I wonder if it can put a tag on folders？ about filemeta

[Dijji]

This issue comes up from time to time. I also think it would be great to be able to add meta data to folders. It is possible to store it in the same way that File Meta does for files. The problem that I’ve never been able to overcome is getting Explorer to actually show the meta data. There seems to be no extension that would allow me to do this. I haven’t quite given up, however.

Dijji

[SorryForMyEN]

Access the folder options in the directory where you want to add tags and temporarily check the options for viewing hidden files and system files. Create in this directory a text file called desktop.ini and type "[.ShellClassInfo]" and "InfoTip =", each in its own line and without the quotation marks. What you write after the equal sign is what will appear in the folder hint and the "comments" tag. After that, re-check the options to hide occult and system files, and access the file created by typing \desktop.ini at the end of the directory address bar when you want to edit the "tag". This is the closest you can do today because there is no extension for folders. But it would be great if FileMetadata could in the future circumvent this limitation in any way to allow fuller tags as you suggested.

[Hept0p]

Hi @Dijji ,

First, I want to thank you for such a great tool, and a very well-documented wiki as well.
It's a shame that MS chose to discard support for such a mandatory feature (metadata assignation from ntfs alt stream), just to line up with their commercially-driven strategies... It's hard to achieve an efficient files organisation without using metadata..

Your last message gave me hope regarding an eventual solution to Folders..
A couple month has passed since that last comment however.. do you still hope to find a solution eventually ?

Having very little programming knowledge, I recently started digging a little on my own. However, I feel like my searching path is just following one that you most likely went through already..

It would help if I knew more precisely what are the attempts you've made so far, what didn't work and why..

it would be great to be able to add meta data to folders. It is possible to store it in the same way that File Meta does for files. The problem that I’ve never been able to overcome is getting Explorer to actually show the meta data. There seems to be no extension that would allow me to do this.
Using.

As you probably know already, folders are actually COM objects. And as such they do have properties that can be retrieved.

For instance, using the Windows Script Host engine, through this simple VB scripts, I could retrieve the properties of any folders in the file system. In the script below, Folders_Props_Enum.vbs, I retrieve those from some random dir "C:\scripts"). In that script, I use the Win32_Directory class.
The official documentation for this Class mentions there's a total of 23 properties available using this class, but I've been able to fetch 44 using some object suffix name used from other classes..

In my Ext_Prop_Enum_Cur_Dir.vbs script, I used the FileSystemObject object to fetch all extended properties value from the current directory.

These are just two simple way to fetch COM Object detail using the windows script host engine . there are many more...

vbs scripts.zip

[Dijji]

The problem is not with storing or reading the properties, since folders turn out to support exactly the same alternate stream mechanism, supported by NTFS, that I use for files. The problem is finding a way to make those properties visible from within Explorer, which in my view is what makes properties useful. It would be pretty straightforward to write a stand-alone application that showed folder structures and allowed you to see and edit metadata associated with them. Would that the useful thing?

Dijji

[ShaunOfTheLive]

Access the folder options in the directory where you want to add tags and temporarily check the options for viewing hidden files and system files. Create in this directory a text file called desktop.ini and type "[.ShellClassInfo]" and "InfoTip =", each in its own line and without the quotation marks. What you write after the equal sign is what will appear in the folder hint and the "comments" tag. After that, re-check the options to hide occult and system files, and access the file created by typing \desktop.ini at the end of the directory address bar when you want to edit the "tag". This is the closest you can do today because there is no extension for folders. But it would be great if FileMetadata could in the future circumvent this limitation in any way to allow fuller tags as you suggested.

Thanks! This works well enough for my purposes. Just be aware that if the folder is not already set to a special type in the Properties -> Customize tab (Music, Videos, etc.), then you need to either set it to a special type, or go to that folder in the command line and type attrib +s .