Files Save & Launch

Download Zip file HERE (you may need to choose file properties & unblock zip file)

Download latest files HERE at Github

This is a AutoHotKey App that is created in version 1.

This is what the screen looks like when program is active and you use Hotkey WinKey + Spacebar

I hope this is a useful tool that makes yourwork life smoother so that you can focus on what matters in maing your job enjoyable to you, rather than fussing with the chores such as hunting for files. If you find this useful, pass it on.

Video on Use

Activating a File/Folder

SORT TO FInd a FILE or FOLDER

You can use Headers to Sort the list, either in Ascending or Descending rank. You can sort by First Column- Number, Extension Column, File Type, Date or Project code. Click on Heater of column to sort Ascending/Descending

Selecting FILE to Add to List

Click on Select File button in Bottom Left corner, A File Explorer panel will open and you need to navigate to where the file you want is located. Click on FILE to select it.

A pop-up box asks you for DESCRIPTION/NOTE that you want to say about that File- Add a note/description then click on OK button or hit “Enter” key. You can leave blank if you want

Another pop-up box asks you for Project that you want to note about the file. Add a Project Code, or Letter/Number then click on OK button or hit “Enter” key. You can leave blank if you want . This is added so that you can SORT by Project for easier search later.

You will see that a New Row has been added to the list with the name of the file and its description & project.

If you double click that file (in this case it’s a text file and I’ve associated .TXT with Notepad++) then Notepad++ opens and shows the file

Selecting Folder to Add to List

Similar process to selecting a File , as above but a different style pop-up box comes up for you to navigate to folder that you want.

The file Extension for folders is “Dir” and it is opened in File Explorer

Delete a File/Folder Row in LIST

To Delete a File Folder in the list click on Delete Row # Button and in pop up box type in number at the beginning of the row & press enter, the row will be deleted from the list.

Editing the List File.

If you want to edit the list file, say you want to re-write the description/note in for a specific file/folder, then you can, just click on the Edit File Button and it will open the text file in a text editor that you have designated. Save the file and it will be updated.

You will need to refresh the table before you see the changes. The reason for this is that what you see in the list is a COPY of the File, not the FILE CONTENTS, so you will only see changes on hitting the refresh button.

Ini file for setup for your PC

You need to setup the ini file to suit your computer. This may be text size, colour of stripes, width of pop-up, where you want the file lookup to open (a specific directory” and especially for the file extension programs you run.

For example, for pdf files , do you use Adobe Reader? A different pdf reader? or your browser? You can choose your personal preference. The same for other programs.

Its best to get the complete path to the executable file for that program and add it in quotes to the list.

[Counter]
;Current count of First Column row number, increments by 1 each time new file/folder row created- used to delete lines
counter1=22
[Table_Width]
;Width of Gui on screen, Set at 900
Col_Width=900
[Gui_Text_Height]
;put an s in front of Text Height, set at s10
Txt_Ht=s10
;put a w in front of Button_Widtht, set at w95
Button_Width=w100
[Gui_Table_Colour]
; Hex col is "FFA500" add "0x" to front of Hex colour
Gui_Colour=0xFFA500

[Folder_Locations]
StartFolder4File=C:\
StartFolder4Folder=C:\Users\drake\Downloads
[File_Type]
; Key = file extension  Value is Program with path to run the program, "in quotes"
; it sometimes starts a new instance of the program instead of using what is open already
; Dir is Extension for a Folder, which will open in file explorer
;dwg?

pdf="C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Adobe Acrobat XI Pro.lnk"
txt="C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe"
xlsx="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE"
xlsm="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE"
xls="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\EXCEL.EXE"
jpg="%windir%\system32\mspaint.exe"
gif="%windir%\system32\mspaint.exe"
tif="%windir%\system32\mspaint.exe"
Dir="explorer /select,"

Variables that you can adjust to suit your setup

These are KEY:VALUE Pairs. The program looks up the Key (The left Hand Code) and returns the right hand item, this could be a number, a string, a filepath etc. So it looks up the Key in a list, for example the file extension type, and returns the program its to use to open the filewith that extension type.

[Counter] Counter1– This is the Number the Rows sart at. You want the number to be larger than the existing First Column number in your current listview, (with an empty file you could have Default =1)

[Table_Width] Col_Width– This is width pop-up Listview for your computer- You can alter to your personal preference. (Default 900)

[Gui_Text_Height] Txt_Ht– This is height of text, setup for your readability preference (Default=s10 )

Button_Width– Width of the buttons, may need to be adjusted if you adjust Col_Width above. Add w to the fromnt of the number (Default w100)

Gui_Colour– Alternating Stripe colour – Hex col is “FFA500” add “0x” to front of Hex colour (Default =0xFFA500 (orange))

[Folder_Locations] StartFolder4File– Path to where you want the program to start searching for your files , eg C:\Users\YOUR_USER_PATH_NAME\Downloads (Default C:\)

[Folder_Locations] StartFolder4Folder– Path to where you want the program to start searching for your Folders , eg C:\Users\YOUR_USER_PATH_NAME\Downloads (Default C:\)

[File_Type] Key = file extension Value is Program with path to run the program, “in quotes” ; it sometimes starts a new instance of the program instead of using what is open . Dir is Extension for a Folder, which will open in file explorer

[File_Type] pdf =”C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe”

[File_Type] Dir=”explorer /select,”

[File_Type] Dir=”explorer /select,” txt=”notepad”

Background

This program was developed so that I could find files/folders that I was working on and later paused for days/weeks/months then went hunting trying to find relevant files. I would go back to a folder and end up opening a lot of different files before I got the specific one I wanted. An irritating exercise.

I do design work and end up with a few versions, exploring different ideas. I like to allow the client the choice of which way they want the project to go, after all, its their dollar that is paying for my design development on their behalf. So with multiple versions its not necessarily the last file that I worked on on a project that is the one they wish to proceed with.

I could just add a bit more to the file name but that gets overly extended and confusing with lots of design decisions as the project develops. I prefer to keep records of the design ideas as later in the project someone inevitably asks why a certain design option was not pursued and you can point to a file that shows that it was.

So I wanted to store the files in a clickable list that I could add a note/description to. That way, when I went back to the project I could look up that list and activate the last file I was working on that had a specific note associated with it.

I could change my habits or else design a program that was bespoke to my needs. I am happy with my workflow so decided that I would design a program to suit me, after all, why should I conform to a computers requirements?