When dealing with employee records, customer files, student assignments, or project documents, filenames often contain both English and Chinese names, and formats include PDF, docx, xlsx, pptx, csv, zip, etc. This article explains how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to automatically group a large number of files based on the first English letter or the first Chinese character in the filename, generating corresponding letter and character folders, thereby reducing manual dragging, avoiding missed or incorrect sorting, and making office file organization more efficient.
Many office file names are related to personal names, client names, or project names, such as English name files like SophiaMartin.pdf, JamesSmith.xlsx, DavidWilson.pptx, and possibly Chinese name files like 陈静.pdf, 刘洋.docx, 王芳.docx, 黄杰.zip. When these files are placed together in one directory, it might seem acceptable in the short term, but once the number increases, searching and archiving become inefficient. Especially when needing to create categorized directories by the first letter of a name, Chinese surname, or the beginning of a filename, manually creating folders and moving files takes up a lot of time.
This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to explain a processing method better suited for office scenarios: batch sorting many files into groups based on the first English letter or Chinese character in the filename. Its focus is not modifying file content or converting formats, but helping users complete batch organization at the file level, letting software handle repetitive tasks. Whether it's PDF contracts, Word documents docx/doc, Excel spreadsheets xlsx/xls, PPT presentation files pptx/ppt, or materials like csv, txt, md, zip, as long as the filename starts according to the rules, they can all be included in the categorization.
Applicable Scenarios: This Method Can Organize Name-Based, Client-Based, and Project-Based Files
Categorizing by the first character of the filename is particularly suitable for material directories where "the filename itself has classification significance." For example, HR departments organizing onboarding materials by employee name, sales teams organizing contracts and quotations by client name, training institutions organizing assignments and grade sheets by student name, and project teams organizing deliverable files by lead or module name. These files often come in more than one format; they might simultaneously include PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, compressed packages, and text files. Therefore, categorizing by file extension cannot meet the demand; categorizing by filename aligns more closely with actual office logic.
For instance, a directory contains English name files like SophiaMartin.pdf, SarahDavis.pptx, WilliamThomas.txt, as well as Chinese name files like 陈静.pdf, 李娜.pdf, 张伟.md, 赵敏.csv, 周婷.csv, 刘洋.docx, 王芳.docx, 黄杰.zip. If categorized by extension, you would only get folders like pdf, pptx, txt, csv, docx, zip; but if what you truly want is to archive by the start of the name or Chinese surname, you should choose to categorize by the first character of the filename.
The value of using a batch processing tool lies in its ability to turn the manual process of "observe filename—create folder—drag file—check result" into a one-time configuration. For dozens of files, it saves repetitive clicks; for hundreds of files, it significantly reduces the risk of missed sorting, mis-sorting, and inconsistent directory naming.
Result Preview: Mixed File Types Before Processing, High Search Cost
The screenshot before processing below shows a typical mixed file directory. The filenames contain both English and Chinese; the file types include pdf, md, csv, xlsx, pptx, docx, txt, and zip. At this point, to group files with the same starting character together, the user must judge the first character of each filename one by one.
From an office management perspective, the biggest problem with this kind of directory is not that files cannot be opened, but the lack of a stable archiving structure. For example, to find all English name files starting with S, one must look through the list one by one; to find all Chinese files starting with "刘" or "王," manual filtering is also required. The more files there are, the higher this search cost. Worse, if multiple people maintain a shared directory with different folder creation habits, it can lead to an increasingly chaotic directory structure.
Result Preview: After Processing, Categorized Folders Generated by English Letters and Chinese Characters
After processing, the software will create categorized folders based on the first English letter or Chinese character in the filenames and place the corresponding files inside. English files will form letter folders like D, E, G, J, M, O, S, W, and Chinese files will form character folders like 陈, 李, 刘, 王, 吴, 杨, 张, 赵, 周, 黄. Each folder name directly reflects the classification basis, making subsequent searches more intuitive.
This kind of organized result is particularly suitable for repositories requiring long-term maintenance. For example, after client files are archived by the first letter, sales personnel can quickly access the corresponding letter directory; after employee materials are archived by Chinese surname, HR staff can locate a specific employee's materials faster. Compared to manual dragging, the categorized directories generated by the batch tool are more uniform and easier to reuse the same set of rules for processing newly added files.
Step 1: Open the File Organization Feature in the Office Software
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first find and click "File Organization" in the left menu. This software is positioned for batch processing of office documents and files, suitable for handling large volumes of repetitive file operations centrally. After entering the File Organization module, the main area will display multiple tool cards, including "Categorize files by filename," "Categorize files by extension," "Batch create new folders based on existing folders," etc.
To implement grouping by the first character of the filename as done here, you need to click "Categorize files by filename." The expected result of this step is to enter the operation wizard for the categorization task. Choosing the correct entry is important because different organization needs correspond to different functions: if archiving by extensions like docx, xlsx, pdf, you should use categorization by extension; if archiving by the start of filenames like Sophia, Daniel, 陈, 刘, you should use "Categorize files by filename."
Step 2: Import the File Records That Need Batch Categorization
After entering the "Categorize files by filename" page, the top of the interface displays the current task name, and the progress bar shows four stages: Select records to process, Set processing options, Set save location, Start processing. In the first stage, you need to add the files to be organized into the list. The top right of the page provides two main entry points: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder."
If you have already placed all the files to be processed in one folder, it is recommended to use "Import Files from Folder", as this allows you to import all files from that directory at once. After importing, the table will display information such as file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. In the screenshot, you can see the list already includes records like DanielAnderson.zip, DavidWilson.pptx, EmilyJohnson.xlsx, GraceMoore.pptx, JamesSmith.xlsx, MichaelBrown.csv, OliviaTaylor.xlsx, SarahDavis.pptx, SophiaMartin.pdf, WilliamThomas.txt, and the bottom shows the record count is 20.
