Suggestion to add support for Image Folders

[iamnemo]

There exists software from a number of vendors that allows you to capture and store the metadata of what you have on HDD's, CD's, DVD's, etc. in a database. They allow you then to see at a glance in one place what you have on all your sources. I would like to suggest that Xyplorer add support for such functionality, not to be in competition with these vendors, but in a lite version adaquate to the users of XYplorer.

This is a suggestion that Xyplorer add support for Image Folders. An Image Folder would be similar to an ordinary folder except that it would not contain any data - only metadata. I use name Image Folder because XY already uses the name Virtual Folder for something altogether different.

For example if I were to attach an HDD called DISK01 to my laptop I would see in XY a folder called DISK01, and could then navigate its contents, and access its data. Now suppose I could click on DISK01 and choose the command "Create Image Folder". XY would then create a folder called DISK01-Image containing only the metadata of XY, but none of its contents. In XY, DISK01 and DISK01-Image would look the same, and I would be able to navigate them in exactly the same way. In DISK01-Image I would see the same folders and files as for DISK01, and also their metadata, such as the size of files, creation dates, etc. What I would not be able to do is alter the contents in any way, such as copying, moving or deleting folders or files. Nor would I be able to perform any action on the contents, since there are no contents.

The use of Image Folders allows users to see what they have on any source, when that source is not online.

For example, suppose you have a number of HDDs, and often need to know about something on them. This entails finding the HDD, attaching it to your laptop, finding what you need to know, and then removing the HDD, and returning it to where it is stored. How much easier if you could just browse in XY's library of Image Files, choose the Image File you need, and immediately see what you need in XY.

This is only a sketch of Image Folders: many details need to be thought about. For example, the distinction between metadata and data can sometimes be fuzzy - are thumbnails metadata or data? Perhaps this decision should be left to users, and let them decide what metadata be stored in an Image Folder.

[Horst]

I suggest using Everything for this job.
It's Filelist function allows storing such info in an unlimited number of filelists.
You can search entries with a script from the forum.
It's also possible to start XY from inside of a search in the Everything GUI.

[admin]

Makes sense, but is a lot of work. I don't think many people would use it.