filetags 2018.1.29.6

Management of simple tags within file names

## Time-stamp: <2018-01-27 12:47:16 vk> ## -\*- mode: org; coding: utf-8
-\*-

filetags
========

This Python script adds or removes tags to file names in the following
form:

.. code:: example

file without time stamp in name -- *tag2*.txt

:

.. code:: example

file name with several tags -- *tag1 tag2*.jpeg

:

.. code:: example

another example file name with multiple example tags -- *fun videos kids*.mpeg

:

.. code:: example

2013-05-09 a file name with ISO date stamp in name -- *tag1*.jpg

:

.. code:: example

201t-05-09T16.17 file name with time stamp -- *tag3*.csv

The script accepts an arbitrary number of files (see your shell for
possible length limitations).

- **Target group**: users who are able to use command line tools and
who are using tags in file names.
- Hosted on github: https://github.com/novoid/filetags

Why
---

Besides the fact that I am using `ISO dates and
times <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iso_date>`__ in file names (as
shown in examples above), I am using tags with file names. To separate
tags from the file name, I am using the separator "space dash dash
space".

For people familiar with `Regular
Expressions <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regex>`__:

.. code:: example

(<ISO date/time stamp>)? <descriptive file name> -- <list of tags separated by spaces>.<file extension>

Tagging files this way requires a file renaming process. Adding (or
removing) tag(s) to a set of file results in multiple renaming
processes. Despite advanced renaming tools like vidir (from
`moreutils <http://joeyh.name/code/moreutils/>`__) it's handy to have a
tool that makes adding and removing tags as simple as possible.

You may like to add this tool to your image or file manager of choice. I
added mine to `geeqie <http://geeqie.sourceforge.net/>`__ which is my
favorite image viewer on GNU/Linux.

Installation
------------

Get it via `GitHub <https://github.com/novoid/filetags>`__ or install it
via `pip <https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/>`__: ~pip install filetags~

Usage
-----

.. code:: bash

./filetags.py --help

::

usage: ./filetags.py [-h] [-t "STRING WITH TAGS"] [--remove] [-i] [-R] [-s]
[-f] [--filebrowser PATH_TO_FILEBROWSER] [--tagtrees]
[--tagtrees-handle-no-tag "treeroot" | "ignore" | "FOLDERNAME"]
[--tagtrees-link-missing-mutual-tagged-items]
[--tagtrees-dir <existing_directory>]
[--tagtrees-depht TAGTREES_DEPTH] [--ln] [--la] [--lu]
[--tag-gardening] [-v] [-q] [--version]
[FILE [FILE ...]]

This tool adds or removes simple tags to/from file names.

Tags within file names are placed between the actual file name and
the file extension, separated with " -- ". Multiple tags are
separated with " ":
Update for the Boss -- projectA presentation.pptx
2013-05-16T15.31.42 Error message -- screenshot projectB.png

This easy to use tag system has a drawback: for tagging a larger
set of files with the same tag, you have to rename each file
separately. With this tool, this only requires one step.

Example usages:
./filetags.py --tags="presentation projectA" *.pptx
… adds the tags "presentation" and "projectA" to all PPTX-files
./filetags.py --tags="presentation -projectA" *.pptx
… adds the tag "presentation" to and removes tag "projectA" from all PPTX-files
./filetags.py -i *
… ask for tag(s) and add them to all files in current folder
./filetags.py -r draft *report*
… removes the tag "draft" from all files containing the word "report"

This tools is looking for the optional first text file named ".filetags" in
current and parent directories. Each of its lines is interpreted as a tag
for tag completion. Multiple tags per line are considered mutual exclusive.

