If a folder contains a large number of files starting with Chinese names, you can automatically organize files with the same initial Chinese character into the same folder by categorizing them based on the first Chinese character of the filename. This article, in conjunction with the HeSoft Doc Batch Tool interface, explains the complete workflow from selecting the file organization function, importing files, setting classification by the first Chinese character, to viewing the results, helping users reduce repetitive dragging and manual archiving time.
A lot of office documents are not scattered by format, but named after business objects. For example, file names may start with a person’s name, customer name, project name, or region name, followed by the file type. One folder may contain PDF, Word docx, Excel, CSV, zip, and other files at the same time. Simply looking at the extension cannot meet archiving needs; what is truly needed is to group files whose names start with the same character together.
Doing this manually is very troublesome. Taking the sample files as an example, you need to first identify that 陈杰.zip and 陈静.pdf belong to 陈, then identify that 李娜.pdf and 李洋洋.docx belong to 李, and also handle 王芳.docx, 王昊.pdf, 杨磊.pdf, 张伟.md, 赵敏.csv, and 赵婷.csv. The larger the number of files, the more prone to errors such as missed drags, wrong drags, and duplicate folder creation. HeSoft Doc Batch Tool As office software, it provides batch processing capabilities for file organization, allowing such repetitive labor to be completed automatically by rules.
Applicable Scenario: Organizing Mixed Files Starting with Chinese Names
Classifying by the first Chinese character is suitable for situations where a large number of files have a consistent naming convention. For example, employee files starting with names, supplier files starting with company abbreviations, project files starting with project names, and region files starting with city or province names. As long as the first Chinese character in the file name can represent the grouping basis, you can use classification by the first Chinese character to archive.
Unlike classifying by extension, classifying by the first Chinese character does not care whether the file is pdf, docx, doc, xlsx, xls, csv, md, or zip. It focuses on the character pattern of the file name itself. Therefore, mixed-format files can be imported and organized all at once, reducing the time spent switching back and forth between multiple tools or folders.
This method is suitable for work that requires quickly establishing a preliminary directory structure. For example, when receiving a batch of unorganized materials, first group them by the first character of the name or customer name, then conduct detailed checks later. For archiving personnel, dividing files into several meaningful groups first is much more efficient than searching in one large directory.
Effect Preview: Changes in Directory Structure Before and After Organization
Before Processing: File names are regular, but no folder structure has been formed yet
The screenshot before processing shows all files concentrated in the same directory. File names start with Chinese names, and the same time information can be seen on the right. Although ownership can be judged from the names, the directory itself has no classification, and users still need to identify visually and manually move files to complete archiving.
This type of directory is very common in actual work: all downloads go into the same folder, all attachments are placed together when collecting forms, and files exported from chat software are often mixed together. In the short term, it's just messy; in the long term, it affects retrieval, statistics, and delivery efficiency.
After Processing: Folders for 陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵, etc., are automatically formed
In the screenshot after processing, the directory has become multiple folders named 陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵. This shows that the software has completed the classification based on the first Chinese character in the file name, placing files with the same first character into the same location.
The benefits after organization are straightforward: the directory structure is clearer, the search scope is smaller, and subsequent manual review is faster. If you need to package, forward, or continue processing a certain group of files, you just need to enter the corresponding folder.
Operation Steps: From Importing Files to Archiving by the First Chinese Character
Step 1: Open 'Classify Files by File Name' in File Organization
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , find File Organization in the left navigation. The page displays multiple file organization-related functions, including Classify Files by File Name, Classify Files by Extension, Batch Create New Folders Based on Existing Folders, etc. Since the goal this time is archiving by the first character of the file name, select Classify Files by File Name.
Choosing the correct function is critical. If you select Classify by Extension, the software is more suitable for separating PDF, Word, CSV, etc., by format; whereas this article needs to place files starting with 陈, 李, 王, etc., into their own groups, so you should enter the Classify by File Name process.
Step 2: Add the files to be processed to the task list
After entering the function, the first step is to select the records to be processed. At the top of the interface, there are two main entry points: Add Files and Import Files from Folder. The former is suitable for selecting files from different locations, while the latter is for importing all files from a certain folder at once. In the screenshot, 10 records have been imported, containing multiple extensions.
The table shows the name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time of each file. This table can be used to confirm two types of information: first, whether the files have been fully imported; second, whether the file names conform to the classification rules. For example, file names like 陈杰.zip, 陈静.pdf, and 李娜.pdf all contain a clear first Chinese character, making them suitable for the current operation.
