File Management Software

File management software is a computer application that allows the user to visually manipulate files and filing systems. Although other applications may also come under the umbrella of ‘file management’ including file compressors, document encryption packages or format converters, this article focuses upon the basic manipulation of files. Common operations of file managers include the ability to create, open/view, edit, play, rename, print, delete, copy or move or to otherwise find and manipulate individual files. For Windows users, the most commonly known file manager is ‘Windows Explorer’ which displays files in a hierarchical fashion, and allows users to navigate between different files and folders, or even different storage mediums.

Users can often choose how the directory structure is displayed with the options of icons, graphical representations of the files, lists or columns detailing individual file properties. New versions of file management software may also include the ability to map networks or Internet servers, so that all the files in that directory can be found and individual files can be selected for manipulation.

Windows Explorer can also be called a ‘navigational file manager’ because it allows users to proceed forward or backwards, going deeper or backwards within the directory structure – following the ‘branches’ of the file tree from generic to specific and back again. Virtually all file managers now incorporate drag-and-drop functionality, making it simple to move or copy individual files from one location to another. Traditionally this would have been a time consuming process, involving typing the absolute position of the file, then typing the absolute position of where the file should be moved/copied.

A ‘spatial finder’ is an alternative to navigational file managers, with the most common example being the Macintosh ‘Finder’. This system involves having a new window open for each folder that is explored. This is more like having paper folders on a desk, each containing sub-folders and ultimately individual sheets of paper. It has been argued that this system is outdated, and clutters the user-interface with superfluous windows. However, it is felt that this is simpler for beginners to learn than navigational file managers because of the realistic metaphor.

Companies have released their own proprietary file management software, to use instead of those built into the operating systems. An example of this is ‘Pathfinder’ by Cocoatech industries. This was designed as a replacement for ‘Finder’ within the Mac OS X operating system. The program costs $35 USD and is available from cocoatech.com. Software has also been released to replace Windows Explorer, an example being Altap’s Salamander program, which incorporates unpacking functionality for archived/compressed folders. The program is available for $30 USD and can be obtained from altap.cz.

Finally an open source (freeware) program called GNOME Commander is available for Linux/UNIX and for Windows operating systems. This application was developed with the advanced user in mind, with several special applications and running commands incorporated into the package. Additionally, all manipulation of files can be performed using the keyboard alone, speeding up the process considerably. This software is available for free download from (nongnu.org/gcmd/).