Verbose description: http://Karl-Voit.at/managing-digital-photographs/

positional arguments:
FILE One or more files to tag

optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-t "STRING WITH TAGS", --tags "STRING WITH TAGS"
one or more tags (in quotes, separated by spaces) to
add/remove
--remove remove tags from (instead of adding to) file name(s)
-i, --interactive interactive mode: ask for (a)dding or (r)emoving and
name of tag(s)
-R, --recursive recursively go through the current directory and all
of its subdirectories. Implemented for --tag-gardening
and --tagtrees
-s, --dryrun enable dryrun mode: just simulate what would happen,
do not modify files
-f, --filter ask for list of tags and generate links in
"/home/vk/.filetags_tagfilter" containing symbolic
links to all files with matching tags and start the
filebrowser
--filebrowser PATH_TO_FILEBROWSER
use this option to override the tool to view/manage
files (for --filter; default: geeqie). Use "none" to
omit the default one.
--tagtrees This generates nested directories in
"/home/vk/.filetags_tagfilter" for each combination of
tags up to a limit of 2. Please note that this may
take long since it relates exponentially to the number
of tags involved. See also http://Karl-
Voit.at/tagstore/ and http://Karl-
Voit.at/tagstore/downloads/Voit2012b.pdf
--tagtrees-handle-no-tag "treeroot" | "ignore" | "FOLDERNAME"
When tagtrees are created, this parameter defines how
to handle items that got no tag at all. The value
"treeroot" is the default behavior: items without a
tag are linked to the tagtrees root. The value
"ignore" will not link any non-tagged items at all.
Any other value is interpreted as a folder name within
the tagreees which is used to link all non-tagged
items to.
--tagtrees-link-missing-mutual-tagged-items
When the controlled vocabulary holds mutual exclusive
tags (multiple tags in one line) this option generates
directories in the tagtrees root that hold links to
items that have no single tag from those mutual
exclusive sets. For example, when "draft final" is
defined in the vocabulary, all items without "draft"
and "final" are linked to the "no-draft-final"
directory.
--tagtrees-dir <existing_directory>
When tagtrees are created, this parameter overrides
the default target directory
"/home/vk/.filetags_tagfilter" with a user-defined
one. It has to be an empty directory or a non-existing
directory which will be created.
--tagtrees-depht TAGTREES_DEPTH
When tagtrees are created, this parameter defines the
level of depth of the tagtree hierarchy. The default
value is 2. Please note that increasing the depth
increases the number of links exponentially.
Especially when running Windows (using lnk-files
instead of symbolic links) the performance is really
slow. Choose wisely.
--ln, --list-tags-by-number
list all file-tags sorted by their number of use
--la, --list-tags-by-alphabet
list all file-tags sorted by their name
--lu, --list-tags-unknown-to-vocabulary
list all file-tags which are found in file names but
are not part of .filetags
--tag-gardening This is for getting an overview on tags that might
require to be renamed (typos, singular/plural, ...).
See also http://www.webology.org/2008/v5n3/a58.html
-v, --verbose enable verbose mode
-q, --quiet enable quiet mode
--version display version and exit

:copyright: (c) by Karl Voit <[e-mail]>
:license: GPL v3 or any later version
:URL: https://github.com/novoid/filetag
:bugreports: via github or <[e-mail]>
:version: 2018-01-26
·

