What special character do you use to have a file sorted at the top?

[superboyac]

I've always wondered what the true experts use to sort files/folders to appear at the top of your explorer?  What I've done in the past is stuff like this (for folders usually):
-=TopFolder=-

or

{TopFolder}

But is there something more standard?  I've seen people do it with underscores or a prefix like "00_" and so on.  I'm sure there's no right answer, I'm just curious for alternatives.

[skwire]

Depending on what I'm doing, I use an exclamation point (majority of the time) or a tilde.  Some file managers don't sort the tilde to the top but (almost?) all sort the exclamation point to the top.

[superboyac]

Nice, thanks!  Never thought about the exclamation.

[nosh]

I use Xplorer2 which allows you to sort by comment (the comment column can be hidden once you've set it up), so you don't have to mess with the actual folder/filename. Works with folders but not all file types. And IIRC, won't carry across to FAT32 partitions (for files). Be careful when using special characters since they may interfere with some other program's functionality. For instance ! is a NOT operator in Everything search.

I'd probably use one or more underscores if comments didn't work.

[Stoic Joker]

What I've done in the past is stuff like this (for folders usually):
-=TopFolder=-

hehe Me too, for my own stuff. But for clients I usually go with a bit more sedate:
=TopFolder

[joiwind]

superboyac : I use simply a minus sign " - " in front of the folder name, the marked folders still keep their alphabetical order.

[superboyac]

What I've done in the past is stuff like this (for folders usually):
-=TopFolder=-

hehe Me too, for my own stuff. But for clients I usually go with a bit more sedate:
=TopFolder

Yeah, I like the visual effect of that one!

[Ampa]

OMG!!

I use -= Folder =- too! (But with the spaces)

I've no idea when I started doing this (probably around the time WinXP came out and long filenames came in) but I find it makes my most important folders stand out and look jolly official!

[superboyac]

great mind think alike...

[40hz]

Depending on what I'm doing, I use an exclamation point (majority of the time) or a tilde.  Some file managers don't sort the tilde to the top but (almost?) all sort the exclamation point to the top.

+1. I use the !.

You can also do multiples: ! !! !!! etc. to provide "levels" of importance.

[superboyac]

Depending on what I'm doing, I use an exclamation point (majority of the time) or a tilde.  Some file managers don't sort the tilde to the top but (almost?) all sort the exclamation point to the top.

+1. I use the !.

You can also do multiples: ! !! !!! etc. to provide "levels" of importance.

Ha!  I kinda like that.  I'm gonna steal it.

[app103]

Depending on what I'm doing, I use an exclamation point (majority of the time) or a tilde.  Some file managers don't sort the tilde to the top but (almost?) all sort the exclamation point to the top.

+1. I use the !.

You can also do multiples: ! !! !!! etc. to provide "levels" of importance.

I have a folder from way back on my first computer called

!!~~My Downloads


And I have a folder from my father from about 2000 that had half the contents of Tucows, sorted into subfolders, one for each app, each folder prefixed with a category number to sort apps by type. That drove me absolutely nuts.

I have even changed the icons on folders to make them stand out more.

But I recently spent a few weeks immersing myself in Ubuntu and decided not to name files & folders like that any more. It really makes the transition more difficult when things either don't sort like you are used to, or they just don't sort at all.

I have decided to rely more on Filebox Extender while in Windows, and just pin them to the favorites menu. That's a behavior change that does transfer well to Ubuntu.

[kunkel321]

I've used apostrophes in the past
  'MyFile
The "bar" character seems logical
  |MyFile
since (I think) it takes up the least space of any of the character...   

In reality I typically revert to plain old
  1SuperImportant
  2aSomeFile
  2bAnother

I also would avoid anything that might get used as script parts. 
  !  $  * 

If you import stuff into Excel, it's good to avoid any math operators
  -  +  =  *  / 

I think Word uses the tilde to denote temporary backups of open docs
  ~tempMyFile
but I think it is legal to use in Word doc file names.

Actually, though I'm not a programmer, I think the bar might get used to denote lists
    item one | item two | item three
Which is too bad...  I think they're kindof pretty.   

[AndyM]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

[superboyac]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

I've seen people use prefixes like "zzz_"

[Renegade]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

I've seen people use prefixes like "zzz_"

I use the underscore to put them at the top, and z's at the bottom. It works.

I don't like ! or ~ though for the reasons mentioned above - scripts, etc.

[Stoic Joker]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

Delete.

If it really has to be de-prioritized that badly...There's most likely no real reason to keep it.

[app103]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

Delete.

If it really has to be de-prioritized that badly...There's most likely no real reason to keep it.

Why assume that pinning at the bottom is a method of de-prioritizing? I could see where in some cases you may have pinned so many at the top that it might be getting pretty crowded there and you decide to start pinning some at the bottom for quicker, easier access. 

[AndyM]

What do you all use to always have a file/folder sort to the bottom?

Delete.

If it really has to be de-prioritized that badly...There's most likely no real reason to keep it.

I have many toolbars in my taskbar, all of which are minimum width so the contents of the toolbars only display when I cllick on the toolbar button, the >>.  The contents of the toolbar flies out vertically, so the folder or file at the bottom is the first one available.
[attachimg=#]

[arun]

I use a space infornt of the file/folder name i.e "project1" will be renamed " project1", i use "ren" command in a command prompt to rename

[Tiesenhausen]

I insert underscore as the first character. A few times I've added an extra underscore to keep the item ahead of any others.

The point of using ! or | is well taken, and the use of additional exclamation points is clever. I used underscore because it's big and draws attention. Maybe I should try !! instead, in some folders.

These tricks are especially useful in menu lists, for example in folders used on MS toolbars.

Tiesenhausen

[bobdude11]

I use _ in front of the name (i.e.: _My Folder or _My file.file)

[CleverCat]

I use # - interesting to see what else works!

I also sometimes use the word All (i.e. All My e books) as A is always listed first... 

[cordowr]

Greetings One and All

I use @ and have been known to use @@ and even @@@

[exjoburger]

OMG!!

I use -= Folder =- too! (But with the spaces)

I've no idea when I started doing this (probably around the time WinXP came out and long filenames came in) but I find it makes my most important folders stand out and look jolly official!

I never thought of -= Folder =-, really interesting, I may try it instead of prefixing the File/Folder name with one or more underscores "_".