
Support for FileGrab:
Support for the free utilities offered by PC Magazine can be obtained electronically in the discussion area of PC Magazine's Web site and in the Utilities section of ZD Net's TIPS Forum on CompuServe. For PC Magazine's Web site go to the URL http://www.pcmag.com/discuss/ and select the Utilities area. You can also access the Utilities discussion area from the utility's download page. The authors of current utilities generally monitor the discussion area every day. You may find an answer to your question simply by reading the messages previously posted. If the author is not available and you have a question that the sysops can't answer, the editor of the Utilities column, who also checks the area each day, will contact the author for you.
For ZD Net's TIPS Forum (GO ZNT:TIPS). The authors of current utilities generally visit this forum daily.
You may find an answer to your question by reading the messages already posted in the forum. If the author is not available and the forum sysops can't answer your question, the Utilities column editor, who checks this forum each day, will contact the author for you.
Michael J. Mefford is a contributing editor of PC Magazine.
________________________________________________________________
Nor in the Help file:
FILEGRAB-HLP.zip (3.66 kB - downloaded 249 times.)
I also tried using Filegrab in SendTo and from the Command line, but no joy.
The Command line just brings up the Filegrab GUI when you enter in something like filegrab.exe /? or other obvious commands. It seems to be expecting Paste or drag and drop.
Filegrab appears to be just selectively accepting some of the metadata contents of the Clipboard or a drag-and-drop and placing it in a fixed-width array workspace measuring 7 or 8 across by n down. You can perform rudimentary editing on just the Path/Filename field (I have never needed to use this feature).
It's a very nifty little tool, and there's still nothing quite like it - or not that I have come across, anyway. Which is why I still use it.
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