Ebook files tagging using TOTAL COMMANDER file manager?

[jack Ng]

Hi all,

I'm a regular lurker on this fourm and just registered to contribute this post. So be kind to me.

While searching for a ebook cataloging solution, it occurred to me that the TOTAL COMMANDER file manager tool I have been using for years seemed ideal for me to keep track of my ebooks. I'm still exploring this approach. It seems promising, so I would like to share my findings and perhaps get some feedbacks.

My modest requirements to keep track of what I need to read is to be able to:
- tag those ebooks I want to read with a priority tag,
- sort the book list by the tags so I know what I should read next, and
- attach some short comments to the books in the book list.

I already have a file directory structure I'm familiar with to organise my electronic books. Up to now, I maintained a to-read booklist in a spreadsheet but syncing it with new books in various file directories is a chore. A full featured software like Calibre seemed overkill. Cloud-based solution doesn't sit well with me. I use many ereader software on various devices but will not stick to one just for its ebook management capability. I also considered writing scripts to help me keep track of new books in the directory tree.

This is where Total Commander comes in. Total Commander (TC) is a *powerful* MS Windows dual-panel File Manager with a long history and best use together with a physical keyboard. It's a US$44 PC shareware with a free 30-days trial although graciously, there is no hard imposed time limit or restriction in the software beyond the trial period except for a startup nag screen. I'm not related to the company or software author in any way.

My main interest in TC here is that it supports an *old* feature to attach a user file description/comment to each files which are collectively store in a hidden text file in each file directory. This file comment field is used to store my book tag and other book info. TC can be configured to maintain these file comments even when files are moved or renamed, provided *ONLY* TC is used to manage the files, and not Windows Explorer or other file tools which are not aware of this file comment scheme, which is fine with me.

Now, TC has many features. The relevant aspects of TC for my ebook tagging purpose are:

• To add/edit a file comment, I navigate to the particular file, press CTRL-Z to edit a comment of up to 511 characters, and F2 to save. This is easy enough for me to mark new ebooks when I move them into my directory tree. TC will manage the comments in its hidden file kept in each directory. This hidden file is a plain text file that can be directly edited or manipulated/archived if needed.
  
• The file comments can be displayed in a custom defined display column and sorted
  (Shift-F1 -> Configure custom column -> Add column -> =tc.comment)
  
  I start all my file comments with a book tag like "*I9" , "*F6" with a alphabet for book category (IT, Fiction, History etc) and a digit for reading priority so my ebooks can be sorted according to my book tags. Other book comments are appended after the tag.
  
• The Branch view (ctrl-B) display ALL the files in a directory tree in one list, and when sorted by the file comment column shows ALL my ebooks sorted according to my book tags in one display panel. I can edit the file comments and perform normal file operations in this view.
  
• Advanced file search can perform search using regular expression in the file comment (Alt+F7 -> plugins tab -> tc => comment => contains..), and also put the search results in the file display panel ("Feed to Listbox") to perform typical file operations.
  
  There are other options I have yet to explore such as :
  
• TC has excellent file sync features to sync files with file system of external devices which I use regularly. I have yet to test how well the file comments can be sync across with external file systems.
  
• exporting the selected file list to a text file or comma delimited file using TC plugin so I can carry my sorted booklist in other devices
  
• when displaying files, show files in different colours based on contents in the file comment field

The chief advantage of this TC book tagging scheme to me is that it is built into my favorite file manager software. The book tagging function is integrated into its file operations as if the file comment field is just another file attribute while the file comments are actually stored in external text files which I can manipulate if need be.

I will be trying out this system to see how well it work. Not sure if anybody else is already doing something like this?

[jack Ng]

Hi all,

Just an update on my exploration of Total Commander's File Comment feature to organise my To-Read Books. It went well. It's a breeze, fun even, to add a priority tag to a ebook, watch it sort itself within the directory, then move up the directory tree, use the branch-view to 'collapse' the sub-directories to see how it fits into the overall booklist and adjust the reading order along the way.

