Numbered files are commonly found in contract, receipt, archive, order, and report management. If all files are piled into one folder and you want to group them by the first number in the file name, it will result in a large number of repetitive operations. This article, combined with operation screenshots, introduces how to use the "Classify Files by File Name" function of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to import files and select "Classify by the First Number," quickly creating categorized folders named by numbers.
In office document management, many file names are not natural language titles but rather numbers, serial codes, order numbers, or archive codes. For example, a directory might contain files like 019121173839164.pdf, 021543537912210.pdf, 366984326281532.pdf, 783456129047812.pdf. They appear to be just numerical identifiers, but these numbers often contain classification information. If files need to be categorized based on the first digit in their filename, manual sorting can be extremely time-consuming.
This article introduces a more efficient way: using the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch-group a large number of files by the first digit in their filename. After processing, the software automatically generates folders named after digits and places the corresponding files inside. This method is suitable for PDFs, Word documents (doc/docx), Excel spreadsheets (xls/xlsx), and other numbered office materials.
Use Case: Why Numbered Documents Need Batch Grouping
Numbered documents are very common in corporate offices. Invoices, expense reports, and payment vouchers in the finance department might be named with numerical codes; scanned contracts in legal and sales departments might be named by contract or customer numbers; roles in warehousing, purchasing, and customer service also accumulate a large number of order files, receipt files, and work order attachments. If these files are left piled in the same folder for a long time, subsequent searching and archiving become difficult.
Grouping by the first digit in the filename is a simple yet practical archiving method. It can split originally mixed files into classification directories like 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Users who know the starting number of a file code can quickly enter the corresponding folder to locate it. Materials that need further compression, backup, uploading, or distribution can also be batch-processed by their numeric folders.
The problem with manual sorting lies in its repetitive actions: first look at the filename, then determine the first digit, then open or create the corresponding folder, and finally move the file. When facing a large number of files, this kind of operation is not only time-consuming but also prone to misplacement. The value of using a batch processing tool is that it delegates the rules to the software for unified execution, reducing human judgment errors.
Preview of Results: Numbered Files All Mixed Before Sorting
The screenshot before processing below shows a typical folder: a large number of PDF files arranged by name in the same directory. Each filename is a string of numbers with the .pdf extension. Although the filenames have a pattern, the files are not automatically grouped by number.
From the list, you can see that the first digits of the filenames are not all the same; some start with 0, others with 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. If processed manually, one would need to select files starting with the same digit one by one and move them to the corresponding directory. The larger the number of files, the more likely omissions, incorrect selections, or moves to the wrong folder become.
Preview of Results: Generating Digit Classification Folders After Sorting
After processing, the folder structure becomes clear. Multiple folders named after digits, such as 0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, appear in the output directory. Opening the "0" folder shows that files whose filenames start with the digit 0 have been placed together.
The advantage of this classification result is its intuitiveness: the directory name is the classification standard, requiring no additional explanation. For subsequent file management personnel, it also allows for quick understanding of the sorting rule. If files from a certain digit range need to be packaged and sent later, one only needs to select the corresponding folder.
Operation Steps: Batch Organize Files by First Digit
Step 1: Select the "Classify by Filename" Feature in the File Organization Module
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see different tool categories on the left, including File Name, Folder Name, File Organization, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, etc. Since the goal this time is to organize file locations, not modify file content, select File Organization.
Enter the File Organization page and click the function card "Classify files by filename". The description of this function is "Batch classify all files by filename," which matches the requirement for grouping by number.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct processing entry point. The expected result is that a task wizard page opens, allowing you to subsequently import files and set specific classification rules.
Step 2: Add Files or Import Files from a Folder
On the "Classify files by filename" task page, the first step is to select the records to be processed. The screenshot shows that Add files and Import files from folder buttons are provided at the top of the page.