Examples:
~~~~~~~~~

.. code:: example

filetags.py --tags foo a_file_name.txt

... adds tag "foo" such that it results in ``a_file_name -- foo.txt``

.. code:: example

filetags.py -i *.jpeg

... interactive mode: asking for list of tags (for the JPEG files) from
the user

.. code:: example

filetags.py --tags "foo bar" "file name 1.jpg" "file name 2 -- foo.txt" "file name 3 -- bar.csv"

... adds tag "foo" such that it results in ...

.. code:: example

"file name 1 -- foo bar.jpg"
"file name 2 -- foo bar.txt"
"file name 3 -- bar foo.csv"

.. code:: example

filetags.py --remove --tags foo "foo a_file_name -- foo.txt"

... removes tag "foo" such that it results in ``foo a_file_name.txt``

.. code:: example

filetags.py --tag-gardening

... prints out a summary of tags in current and sub-folders used and
tags that are most likely typos or abandoned

Changelog
---------

- `2013-05-16 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/335043859404951554>`__:
first version on GitHub
- `2014-12-21 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/546449664179195904>`__:
``--list-tags-by-number``, ``--list-tags-by-alphabet``, and
``--tag-gardening``
- `2015-01-02 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/551050830678605824>`__:
tab completion for interactive tag input

- Example: entering ``myt`` + pressing ``TAB`` completes the entered
string to ``mytag`` if ``mytag`` is found in the vocabulary or
existing file tags

- `2015-12-11 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/675388298735575041>`__:
shortcut numbers for removing tags
- `2016-01-08 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/685507528856367104>`__:
shortcut numbers for top nine tags for adding tags

- Example: when filetags shows you
``Top nine previously used tags in
this directory:`` with ``mytag(1) anothertag(2) oncemore(3)``,
you don't have to type in the tag names but use the numbers
instead. Combinations of numbers are fine as well.

- `2016-08-21 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/767343476665159680>`__:
mutually exclusive tags: see chapter below
- `2016-08-23 <https://twitter.com/n0v0id/status/768167397895180289>`__:
installable via ``pip install filetags``
- 2016-08-26: ``--filter`` option requires *all* tags to be matching
- 2016-10-15: added tag gardening: vocabulary tags not used + tags not
in vocabulary
- 2016-10-16: interactively adding tags: omit already assigned tags in
shortcuts and vocabulary
- 2016-11-27: added existing shared tags to visual tags
- 2017-02-06: better help text for ``--filter`` option
- 2017-02-25: shortcut tags can be mixed with non-shortcut tags

- Example: ``mytag 49 anothertag`` does add tags ``mytag`` and
``anothertag`` and the shortcut tags ``4`` and ``9``

- 2017-04-09:

- interactively removing tags via ``-tagname``:

- Example: the tag input ``tagname -removeme`` adds the tag
``tagname`` and removes the tag ``removeme`` from the
filename(s)

- try to find alternative filename if file not found

- Example: if you try to tag file ``My file name.pdf`` which is
not found, filetags tries to look for a different (unique and
existing) filename that shares the same start of the file name
such as ``My file name -- mytag.pdf``. Very handy!
- This happens a lof when you are interactively adding multiple
tags one by one by simply re-executing the previous command
line: the file name changes in between because of the previous
tag(s) being added.

- 2017-08-27: when tagging symbolic links whose source file has a
matching file name, the source file gets the same tags as the
symbolic link of it

- This is especially useful when using the ``--filter`` option

- 2017-08-28:

- moved from optparse to
`argparse <https://docs.python.org/3/library/argparse.html>`__
- removed option ``--tag`` (in favor to ``--tags``)
- added option shortcut for recursive: ``-R``
- renamed option ``--imageviewer`` to ``--filebrowser`` and enabled
its functionality
- added new feature ``--tagtrees``

- 2017-08-31:

- improved screen output when renaming files

- 2017-09-03:

- ``--recursive`` option now works for linking files to tagtrees as
well
- corresponding ``.filetags`` files get linked to the output of
tagtrees as well

- 2017-11-11:

- removed command line options ``-r``, ``-d``, and ``--delete``

- keeping ``--remove`` as the only option for removing tags
- removing tags was overrepresented in the command line options,
