Unzip FolderSort.exe to a directory of your choice. Add it to your start menu
(Start|Settings|Taskbar...|Start Menu Programs|Add...) and run it from there.
In case you're wondering there's no installation routine in order to keep the
size of the ZIP file down, it'd be about 650Kb bigger just to use
InstallShield, and I can't stand bloated software - it's embarassing enough
that this dirt-simple utility is over 260Kb in size (blame it on Borland,
not me). The file size, incidentally, should be precisely 274,432 bytes -
if it isn't, it may be infected with a virus so go to
http://www.jetman.demon.co.uk/software/index.html and grab a good copy.
Uninstalling:
=============
Just remove the FolderSort.exe file and this text file if you extracted that
as well, then remove the shortcut from the Start Menu
(Start|Settings|Taskbar...|Start Menu Programs|Remove...). The registry is
not touched by FolderSort, because I really hate the amount of rubbish that
accumulates in there!
What's new in v1.0a:
====================
Not much. Some people wondered if the program was really doing anything
because the progress bar wasn't moving - as stated below it doesn't come into
use unless there are a lot of files to sort. However, to give an indication
that sorting has been completed the bar is now set to 100% on completion of
even the quickest sorting operation. The shortcut keys weren't all working,
now they are. And finally I hear from a few users that FolderSort works fine
on Windows NT4 unlike a certain competitor so it says so at the top of this
document!
Using FolderSort:
=================
Some programs need to have files in a particular order within a directory.
However, Explorer always shows you a sorted view which will usually bear no
relation to the actual sort order of the folder concerned (use a DOS box to
do a DIR in the folder and see the difference - providing you haven't used
the DIRCMD environment variable to make DIR use a sorted listing). Even when
you have files physically sorted in a folder, a simple operation like renaming
a file can actually change this order (again, try a DOS DIR before and after
a renaming operation). This utility will sort files in one of four ways -
by name, by name (reversed order), by extension or by extension (reversed
order). Plenty of utilities to do this existed for DOS/Win3.1 but with the
rise of long filenames and 32-bit FATs these utilities have become useless -
and a quick search for Win95 versions found there to be only a few such
utilities which were all shareware. Considering how much effort is needed
to write such a utility, I think that's daylight robbery, so here we are -
a freeware one.
The large box on the left lists the folders on the selected drive (the control
for selecting the drive is immediately below). Select the folder you wish to
sort, select the sort type (the control next to the drive selector) and click
Sort. If there are lots of files in that folder, then the progress bar will
show how far the program has got, but in most instances the process is over
and done with so quickly the progress bar won't come into use.
If you do find any problems, please let me know but hopefully there shouldn't
be any.
Distribution:
=============
This program is FREEWARE. I accept no responsibility for any harm or loss
caused by the use of it. I.E. if you resort a folder and it ends up with the
files listed in an order that causes your mind to become unhinged, don't
come crying to me.
FolderSort is freeware. You may not charge money for it, with one exception:
if you are putting out a CD full of shareware/freeware/etc. and want to
include FolderSort you may do so but on the condition that you send me a copy
of the CD. Email me to get my postal address and formal permission.