For syncing, TC will sync the file comments along with the files, when moving/copying files across to an external memory card/devices mounted to the PC. However, this is useful only if the external device supports it, which is effectively another Windows system running TC. Total Commander is available on Android but only has basic file functions that doesn't include the legacy File Comment feature. For viewing on non-Windows reading devices, I export my sorted booklist and book comments to a file, which turned out to be trivial with TC. Mark the files, select "Mark->copy to clipboard with all Details" to copy the filelist to the clipboard, then paste it into a text file!

While this list is fine for viewing, launching the ebook from there is better. I'm partially successful in converting it into a HTML file for launching local ebooks on my reading devices. The ebook will launch, or not, depending on how the device browser handles local file references. This is somewhat fiddly. A more reliable, less universal approach is to import the list into bookmarks of file managers (or Calibre campanion?) on my reading devices. I found that Total Commander on Android (free; not related to me in any way) conveniently uses a text based XML file to store its bookmarks and was successful converting my booklist into a TC bookmark file. So on Android devices, I'm also using TC to view my converted To-Read Booklist and to launch the ebooks, until there is something better.

[jack Ng]

There is no feedback to my first post, perhaps I should have provide more background on Total Commander (TC) dual pane file manager and its File Comment scheme.

Dual pane file managers are *highly evolved, super productive* file management tools that could be a good match for disorganised book readers. For instance, TC which I'm familiar with, has excellent duplicate files search, multi-rename tool and file synchronisation, on top of the efficient dual pane file management. There is a learning curve to Dual pane file managers before the finger-tips acquire the muscle memory to perform the file magic intuitively. If this is new, you may wish to look up Orthodox File Manager (www.softpanorama.org/OFM/‎) for a *long* read on their merits. Like Calibre, each of these file tools has its community of fans, power users and add-on developers dedicated to enlightened file management.

The TC's file comment scheme actually has its lineage in JPsoft's 4DOS software, dating back to the DOS and Bulletin Board era. Bulletin board and software that supported this simple metafile scheme would extract and display the more meaningful file descriptions alongside the 8 characters short filename used in those days. This became redundant when long filename came along, nevertheless people continued to use it to store metadata for their PC files. Tools that still support this metafile scheme today are:

* Dual pane file manager: Far Manager (open source), Double Commander (open source), Total Commander (44 USD), Directory Opus (85 AUD), ....
* File viewer: Xnview (Free for personal use), ....

If dual pane file manager doesn't appeal, Xnview has a more conventional Windows Explorer style interface and supports the same File Comment scheme. There is another community that is even more in need of metafile info than compulsive ebook hoarders: prolific photographers who need to tag their photo shots. In that community, Xnview is highly regarded as a very capable image viewer and management tool.

While this ebook tagging scheme I'm exploring has a wider applicability as metafile for all types of files, not just ebooks, it's admittedly a niche workaround compared to full ebook management software like Calibre. It appeals to me mostly because it's another use of the file tool I'm already familiar with and neatly addressed my modest needs to put order to my ebooks. Hopefully the info is useful to others with similiar needs.

[BetterRed]

This may be of interest to you http://www.zabkat.com/blog/deskrule-...properties.htm

[jack Ng]

Hi BetterRed,

During my exploration, I came across a new category of tag-based file management tools (Elyse,TaggedFrog, Tag2Find, Tabbles ...) specifically built around using tags to organise files, similiar to how tags are used in photo management software. I didn't delve much into them though as they are much more than my needs. Xyplorer2 (30 USD) seemed to belong to this category but has those dual-pane file manager functions as well though its tag-based file management is a major selling point rather than a legacy feature. The Desktop Search engine in its Ultimate edition (50 USD) seemed to be able to search into various type of metafile info as well as the file contents. A rather forward looking file manager, thanks for highlighting it!