blocking them to be used for other useful commands

- added =--tagtrees-handle-no-tag "treeroot" \| "ignore" \|
"FOLDERNAME"=
- added ``--tagtrees-link-missing-mutual-tagged-items``

- 2017-12-30:

- added ``--tagtrees-dir <existing_directory>``

- overriding the default target directory for the tagtrees result

- added ``--tagtrees-depht TAGTREES_DEPTH``

- allowing to override the default depht of tagtrees
- use with care: especially on Windows a larger depth than 2
takes very long

- tagtrees now work with Windows using ``lnk`` files

- in contrast to symbolic links, that have rather poor
performance though: generation of tagtrees take way longer than
on Linux or macOS

Get the most out of filetags: controlled vocabulary ``.filetags``
-----------------------------------------------------------------

This awesome tool is providing support for `controlled
vocabularies <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_vocabulary>`__.
When invoked for interactive tagging, it is looking for files named
``.filetags`` in the current working directory and its parent
directories as well. The first file of this name found is read in. Each
line represents one tag. Those tags are used for **tag completion**.

This is purely great: with tags within ``.filetags`` you don't have to
enter the tags entrirely: just type the first characters and press
``TAB`` (twice to show you all possibilities). You will be amazed how
efficiently you are going to tag things! :-)

Of course, you can remove existing tags by prepending a ``-`` character
to the tag: ``-tagname``. This also works interactively using the tab
completion feature.

Mutually exclusive tags
-----------------------

If you enter multiple tags in the same line in ``.filetags``, they are
interpreted as **mutually exclusive tags**. For example, if your
``.filetags`` contains the line ``winter spring summer autumn``,
filetags replaces any season-tag with the new one. So if you tag the
file …

.. code:: example

example file -- summer anothertag.txt

… with the tag ``winter``, it gets renamed to …

.. code:: example

example file -- winter anothertag.txt

… without having to manually remove the tag ``summer``.

tagtrees
--------

This functions is somewhat sophisticated with regards to the background.
If you're really interested in the whole story behind the
visualization/navigation of tags using tagtrees, feel free to read `my
PhD thesis <http://Karl-Voit.at/tagstore/downloads/Voit2012b.pdf>`__
about it on `the tagstore webpage <http://Karl-Voit.at/tagstore/>`__. It
is surely a piece of work I am proud of and the general chapters of it
are written so that the average person is perfectly well able to follow.

In short: this function takes the files of the current directory and
generates hierarchies up to level of ``$maxdepth`` (by default 2, can be
overridden via ``--tagtrees-depht``) of all combinations of tags,
`linking <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link>`__ all files
according to their tags.

Consider having a file like:

.. code:: example

My new car -- car hardware expensive.jpg

Now you generate the tagtrees, you'll find
`links <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link>`__ to this file
within sub-directories of ``~/.filetags``, the default target directory:
``new/`` and ``hardware/`` and ``expensive/`` and ``new/hardware/`` and
``new/expensive/`` and ``hardware/new/`` and so on. You get the idea.

The default target directory can be overrided via ``--tagtrees-dir``.

Therefore, within the folder ``new/expensive/`` you will find all files
that have at least the tags "new" and "expensive" in any order. This is
*really* cool to have.

Files of the current directory that don't have any tag at all, are
linked directly to ``~/.filetags`` so that you can find and tag them
easily.

I personally, do use this feature within my image viewer of choice
(`geeqie <http://geeqie.sourceforge.net/>`__). I mapped it to
``Shift-T`` because ``Shift-t`` is occupied by ``filetags`` for tagging
of course. So when I am within my image viewer and I press ``Shift-T``,
tagtrees of the currently shown images are created. Then an additional
image viewer window opens up for me, showing the resulting tagtrees.
This way, I can quickly navigate through the tag combinations to easily
interactively filter according to tags.

Please note: when you are tagging linked files within the tagtrees with
filetags, only the current link gets updated with the new name. All
