Author Topic: Idea: File note (Read 71961 times)

Nod5 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 26, 2009, 11:33 AM »

090426: added ini option to place filenotes for a folder in the folder
http://nod5.dcmembers.com/filenoter.html

skooter1121 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 09, 2009, 06:50 PM »

Thanks: Nod5 for the addition.

I have created two new file extensions .MEMO and .ToDo and have added them to the explorer context menu. Both types are associated with Notepad. This allows me to easily search for either type, and open in notepad.

I tried replacing Notepad with Wordpad (all versions from Win 3.1 to Vista) but was unsuccessful in saving as a rtf format in my .MEMO or .ToDo extensions. I think is has something to do with Wordpad not having a save as... so it saves any rtf formatted file only as .rtf Thought it would be nice to pop a screen capture or format text in my .MEMO files. Oh well...

Thought I have seen a AHK script that would scan for text files and show the list and the first line in a GUI. Would be helpful for my .ToDo files. But, I can't find it.

A different type of ToDo list.

Thanks again.
A great tool.

-S

MilesAhead · « **Reply #52 on:** May 09, 2009, 08:58 PM »

Back in 1999, Moonsoftware released a little app called FileNote. I used it so much it became second nature but when I moved up to a 64 bit OS it no longer worked.
...
-Cuffy (December 07, 2007, 01:37 PM)

Sometimes these 32 bit shell extensions will work on a 64 bit system if you access them through a 32 bit explorer window.

This tutorial shows how to create a shortcut to open a 32 bit explorer window:
=Shortcuts]Tutorial

Alternatively if you are running Vista 64 bit you can try Half Shell. The page for
it is here

Half Shell is about half way down the page.

Nod5 · « **Reply #53 on:** May 10, 2009, 03:49 AM »

skooter1121: Ok, so for any selected file "filename.ext" you can right click and then create a filename.MEMO or filename.ToDo for it. Neat! I can see how that makes it easy to find when searching. Using a tag in the non-extension part of the filename also makes searching easier. But since some programs allow for sorting based on extension your alternative might be better sometimes.

When I tested saving Wordpad rtf content as "filename.memo" then Wordpad renamed it to "filename.memo.rtf". I can't see a way to fix that internally. An external workaround would be a script that regularly scans the system for all files ending with "_____.memo.rtf" and renames them to "____.memo"

I'm not sure what todo list script you're thinking of. But if it exists then hopefully someone else here might have heard of it.

If you save the notes in the same folder then something like this might be enough:

[Select]

Loop, C:\somefolder\*.ToDo ,0,1 ;-- exclude folders, recurse
{
line =
FileReadLine, line, %A_LoopFileLongPath%, 1
out = %out%%A_LoopFileLongPath%`n%line%`n`n
}
msgbox, %out%

But if you place the .ToDo files in many different folders/files then an AHK script might take to long to be useful. Everything ( http://www.voidtools.com/ ) can find the files instantly (if you have NTFS drives) but can't automate reading and presenting the first lines of text. Later on when we've gotten an upgraded Everything plugin for FARR then I think FARR could easily achieve what you're after.

skooter1121 · « **Reply #54 on:** May 14, 2009, 08:33 PM »

Nod5,

Here is my thought on how to create a new type of ToDo list:

Say I have a folder called \Working, where I keep all pending projects in subfolders. Each subfolder has a .ToDo file. The GuI I had in mind would search the Working folder, present a sortable list of .ToDo files, their creation date, folder location, and the first line of the file. At a quick glance you could see exactly where you were, without having to open another program, and set up an event, it's all in the file name.You could even build a # to ##### star priority/status code into the file name .ini file., or a 30 day automatic due date.

Since I see customers once every few months it usually take me an hour or so just to get back to where I left off. Having the ToDo list in the folder itself would save so much time.

I have never seen a .ToDo list that would work this way, a simple click of the context menu opens a notepad, enter some text and you are off.

-Skooter1121

I use FileNanny to quickly create a group of folders for files then FileNoter to create my .ToDo and .MEMO files. Works like a charm. (Wonder if I could tie those two AHK apps together as one?)

-

Nod5 · « **Reply #55 on:** May 15, 2009, 04:08 PM »

I think I understand what you want the GUI to look like. But I don't have time to code it. But if you do have such a folder structure then the above code might be of use to at least get a (static) view of the first line of all Todo files. Just change the folder path in the first line to point to your ____\Working\*.ToDo folder.

herneith · « **Reply #56 on:** May 15, 2009, 04:20 PM »

Here's a program that is similar to what is being discussed here. 1st File Descriptor

Curt · « **Reply #57 on:** May 16, 2009, 03:22 AM »

The solution below is tested and working for me. ....

....., use filenoter.exe in the attached filenoter.zip.
-Nod5 (December 07, 2007, 06:56 PM)

- thanks, Nod5!

skooter1121 · « **Reply #58 on:** May 18, 2009, 07:17 AM »

Curt,

Wondering if your solution was any different than Nod5's script, as I did not see a .zip file attached to your last post.