If unwanted files appear in the list, you can remove them before proceeding to the next step to avoid mixing irrelevant materials into the output. If the number of imported files does not match expectations, you should first go back to the folder to check, then re-import. The efficiency of batch processing comes from one-time execution, but the premise is that the input list is accurate.
Step 3: Check 'Classify by the First Chinese Character' in the processing options
After clicking Next, you enter the settings for processing options. This is the core of the entire workflow. The classification method on the page offers multiple rules; this time, you should select Classify by the First Chinese Character. This option means the software will find the first Chinese character in the file name and use it as the name for the classification folder.
Using the sample files for explanation: 陈杰.zip and 陈静.pdf will be identified as 陈; 李娜.pdf and 李洋洋.docx will be identified as 李; 王芳.docx and 王昊.pdf will be identified as 王; 杨磊.pdf identified as 杨; 张伟.md identified as 张; 赵敏.csv and 赵婷.csv identified as 赵. Ultimately, folders corresponding to these first characters will be generated.
At the bottom of the page, there is also a setting for letter case conversion. Since the classification target this time is the first Chinese character, keeping the default is fine. If file names primarily start with English letters, you would need to consider related English letter rules or case conversion options. For archiving Chinese-named files, the default settings usually better meet expectations.
Step 4: Continue following the wizard to set the output location and execute
After setting the classification method, continue following the wizard to set the save location, and then start processing. Although the screenshot does not expand the specific details of the save location page, the wizard already shows two subsequent steps: Set Save Location and Start Processing. It is recommended to choose an independent directory for the save location, which makes it easy to retain a comparison before and after processing and convenient for re-adjustment if naming inconsistencies occur.
Before execution, you can perform another rule check: whether the number of records to be processed is correct, whether the classification method is 'Classify by the First Chinese Character', and whether the save location is clear. After confirming, start processing, and the software will automatically complete the batch classification. After processing is complete, open the save directory, and you will see folders created based on first characters like 陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵.
Common Problems or Considerations
1. Why not manually create new folders?
Manually creating new folders is suitable for a small number of files but not for large-scale repetitive archiving. Batch tools can complete creation and classification at once based on unified rules, reducing the number of human judgments. Especially when the number of files reaches several dozen or more, the efficiency advantage of automatic classification becomes very obvious.
2. What is the difference between classifying by the first Chinese character and classifying by the first character?
Classifying by the first character usually focuses on the very first character of the file name, regardless of whether it is a number, letter, symbol, or Chinese character. Classifying by the first Chinese character focuses on the first Chinese character in the file name, which is more suitable for materials like Chinese names, Chinese customer names, Chinese project names, etc. If file names have prefixes like numbers but the actual classification basis is the Chinese name, classifying by the first Chinese character usually fits the need better.
3. Does the file extension affect the classification result?
No. The same task in the screenshot contains extensions like zip, pdf, docx, md, csv, etc., and the classification basis remains the Chinese character in the file name. That means 陈静.pdf and 陈杰.zip can go into the same 陈 folder, and 赵敏.csv and 赵婷.csv can go into the same 赵 folder.
4. What if the file name has no Chinese characters?
If the file name has absolutely no Chinese characters, it is not suitable for using 'Classify by the First Chinese Character'. In this case, you can choose other classification methods based on the actual pattern of the file names, such as classifying by the first number, classifying by the first English letter, classifying by the first few characters, or classifying by characters within a custom position range. When selecting a rule, the basis should be stable content appearing in the file names.
5. How to reduce the risk of errors before batch processing?
It is recommended to organize naming rules first, then execute batch processing. For files from complex sources, you can filter out irrelevant files first, check if the first characters meet expectations, and select a new save location for the output. For important files, it is advisable to run a sample test first and only process all files after confirming the results are correct.
Summary: Make Chinese First-Character Classification a Batch Process for Easier File Management
Batch classification by the first Chinese character in the file name is a simple yet very practical file management method. It can automatically put PDFs, Word docx, doc, Excel, CSV, zip, and other files with the same first character together, which is particularly suitable for the initial archiving of name-related files, customer materials, and project documents.
When using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , simply enter 'Classify Files by File Name' under File Organization, import the files to be processed, select 'Classify by the First Chinese Character' in the processing options, set the save location, and execute, to obtain clearly classified folders. For users who frequently process large volumes of office files, it is recommended to incorporate this rule-based organization process into daily work, replacing repetitive dragging with batch processing, and saving time for more important review, analysis, and delivery tasks.