Sorry for the delayed response, but it took a while to read the other links. Anyway the Spotlight approach sounds cool, though since i haven't used a mac interface regularly enough i don't get the concepts.

As for Armando, what AHK scripts do you use?

I think the whole issue comes down to, how can we use our computers to be more intelligent and do things for us, rather than have us do things for the computer (so that it makes it easier for us later).

So a database would be a good idea, as long as it was seamless, and didn't have me pulling out my hair! :)

A lot of these document controls do exist, but at a great cost of learning curve, and performance hit. Anyway lets see...

I did a double take on that one, tinjaw... Didn't notice the second line of text  ;D

-Darwin (October 11, 2007, 06:58 PM)

me too :)

Btw Armando How do you tag files? I am in the same boat i have a huge list of folders and i always sort my downloads by category and all that. But instead i would love to have it tagged, and easily searchable. I use CDS (copernic) to search for now.

Though i was thinking of setting up a FARR alias to do that as well, but ran into too much confusion and out of time in trying to get it to work (for another purpose of course, like running portable apps all from my \Programs\ directory, and trying to find one when using the 'p' keyword/tag/alias/whatever it's called. So didn't bother with the alias for my categorized appz folder as yet :))

Sometimes i think i should start my own file organizing site, where i pull information from the web about the application and add the appropriate tags/category/folder to it... just so my organizing becomes easier! I think PADD.XML are a great attempt to do that, but sadly few follow it, and big ones don't follow at all!

It would be neat to have a semi-intellingent organizing app that asked google for the tags and applied them automagically :)  :up:

I actually have a whole workflow around downloading, testing, archiving.

The reasons i archive are:

• I manage multiple pcs
• I am the tech support for dozens of pcs (the family tech support), so lots of time is spent on research like a lot of the fellow DCers! Just gotta find a way to step 4. Profit!!! :P
• App i installed on one PC often needs to be put on another later (then i don't have to remember and search again)
• same reasons as app103 as well :) but my list includes more family oriented or geek support stuff

  Keep in mind 4 of the primary reasons for saving older setup files:
  
  1. Newer doesn't mean better.
  2. Sometimes freeware goes payware.
  3. System requirements may increase in newer versions while the hardware on your PC may not.
  4. A lot of great little known freeware has a tendency to disappear from the web and become lost forever.
  
  

  -app103 (October 11, 2007, 03:27 PM)

  
  Nicely summarized.
  

  -Armando (October 11, 2007, 05:31 PM)

Here is top level view of my archives, though there are plenty of subfolders as well



I used to invest a lot of time doing this earlier, now it has tapered off and i don't care as much. My new interest is maintaining a good collection of portable apps that i can just dump on a new pc! Used to love doing this on the good old 486 days! :) Though managing a bunch of floppies was a pain!

I got P/D because i was leaning both ways in some situations, the answer being it depends... anyway, i still agree with the HSB. :)

  P/D HSB

You're a Planner.
You may be slow, but you'll usually find the best solution. If something's worth doing, it's worth doing right.


You like coding at a High level.
The world is made up of objects and components, you should create your programs in the same way.


You work best in a Solo situation.
The best way to program is by yourself. There's no communication problems, you know every part of the code allowing you to write the best programs possible.


You are a liBeral programmer.
Programming is a complex task and you should use white space and comments as freely as possible to help simplify the task. We're not writing on paper anymore so we can take up as much room as we need.