most filemanagers do not have the ability to create "virtual folders".  these are not physical folders but they still allow you to create holding pens for files you want to group together (but not physically move).  this concept is similar to a search results window where files from many different disk locations are viewed together as a collection allowing the user to perform file operations and access the explorer contect menu for the items in the list.  a "virtual folder" is similar in that it allows you to drag in whatever files that you want.  this is useful for collecting a bunch of files from various locations and performing a single action of them all from the context menu.  if the virtual folder supports saving and loading of file lists, then a user could quickly show all files relevant to a particular project.  as mentioned in another thread, if used with "log monitor" then a list of recently added or updated files can be displayed.  scripts could be created that display dynamic lists of files based on virtually any search criteria.

i know xplorer² (a file manager) supports "virtual folders" (actually they call them "scrap containers").  i have seen a few others but i can't recall any names right now.  regardless, these features have always been bundled with the filemanager itself rather than being a standalone prog that can be used universally and can be customized to more powerful uses.  needless to say, plain vanilla explorer doesn't have this feature (and neither do most filemanagers).  it would be great if users of any file manager could take advantage of this concept.  the most universal method would be to allow files to be added to a virtual folder from the sendto menu.  this would necessitate using a commandline parameter for adding files.  as mentioned above, this would open up a huge number of options by using scripts.  also, with "log monitor" users could get an instant display of any new or updated files (such as any newly downloaded music, or any documents that have been updated on a shared drive, etc) and instantly be able to process those files however needed.

so, the skinny on such a program:

filebox.exe "music.box" "x:\path\file.ext"

where "music.box" is the filename for the virtual folder and "x:\path\file.ext" is the path of the file(s) you want to add to it.

if "music.box" does not exist, it will be created.  the file structure for a *.box file is just a text file containing a list of the files included.  changes to the *.box would be automatically saved.

i hope i explained the concept of a virtual folder okay - maybe everyone is already familiar with the idea and i just talk in circles  :)

i have been looking for a program like this forever but i just haven't found anything.

a program that automatically monitors user selected folders for changes:
- a new file
- a modified file
- a renamed file
- a change in file attributes

the user specifies an action to perform on any new/updated files.  the most basic action would be a commandline such as:
prog.exe -x -y -z "%path%\%file%"

with the diversity of commandline progs and scripts, there is no real limit to what a user could do to the detected files.  a user might:
- selectively backup files as they are created/modified
- run security software on new file arrivals
- automatically rename all files that enter a folder to have x prefix
- popup a notification window with sound when changes are made
- upload altered files to an ftp server
- automatically launch new files
- automatically import new files into a database
- etc.

it would be most helpful if network paths were supported.

such a program, would allow the user to create "rules".  each rule would specify:
- what folder(s) to watch
- what changes to look for (new, modified, renamed, re-attributed)
- what action to take (commandline)

this general idea could be expanded in the future to have commonly used "actions" built in (such as "popup with sound" or "display log") without requiring a separate commandline/script.  one "action" i would find useful is to put all updated files into an explorer results window (just like how files are added to search results).  that way, it not only serves as a sort of log of what has changed, but i can also manage the files (delete, rename, move, edit, etc.).

in addition, rules could also include filters to selectively apply these actions only to certain types of files.  this filter could be as simple as an extension filter or as complex as a regular expression.  but, obviously, none of this is needed for a basic version.

to me, this concept is really useful and really expandable for a multitude of applications.  i sure would get a lot of use out of it anyway.  :)

FRR is great too!  but i currently use LBC for my short list of quick launch programs/folders and for situations where i need to navigate a list of files that i may not remember the specific name of (mostly playlists and documents).  obviously, these needs will be better met when the folder features are implemented (right now i update them by hand).  in short, i still love hierarchal organization for some stuff.  alternatively, FRR would fit this function if it implemented multiple configurations.  for example, i could use ctrl+space for the traditional FRR and alt+space for a hierarchal display like shortpopup.  personally, i would love to have this functionality in FRR but i don't think this is the direction FRR is going.  mouser and i have already discussed an explorer style plugin for FRR (which would work like shortpopup).  we will see when we hear the official word from the big cheese himself!  :)

-cracksloth