Nod5,

I have decided to attempt to write an AHK app (my first from scratch rather than a mod) as I have descried above. Thanks for all your help, you have started me off in the right direction. FileNoter is a tremendous tool for me.

-Skooter1121

Nod5 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 18, 2009, 05:15 PM »

skooter1121: Curt quoted an old post of mine (with an old version of FileNoter), he didn't post any new .zip file.

Cool that you're making the program! That's the spirit!

You can if you want start a separate thread about it (now or later) and describe it more, maybe ask questions about AHK details (if needed) or just share the program with others.

kartal · « **Reply #60 on:** November 23, 2009, 11:56 PM »

@Nod5:

How do I create a relative path for the current file? I just want to be able to put all my notes fieles under a relative ".info" folder. I also do not want to create these folders manually. Is it possible?

Nod5 · « **Reply #61 on:** November 28, 2009, 09:15 AM »

hi kartal, sorry for the late reply. I've had a very short supply of time lately.

I don't understand what you mean by relative .info folder. Say that you use filenoter on "C:\folder\file.mp3".
What should then be generated? "C:\folder\.info\file.mp3.txt"?

kartal · « **Reply #62 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:25 PM »

hi kartal, sorry for the late reply. I've had a very short supply of time lately.

I don't understand what you mean by relative .info folder. Say that you use filenoter on "C:\folder\file.mp3".
What should then be generated? "C:\folder\.info\file.mp3.txt"?

-Nod5 (November 28, 2009, 09:15 AM)

Hi

Yes that would be it for me.

Nod5 · « **Reply #63 on:** December 05, 2009, 05:26 AM »

v091205:
- added ini option to place filenotes in a user defined subfolder relative to the file operated on
http://nod5.dcmembers.com/filenoter.html

kartal · « **Reply #64 on:** December 05, 2009, 04:27 PM »

Nod5 that is great

thanks you

Nod5 · « **Reply #65 on:** December 06, 2009, 07:07 AM »

BTW, are you on Vista or W7? I have only testdriven it on XP so it would be good to know if it works fine on the rest too.

kartal · « **Reply #66 on:** December 06, 2009, 11:07 AM »

I am on windows7

vietnam rum · « **Reply #67 on:** October 11, 2013, 05:25 AM »

File note - works in windows 8.1 64 bit

Just bought a new computer and installed file note on win 8.1 64 bit.
Excellent. I love this app.

Install using run as administrator.

Cheers.

Nod5 · « **Reply #68 on:** October 12, 2013, 02:31 PM »

Great to hear vietnam rum

I still use filenoter a lot myself and I'm glad to here that others keep finding use for it.

IainB · « **Reply #69 on:** December 18, 2017, 12:41 AM »

Thought I should just cross-link a related post about a slightly different approach to the problem of file notes:
Re: NANY 2012 - Stick A Note - potential for use as a file note system.

apankrat · « **Reply #70 on:** December 18, 2017, 07:00 AM »

Gentlemen, have you considered using NTFS Alternate Data Streams to store the notes?
This would automatically solve an issue of notes retention when files are renamed or copied.

IainB · « **Reply #71 on:** December 19, 2017, 03:44 PM »

@apankrat: Well, I had considered ADS. It was one of the first obvious avenues I explored. So, some time ago, I ran a trial, using the "Comment" field for file notes, and it was workable, but kinda limited, given my developing requirements, which are currently:

Mandatory:

the provision of a simple, functional and scrollable editing pane (with create, edit, delete notes).
ability to create/insert long notes (no limit).
ability to rapidly search for and easily view/edit file notes in a viewing pane, without having to go to the file object in question.

Highly desirable:

ability to insert images.
use generic tools - i.e., avoid the need to use a proprietary tool to find/read/edit the file note(s).
to have a persistent file note which was linked permanently to the file object, and which persisted regardless of whether the file was moved, had its name changed - or was deleted (leaving an orphaned file note).
This could presumably be done in Win10, as file shortcuts seem to now use the absolute address of the file object.

The Comments field was obviously limited, but it demonstrated that, to meet my requirements, a proprietary system of some sort would probably be necessary. Also, I found that, in moving files to backups or re-imaging disks, one could inadvertently or of necessity destroy the ADS, thus making the approach unreliable in a recovery situation.

The closest I have come to meeting those requirements of mine was the Stick-A-Note tool, mentioned above - which i had been using for ages before I belatedly saw its additional potential use as an LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) file note tool.

There are other discussions in the DC forum, where file note tools are discussed, and one such tool was developed (I think it was by @MilesAhead). I recall that I also mentioned somewhere an old favourite Explorer Notes v2 - en2 (Ziff Davis), which recorded the file notes as records in the Registry (nifty idea and ahead of its time, but, again, limited).