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I have a stack of client folders with names like this:
eastcoal 008
mee 022
orr 047
owaka 032
owen 025
powernet006
redpath 031
Normally this works, but sometimes I'd like to sort by the number. So how can I sort folders by the last characters in the folder string? Characters will always be three consecutive numbers, and will run from 001 to 999 (until I've done a thousand jobs, which will take years).
nigelc
Posted 2013-03-26T01:31:19.253
Reputation: 167
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This can be done from a command prompt, but I can't think of any way to do it in Explorer.
Name the folders name.### where ### is a three digit number. For example, I created these folders.
ann.023
bob.002
fred.001
harvey.012
From a command prompt or in Explorer the names will sort based using the first character, etc.
C:\test>dir
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 60B7-B1BA
Directory of C:\test
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> .
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> ..
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> ann.023
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> bob.002
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> fred.001
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> harvey.012
From a command prompt you can also sort by extension (the part after the .) using dir /oe which gives this result.
C:\test>dir /oe
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 60B7-B1BA
Directory of C:\test
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> ..
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> .
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> fred.001
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> bob.002
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> harvey.012
2013-03-25 10:21 PM <DIR> ann.023
That's only a partial solution as you have to go to the command prompt to get the alternate sorting method. However, if you only need to do it occasionally then perhaps it's good enough.
Wayne Johnston
Posted 2013-03-26T01:31:19.253
Reputation: 3 416
In Explorer you can also sort by (folder) file extension - just click on the "Type" column. Whilst Explorer doesn't explicitly show the extension/type - it simply shows "File folder" in the type column (unlike files) - sorting still appears to work. – MrWhite – 2019-02-22T15:03:28.687
Thank you Wayne, that'll do fine for what I need. I only need to do this about once a fortnight. Now I just need to get DOS working on my win7 machine and I'll be all set – nigelc – 2013-03-26T20:18:40.703
Click the Start button, type cmd in the search box, and press enter to open a command prompt. – Wayne Johnston – 2013-03-26T23:56:44.810
I can't think of a way to do this, but if you are creating the jobs, why not create a folder for each client, and number the jobs inside each folder, with the number at the front. – Paul – 2013-03-26T01:56:55.187
Is it necessary to have names at beginning ? Otherwise we can use some kind of Script to rename all folders to bring numbers at front. – Ankit – 2013-03-26T06:53:41.397