If you only want to process a few specific files, you can click "Add files"; if all numbered files in a folder need organizing, it is recommended to use "Import files from folder." After importing, the files will appear in the list, with table columns including Index, Name, Path, Extension, Creation Time, Modification Time, and Actions. This information allows for a quick check of file source and type.
After confirming that all files in the list are the objects you need to process this time, click Next at the bottom of the page. If you find unwanted files have been imported, you can remove the corresponding records from the Actions column before continuing.
Step 3: Check "Classify by First Digit" in the Classification Methods
After entering the second step, Set processing options, you need to choose the classification basis. The classification methods on the interface are very rich, including Classify by first character, Classify by first Chinese character, Classify by the last few characters, Classify by first digit, Classify by first English letter, Classify by the first few characters, Classify by characters within a custom position range, Classify by custom regular expression, etc.
This time, grouping is based on the first digit in the filename, so select "Classify by first digit". This option is already selected in the screenshot, and a red box marks the setting position.
After choosing this rule, the software automatically reads the first digit appearing in each filename and uses that digit as the folder name. For example, 021543537912210.pdf will go into the "0" folder, 519278340156729.pdf into the "5" folder, and 904567812349025.pdf into the "9" folder. This way, the classification action that originally required manual identification becomes an automatic software process.
There are also letter case conversion settings at the bottom of the same page. Since the current rule relates to numbers and does not require letter case conversion, the default settings can be kept. After completion, click Next.
Step 4: Set the Save Location and Execute Start Processing
Following the interface flow, the next step is Set save location. The save location determines where the classification results are output. For easy verification, it is recommended to choose a new target folder, such as "Numbered Files Classification Results" or "Organized by First Digit." This preserves the original directory structure while allowing you to view the new sorted results.
After setting the save location, proceed to Start processing. Before execution, it is advisable to reconfirm three details: whether the imported files are correct, whether the classification method is "Classify by first digit," and whether the save location is appropriate. After confirming everything is correct, start processing; the software will batch-create numeric folders and categorize the files.
Common Questions or Considerations
1. Which digit is used for classification if there are multiple numbers in the filename?
Since "Classify by first digit" is selected this time, the software will use the first digit that appears in the filename as the classification basis. For example, even if there are many other digits later in the filename, the classification result based on the first digit will not change.
2. What if the filename starts with Chinese or English?
If a filename does not directly start with a number but contains one later, whether this fits your classification expectation needs to be checked against the actual file naming. To avoid unexpected results, it is recommended to first test with a small number of files to confirm the classification logic before batch processing all files.
3. Is it suitable for Word and Excel files?
The screenshots in this article use PDF files for demonstration, but the idea of classifying by filename is not limited to PDFs. If daily office Word documents (doc, docx) and Excel spreadsheets (xls, xlsx) contain numbers in their filenames, this method can also be referenced for organization. It is important to note that whether different file types should be processed together depends on your archiving needs.
4. Why set a separate save location?
Batch organization involves moving or outputting multiple files. Setting a separate save location makes it easier to compare before and after processing and reduces the risk of operational errors. For important documents, it is recommended to back up the original folder before executing batch operations.
5. Should I rename files before classification?
If the filenames already contain clear numbers, there is generally no need for additional renaming. However, if filenames are chaotic, lack numbers, or have inconsistent digit positions, it is recommended to standardize the naming rules first before classifying by the first digit, so the final folder structure will be more accurate.
Summary: Making Numbered File Archiving Faster and More Stable
Batch grouping files by the first digit of their filename is a very practical office automation scenario. It can transform a large volume of numbered files from a mixed state into clearly structured numeric folders, saving time spent on manual dragging, judging, and repetitive file moving.
When using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , the overall process is not complicated: enter File Organization, select "Classify files by filename," import the files to be processed, set the classification method to "Classify by first digit," then set the save location and start processing. For users who frequently need to organize PDFs, docx files, xlsx sheets, contracts, invoices, orders, and archives, this batch processing method can significantly improve file management efficiency. It is recommended to use this method directly for archiving the next time you encounter a large number of numbered files.