other links to this modified filename within the other directories of
the tagtrees gets broken. You have to re-create the tagtrees to update
all the links after tagging files.

The option ``--tagtrees-handle-no-tag`` controls how files with no tags
should be handled. When set to ``treeroot``, untagged files are linked
in the tagtrees target directory directly. The option ``ignore`` does
not link them at all. The option ``FOLDERNAME`` links them to a
directory named accordingly to the value which is a sub-directory of the
tagrees target directory.

With the option ``--tagtrees-link-missing-mutual-tagged-items`` you can
control, whether or not there will be an additional tagtrees folder that
contains all files which lack one of the mutually exclusive tags. Using
the example ``winter spring summer autumn`` from above, all files that
got none of those four tags get linked to a tagtrees directory named
"no:sub:`winterspringsummerautumn`". This way, you can easily find and
tag files that don't participate in this set of mutually exclusive tags.

Bonus: Using tags to specify a sub-set of photographs
-----------------------------------------------------

You know the problem: got back from Paris and you can not show 937 image
files to your friends. It's just too much.

My solution: I tag to define selections. For example, I am using ``sel``
for the ultimate cool photographs using ``filetags``, of course.

Within geeqie, I redefined ``S`` (usually mapped to "sort manager") to
an external shell script (below) which creates a temporary folder
(within ``/tmp/``), symbolic links to all photographs of the current
folder that contain the tag ``sel``, and start a new instance of geeqie.

In short: after returning from a trip, I mark all "cool" photographs
within geeqie, choose ``t`` and tag them with ``sel`` (described in
previous section). For showing only ``sel`` images, I just press ``S``
in geeqie and instead of 937 photographs, my friends just have to watch
the best 50 or so. :-)

The script ``vksel.sh`` looks like this:

.. code:: example

#!/bin/sh

:

.. code:: example

TMPDIR="/tmp/imageselection"
IMAGEDIR="${1}"
IMAGEVIEWER="geeqie"
FILENAME=$(basename $0)

:

.. code:: example

print_usage()
{
echo
echo "usage: ${FILENAME} <directory>"
echo
echo "... starts a image viewer containing files tagged with \"sel\" in the current"
echo "folder or the folder given as parameter 1."
echo
}

:

.. code:: example

STARTDIR=`pwd`

:

.. code:: example

if [ "x${IMAGEDIR}" = "x-h" -o "x${IMAGEDIR}" = "x--help" ]; then
print_usage
exit 0
fi

:

.. code:: example

if [ "x${IMAGEDIR}" = "x" ]; then
IMAGEDIR="${STARTDIR}"
fi

:

.. code:: example

if [ ! -d ${IMAGEIDIR} ]; then
echo
echo " Please specify a folder containing the <directory>."
echo
print_usage
exit 1
fi

: :

.. code:: example

## remove (old) TMPDIR if exists:
test -d "${TMPDIR}" && rm -rf "${TMPDIR}"

:

.. code:: example

## create fresh TMPDIR
mkdir "${TMPDIR}"
cd "${TMPDIR}"

: :

.. code:: example

find "${IMAGEDIR}" -name '* -- *sel*' -print0 | xargs -0 -I {} ln -s {} . --
${IMAGEVIEWER}

:

.. code:: example

cd "${STARTDIR}"

:

.. code:: example

#end

Integration in geeqie is done with
``$HOME/.config/geeqie/applications/show-sel.desktop``

.. code:: example

[Desktop Entry]
Name=show-sel
GenericName=show-sel
Comment=
Exec=/home/vk/bin/vksel.sh
Icon=
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Graphics;
hidden=false
MimeType=image/*;video/*;image/mpo;image/thm
Categories=X-Geeqie;

Integration Into Common Tools
=============================

Integrating into Geeqie
-----------------------

I am using `geeqie <http://geeqie.sourceforge.net/>`__ for
browsing/presenting image files. After I mark a set of images for adding
one or more tags, I just have to press ``t`` and I get asked for the
tags. After entering the tags and RETURN, the tags are added to the
image files. With ``T`` I can remove tags accordingly.

Using GNU/Linux, this is quite easy accomplished. The only thing that is
not straight forward is the need for a wrapper script. The wrapper
script does provide a shell window for entering the tags.

``vk-filetags-interactive-adding-wrapper-with-gnome-terminal.sh`` looks
like:

.. code:: example

#!/bin/sh

:

.. code:: example

/usr/bin/gnome-terminal \
--geometry=73x5+330+5 \
--tab-with-profile=big \
--hide-menubar \
-x /home/vk/src/filetags/filetags.py --interactive "${@}"

