ID of files in folders

I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15
years. The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for
that month. ie if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder would
be name 2008 08 Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited
relatives, etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their directories.
I would then like to add a location/event description to each of those
files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the
file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the
descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008
vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat
pictures and get all of those pictures.

On 11/30/2013 12:34 PM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the
file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the
descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008
vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat
pictures and get all of those pictures.

Do you mean you've created titles or subjects or comments or keywords
for your photos? A plain ol' file search can find these without changing
the file name. For instance, if you've added a subject of "2008 vacation
to Arizona" to the relevant pictures, typing "2008 vacation to Arizona"
(with the quotation marks) should bring them up. If for some reason this
brings up non-relevant hits, say newsgroup messages with this phrase as
we are talking about it, you can specify to only search subject:"2008
vacation to Arizona".

Type this search in the search box in File Explorer, or, in Windows 8.1,
go to the desktop and use the search charm under the heading "Files." In
the Windows 8.0 search charm, type the search then tap File Explorer.

--
David Trimboli
http://www.trimboli.name/

Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15
years. The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for
that month. ie if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder would
be name 2008 08 Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited
relatives, etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their directories.
I would then like to add a location/event description to each of those
files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the
file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the
descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008
vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat
pictures and get all of those pictures.

They mention some ideas here.

http://lifehacker.com/373220/five-be...oto-organizers

One of the underlying themes there, is what happens
when the tool flow breaks.

1) Tools that use databases to store metadata, the database could
break.
2) The organizer tool could stop working. If the metadata can't
be accessed with other tools, then the work adding the metadata
is lost.
3) If the file system is used to store information (Alternate Streams),
or EXIF within the JPEG itself is edited, you could lose that information.
Or, a tool that edits EXIF, could corrupt the EXIF or the photo itself.
Even though, EXIF or similar uses FourCC, and editing that portion
is supposed to be independent of the actual pixmap storage.

If you're only going to keep one set of the files, then
probably overloading the folder names is the most efficient
starting point.

Summer_2013_Myrtle_Beach_Stan_And_Edna
stan_buries_edna_in_the_sand.jpg

To start your project, you only need to edit 278 things
at first. To give your top level hierarchy (all those folders)
some search-ability. Editing the file names of each JPG
to make them tag_like, would take a lot longer.

Then all you need, is a decent file search tool,
that can accept multiple constraints, without turning
up a lot of junk references.

By only using the most robust part of the
file system (file names), there is less chance
of some of the more subtle errors in the
above reviews thread. You still need to back up
those files occasionally.

And if you move the pictures to another platform,
there's still a chance that platform will have a
file name search tool.

Paul

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 12:34:44 -0500, Keith Nuttle
wrote:

I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15
years. The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for
that month. ie if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder would
be name 2008 08 Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited
relatives, etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their directories.
I would then like to add a location/event description to each of those
files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the
file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the
descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008
vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat
pictures and get all of those pictures.

If you find yourself in a situation where you want to rename a lot of files
in creative ways, you can't do much better than Bulk Rename Utility,
available at http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php
Free, of course.

On 11/30/2013 1:30 PM, David Trimboli wrote:
On 11/30/2013 12:34 PM, Keith Nuttle wrote:
While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the
file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the
descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008
vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat
pictures and get all of those pictures.

Do you mean you've created titles or subjects or comments or keywords
for your photos? A plain ol' file search can find these without changing
the file name. For instance, if you've added a subject of "2008 vacation
to Arizona" to the relevant pictures, typing "2008 vacation to Arizona"
(with the quotation marks) should bring them up. If for some reason this
brings up non-relevant hits, say newsgroup messages with this phrase as
we are talking about it, you can specify to only search subject:"2008
vacation to Arizona".

Type this search in the search box in File Explorer, or, in Windows 8.1,
go to the desktop and use the search charm under the heading "Files." In
the Windows 8.0 search charm, type the search then tap File Explorer.


I was looking for some type of program that could work on a database,
that would have fields for extended file name (c:/pictures/2008 09
Sept/file name) that could couple several key words and location and
time of years. with maybe objects like car boat, etc. I would rather
not change the name of all of the files.

On 30/11/2013 17:34:44, Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15 years.
The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for that month. ie
if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder would be name 2008 08
Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited relatives,
etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their directories. I
would then like to add a location/event description to each of those files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture the file
name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach the descriptor
to the file name? This would allow me to search on "2008 vacation to
Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search sailboat pictures and get all of
those pictures.

If you want rename the actual files in batches, then Char's suggestion
is very good.
If you want to rename but also catalogue your files or leave the
existing file names as they are and just catalogue them then I would
recommend ACDsee 17
http://www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-17

--
mick

On 12/1/2013 1:00 AM, mick wrote:
On 30/11/2013 17:34:44, Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15
years. The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for
that month. ie if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder
would be name 2008 08 Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited
relatives, etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their
directories. I would then like to add a location/event description
to each of those files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture
the file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach
the descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on
"2008 vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search
sailboat pictures and get all of those pictures.

If you want rename the actual files in batches, then Char's suggestion
is very good.
If you want to rename but also catalogue your files or leave the
existing file names as they are and just catalogue them then I would
recommend ACDsee 17
http://www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-17

That looks like it may work, I will check it out

Thank you for the information

On 01/12/2013 12:20:12, Keith Nuttle wrote:
On 12/1/2013 1:00 AM, mick wrote:
On 30/11/2013 17:34:44, Keith Nuttle wrote:
I have many folders of pictures that I have taken over the last 15
years. The pictures from each month are stored in a folder named for
that month. ie if I took pictures in August 2008, then the folder
would be name 2008 08 Aug. There are over 15000 files in 278 folders.

At one time I could remember when we took the vacation, visited
relatives, etc, but there are now over 15000 files.

I would like to download all of those file names with their
directories. I would then like to add a location/event description
to each of those files.

While I know even in Windows 8.1 I can use a DOS bat file to capture
the file name/folder in ASCII text is there a program that will attach
the descriptor to the file name? This would allow me to search on
"2008 vacation to Arizona" and find those pictures. Or search
sailboat pictures and get all of those pictures.

If you want rename the actual files in batches, then Char's suggestion
is very good.
If you want to rename but also catalogue your files or leave the
existing file names as they are and just catalogue them then I would
recommend ACDsee 17
http://www.acdsee.com/en/products/acdsee-17

That looks like it may work, I will check it out

Thank you for the information

Give the free trail a go, you won't be disappointed.
You see the folders and files in a tree view just as you see them now,
then you can catalogue them in groups, e.g. weddings, the under
weddings you can have groups such as micks wed, keiths wed and so on.
In addition you can enter keywords to each file.

Here's the link for the manual
http://help.acdsystems.com/en/acdsee-17/acdsee-17.pdf

--
mick