benjaminkobjolke / folders-cleanup

Sort all files in a folder into subfolders. The subfolders are named after the modified date of the files

Folders Cleanup

Overview

The Folders Cleanup script automatically sorts files in specified directories into subfolders named according to their last modified date. This tool is particularly useful for managing and organizing files systematically in work environments or personal projects.

Features

• Multiple Directories: Can handle multiple directories as specified in the configuration file.
• Custom Date Formats: Supports customizable date formats for subfolder names.

Requirements

• Python 3.x
• configparser library (usually included with Python)

Installation

1. Clone the repository or download the files:

   git clone https://your-repository-url.com
   cd folders-cleanup

2. Ensure Python is installed:

   • Visit Python's official site to download and install Python if not already installed.

3. Set up the settings.ini configuration file:

   • Modify settings.ini according to the directories you want to organize and the preferred date format for subfolder names.

Configuration

Settings.ini

The settings.ini file is used to configure the directories to be organized and the format of the subfolder names. Below is an example configuration:

[Settings]
date_format = %%Y%%m%%d

[Directories]
base_dir1 = Z:\Resilio Sync\Working
base_dir2 = C:\Another\Path

• date_format: Specify the date format used for naming subfolders. Remember to escape % with another %.
• Directories: Add as many directories as you need under the [Directories] section. Each directory should have a unique key.

Usage

To run the script, navigate to the script directory in your terminal or command prompt, and execute:

python folders_cleanup.py

The script will process the files in the specified directories, moving them into subfolders named by their modified date according to the specified format.

Example

Before Running the Script

Suppose you have a folder named "Working" with the following files:

Working/
│
├── report.docx
├── presentation.pptx
├── data.csv

Each file has different modification dates:

• report.docx - Modified on 2024-04-20
• presentation.pptx - Modified on 2024-04-21
• data.csv - Modified on 2024-04-22

After Running the Script

After running the script with the configuration to use the date format YYYY-MM-DD, the "Working" directory would be organized as follows:

Working/
│
├── 2024-04-20/
│   └── report.docx
├── 2024-04-21/
│   └── presentation.pptx
├── 2024-04-22/
    └── data.csv

Each file is moved into a subfolder named after its modification date, making it easy to locate files based on when they were last modified.

Date Format Examples

The date_format setting in settings.ini allows you to customize how the subfolders are named based on the file's modification date. Below are some examples of different date formats you can use:

• YYYY-MM-DD: For a standard date format that includes the full year, month, and day.

  • Format string: %%Y-%%m-%%d
  • Example: 2024-04-20

• YYMMDD: For a compact date format with a two-digit year.

  • Format string: %%y%%m%%d
  • Example: 240420

• MMM DD, YYYY: For a more human-readable format with the abbreviated month name.

  • Format string: %%b %%d, %%Y
  • Example: Apr 20, 2024

• DD-MM-YY: A common European format with two-digit year.

  • Format string: %%d-%%m-%%y
  • Example: 20-04-24

• YYYY/MM/DD: Using slashes instead of dashes to separate year, month, and day.

  • Format string: %%Y/%%m/%%d
  • Example: 2024/04/20

Remember to escape each % character by doubling it in the settings.ini configuration to avoid interpolation errors.

License

MIT License

Contributing

Contributions to the project are welcome. Please fork the repository and submit a pull request with your changes.