:

.. code:: example

#end

``vk-filetags-interactive-removing-wrapper-with-gnome-terminal.sh``
looks like:

.. code:: example

#!/bin/sh

:

.. code:: example

/usr/bin/gnome-terminal \
--geometry=73x5+330+5 \
--tab-with-profile=big \
--hide-menubar \
-x /home/vk/src/filetags/filetags.py --interactive --remove "${@}"

:

.. code:: example

#end

In ``$HOME/.config/geeqie/applications`` I wrote two desktop files such
that geeqie shows the wrapper scripts as external editors to its image
files:

``$HOME/.config/geeqie/applications/add-tags.desktop`` looks like:

.. code:: example

[Desktop Entry]
Name=filetags
GenericName=filetags
Comment=
Exec=/home/vk/src/misc/vk-filetags-interactive-adding-wrapper-with-gnome-terminal.sh %F
Icon=
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Graphics;
hidden=false
MimeType=image/*;video/*;image/mpo;image/thm
Categories=X-Geeqie;

``$HOME/.config/geeqie/applications/remove-tags.desktop`` looks like:

.. code:: example

[Desktop Entry]
Name=filetags
GenericName=filetags
Comment=
Exec=/home/vk/src/misc/vk-filetags-interactive-removing-wrapper-with-gnome-terminal.sh %F
Icon=
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Categories=Application;Graphics;
hidden=false
MimeType=image/*;video/*;image/mpo;image/thm
Categories=X-Geeqie;

In order to be able to use the keyboard shortcuts ``t`` (adding tags)
and ``T`` (removing tags), you can define them in geeqie:

#. Edit > Preferences > Preferences ... > Keyboard.
#. Scroll to the bottom of the list.
#. Double click in the ``KEY``-column of ``filetags`` and
``filetags-remove`` and choose your desired keyboard shortcut
accordingly.

I hope this method is as handy for you as it is for me :-)

Integration into Thunar
-----------------------

`Thunar <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunar>`__ is a popular GNU/Linux
file browser for the xfce environment.

Unfortunately, it is rather complicated to add custom commands to
Thunar. I found `a good
description <https://askubuntu.com/questions/403922/keyboard-shortcut-for-thunar-custom-actions>`__
which you might want to follow.

To my disappoinment, even this manual confguration is not stable
somehow. From time to time, the IDs of ``$HOME/.config/Thunar/uca.xml``
and ``$HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm`` differ.

For people using Org-mode, I automated the updating process (not the
initial adding process) to match IDs again:

Script for checking "tag": do it ``tag-ID`` and path in ``accels.scm``
match?

.. code:: example

#+BEGIN_SRC sh :var myname="tag"
ID=`egrep -A 2 "<name>$myname" $HOME/.config/Thunar/uca.xml | grep unique-id | sed 's#.*<unique-id>##' | sed 's#<.*$##'`
echo "$myname-ID of uca.xml: $ID"
echo "In accels.scm: "`grep -i "$ID" $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm`
#+END_SRC

If they don't match, following script re-writes ``accels.scm`` with the
current ID:

.. code:: example

#+BEGIN_SRC sh :var myname="tag" :var myshortcut="<Alt>t"
ID=`egrep -A 2 "<name>$myname" $HOME/.config/Thunar/uca.xml | grep unique-id | sed 's#.*<unique-id>##' | sed 's#<.*$##'`
echo "appending $myname-ID of uca.xml to accels.scm: $ID"
mv $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm.OLD
grep -v "\"$myshortcut\"" $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm.OLD > $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm
rm $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm.OLD
echo "(gtk_accel_path \"<Actions>/ThunarActions/uca-action-$ID\" \"$myshortcut\")" >> $HOME/.config/Thunar/accels.scm
#+END_SRC

Integration into Windows Explorer for single files
--------------------------------------------------

Create a registry file ``add_filetags_to_context_menu.reg`` and edit it
to meet the following template. Please make sure to replace the paths
(python, ``USERNAME`` and ``filetags.py``) accordingly:

.. code:: example

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;; for files:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\filetags]
@="filetags (single file)"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\filetags\command]
@="C:\\Python36\\python.exe C:\\Users\\USERNAME\\src\\filetags\\filetags.py -i \"%1\""

Execute the reg-file, confirm the warnings (you are modifying your
Windows registry after all) and cheer up when you notice "filetags
(single file)" in the context menu of your Windows Explorer.

As the heading and the link name suggests: `this method works on single