The purpose of this step is to establish the file list for this batch process. Users can confirm if the import scope is correct through the list and delete files that do not need processing if necessary. For large file organization tasks, it is recommended not to skip the verification step, because importing the wrong directory will cause subsequent categorization results to deviate from expectations. After confirming everything is correct, click "Next" at the bottom.
Step 3: Choose to Categorize by the First English Letter or Chinese Character
The second stage is "Set processing options." This is where you decide exactly which part of the filename the software uses to create categorization folders. As seen in the screenshot, the software provides multiple categorization methods, including by the first character, by the first Chinese character, by the first number, by the first English letter, by the first English letter or Chinese character, by the first few characters, by the last few characters, by characters within a custom position range, and by a custom regular expression.
For a directory mixed with Chinese and English names like in this article, you should select "Categorize by First English Letter or Chinese Character." After selecting this option, the software will automatically determine the start of the filename: files starting with English are categorized by the first English letter, and files starting with Chinese are categorized by the first Chinese character. For example, DanielAnderson.zip will go into the D folder, EmilyJohnson.xlsx will go into the E folder; 陈静.pdf will go into the 陈 folder, 刘洋.docx will go into the 刘 folder.
Further down the same page, you can also see the "Letter Case Conversion" setting. Here you can keep it "Default," or choose to convert to uppercase letters or lowercase letters according to team standards. If your directory requires uniform uppercase letter folders, choosing uppercase is recommended; if the existing directory already uses lowercase, you can also choose lowercase. The screenshot example uses the default setting, and the resulting letter folders are shown as D, E, G, J, M, O, S, W, suitable for most office archiving habits.
Step 4: Confirm the Save Location and Execute Start Processing
After setting the categorization method, click "Next" to go to "Set Save Location." The save location determines where the software generates the categorized folders. In actual office work, you can choose according to your needs: if you are just organizing the current directory, you can save the results to the current folder; if you want to keep the original folder untouched first for easy result checking, you can select a new output directory. Regardless of the method, the key is to ensure you know where the processed files will end up.
After completing the save location settings, enter "Start Processing." The software will automatically complete file classification based on the previously imported file list and the selected categorization rules. After processing is complete, open the target directory and you will see folders named with English letters and Chinese characters. Going into a specific categorized folder will allow you to check if the corresponding files starting with that character have been placed inside.
Although the screenshot does not show the details of every subsequent page, it is clear from the step names of the operation wizard that the entire process follows "Import files—Set rules—Set save location—Execute processing." As long as the user confirms the settings are correct at each step, they can stably complete the batch file categorization.
FAQ: Details Easily Overlooked When Categorizing by Filename
1. If a filename has Chinese or English in the middle, will it participate in the categorization? The rule used in this article is "categorize by the first English letter or Chinese character," focusing on the first valid character at the beginning of the filename. If your file is named "2026-陈静-合同.pdf" or "001-SophiaMartin.pdf," it starts with a number, not Chinese or English, so the categorization result may differ from when it starts directly with a name. It is recommended to standardize file naming before processing so that the classification basis appears at the start of the filename.
2. Can doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, and pdf be organized together? Yes. This function focuses on the filename, not the file content format. The screenshots already demonstrate a scenario mixing files like pdf, csv, xlsx, pptx, docx, txt, zip, and md. For office files like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF, they can participate in the organization according to filename rules as long as they can be imported into the list as files.
3. What if I only want to categorize by Chinese surname and not process English? The interface has the option "Categorize by First Chinese Character." If your directory consists entirely of Chinese name files, or you only want to archive based on the first Chinese character, you can select this option. This article chose "Categorize by First English Letter or Chinese Character" because the example directory contained both English name files and Chinese name files.
4. What if I only want to categorize by the first English letter? The interface also has "Categorize by First English Letter." When the directory primarily contains English client names, English project names, or English filenames, you can use this option. For mixed Chinese-English directories, choosing "Categorize by First English Letter or Chinese Character" is more convenient.
5. Is a backup needed before processing a large number of files? A backup is recommended. For any batch file operation, it is advised to first verify the rules on a small number of samples, confirm that the output directory, category names, and file assignments match expectations, and then process the complete folder. This way, you can leverage batch processing to improve efficiency while reducing the risk of operational errors.
6. Will the category folder names automatically unify letter casing? The software provides the "Letter Case Conversion" option; users can keep the default or convert to uppercase or lowercase. For shared team directories, it is recommended to agree upon a naming standard in advance to avoid some people using uppercase folders and others using lowercase, leading to inconsistencies in later archiving.
Summary: Delegate Repetitive File Archiving to Batch Processing Tools
Categorizing by the first English letter or Chinese character in a filename is a very common but often underestimated office organization need. It applies to various scenarios like client archives, employee records, student files, project deliverables, and contract attachments. What previously required manual identification of filenames, folder creation, and drag-and-drop moving can now be completed with a single configuration through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool .
The entire operation process is not complicated: select "Categorize files by filename" in "File Organization," import the files to be processed, choose "Categorize by First English Letter or Chinese Character" in the processing options, set the letter case and save location as needed, and finally start processing. After processing is complete, the mixed-together PDF, Word, Excel, PPT, CSV, TXT, ZIP, and other files will automatically enter the corresponding letter or Chinese character folders.
If you are organizing a batch of materials with similar naming rules but complex file formats, it is recommended to stop relying on manual dragging. First, prepare the directory to be processed, check if the file naming conforms to the classification rules, and then use the batch file organization function to perform archiving. This not only saves time but also makes the file structure more standardized, laying a better foundation for subsequent searching, sharing, backup, and delivery.