Hello, everyone - I have downloaded the current version of Daminion... Does the program allow for customizable/searchable columns and tags? I want to catalog all of my digital files and my physical library of books, documents, etc. in one program. I would appreciate it someone who is knowledgeable in the program could give me some feedback.

Many thanks!!

Hi Ian - Thank you for your kind post (one of the first of its kind on this thread, oddly enough). There are, as you stated, a slew of programs on the open market that come close to what I am talking about, but nearly all of them prioritize style over substance with the definite exception of XYplorer, which was designed by a man who works hard to make the program accessible to a broader audience by adding and tweaking its features. With that being said, any negative comments I make about programs of this nature are NOT in reference to XYplorer.

Many of these programs are presented as an answer to the limitations of Windows Explorer/File Manager, which does not allow for universal file tagging or customizable/searchable columns; however, most of the programs we are talking about actually share that same limitation for reasons that seem to call their very existence into question. I consider the option to add at least 10-20 customizable/searchable columns to be ESSENTIAL to any program of this nature. The values of the columns need to be user defined and completely free of formatting limitations. I am not a programmer or a coder by any means, but I am familiar enough with the basic principles of C++ and relational databases to know that what I am talking about is by no means a challenge to someone who has the skill set.

I had not heard of Qiqqa, but it appears to be more of a file annotation tool (like Evernote) than a document manager. That is a key element of my vision: Reduce the drain on system resources and keep the application desktop-based with only the option to sync with or back to a cloud service like OneDrive.

I use Calibre as a book management tool at the moment, though mostly just for converting between formats. The program is very high class, like XYplorer: Usable, stylish, and specific. Calibre could be used for the purposes I have outlined, but it is hard to get around the notion of clicking a button titled "Add Book" to add a video, audio file, or photograph to the Calibre library... It feels counterintuitive, and that isn't conducive to a happy software experience. I have approached them about this but they, understandably, want to maintain the program's ostensible exclusivity to ebook management. Calibre also creates individual folders for every file added, which could create quite a mess if thousands of files were added to the library.

I would like to partner with someone to try to develop this for my personal use, unless you know of an existing program that is designed for what I am trying to do.

Good grief... I only want to know if someone could conceivably develop the program as I described it for my personal use and how much it would cost! I never imagined that asking a question would open such a can of worms.