files <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6440715/how-to-pass-multiple-filenames-to-a-context-menu-shell-command>`__.
So if you select three files and invoke this context menu item, you will
get three different filetag-windows to tag one file each.

Integration into Windows Explorer for single and multiple selected files
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Create a batch file in your home directory. Adapt the paths to meet your
setup. The content looks like:

.. code:: example

C:\Python36\python.exe C:\Users\USERNAME\src\filetags\filetags.py -i %*

If you want to confirm the process (and see error messages and so
forth), you might want to append as well following line:

.. code:: example

set /p DUMMY=Hit ENTER to continue ...

My batch file is located in ``C:\Users\USERNAME\bin\filetags.bat``. Now
create a lnk file for it (e.g., via Ctrl-Shift-drag), rename the lnk
file to ``filetags.lnk`` and move the lnk file to
``~/AppData/Roaming/Microsoft/Windows/SendTo/``.

This way, you get a nice entry in your context menu sub-menu "Send to"
which is also correctly tagging selection of files as if you put the
list of selected items to a single call of filetags.

Integration into FreeCommander
------------------------------

`FreeCommander <http://freecommander.com/en/summary/>`__ is a `orthodox
file
manager <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_manager#Orthodox_file_managers>`__
for Windows. You can add filetags as an favorite command:

- Tools → Favorite tools → Favorite tools edit... (S-C-y)

- Create new toolbar (if none is present)
- Icon for "Add new item"

- Name: filetags
- Program or folder: <Path to filetags.bar>
- ``filetags.bat`` looks like: (please do modify the paths to
meet your requirement)

.. code:: example

C:\Python36\python.exe C:\Users\YOURUSERNAME\src\filetags\filetags %*
REM optionally: set /p DUMMY=Hit ENTER to continue...

- Start folder: ``%ActivDir%``
- Parameter: ``%ActivSel%``
- [X] Enclose each selected item with ="=
- Hotkey: select next available one such as ``Ctrl-1`` (it gets
overwritten below)
- remember its name such as "Favorite tool 01"

- OK

So far, we've got ``filetags`` added as a favorite command which can be
accessed via menu or icon toolbar and the selected keyboard shortcut. If
you want to assign a different keyboard shortcut than ``Ctrl-1`` like
``Alt-t`` you might as well follow following procedure:

- Tools → Define keyboard shortcuts...

- Scroll down to the last section "Favorite tools"
- locate the name such as "Favorite tool 01"
- Define your shortcut of choice like ``Alt-t`` in the right hand
side of the window

- If your shortcut is taken, you'll get a notification. Don't
overwrite essential shortcuts you're using.

- OK

Related tools and workflows
===========================

This tool is part of a tool-set which I use to manage my digital files
such as photographs. My work-flows are described in `this blog
posting <http://karl-voit.at/managing-digital-photographs/>`__ you might
like to read.

In short:

For **tagging**, please refer to
`filetags <https://github.com/novoid/filetags>`__ and its documentation.

See `date2name <https://github.com/novoid/date2name>`__ for easily
adding ISO **time-stamps or date-stamps** to files.

For **easily naming and tagging** files within file browsers that allow
integration of external tools, see
`appendfilename <https://github.com/novoid/appendfilename>`__ (once
more) and `filetags <https://github.com/novoid/filetags>`__.

Moving to the archive folders is done using
`move2archive <https://github.com/novoid/move2archive>`__.

Having tagged photographs gives you many advantages. For example, I
automatically `choose my **desktop background image** according to the
current
season <https://github.com/novoid/set_desktop_background_according_to_season>`__.

Files containing an ISO time/date-stamp gets indexed by the
filename-module of `Memacs <https://github.com/novoid/Memacs>`__.

How to Thank Me
===============

I'm glad you like my tools. If you want to support me:

- Send old-fashioned **postcard** per snailmail - I love personal
feedback!

- see `my address <http://tinyurl.com/j6w8hyo>`__

- Send feature wishes or improvements as an issue on GitHub
- Create issues on GitHub for bugs
- Contribute merge requests for bug fixes
- Check out my other cool `projects on
GitHub <https://github.com/novoid>`__