When a folder is filled with a large number of PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, ZIP, Markdown, and other files, and the file names begin with names, customer names, or project names, manually creating folders and dragging files one by one is very time-consuming. This article explains how to use the "Classify Files by File Name" feature in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to automatically create classification folders based on the first Chinese character in the file name, and batch-move the corresponding files into the same category directory. This is suitable for scenarios such as personnel files, customer materials, application documents, and contract documents.
In daily office work, many files are not managed by extension but archived based on key information in the filename. For instance, personnel documents might start with an employee's name, client files with a client's name, registration materials with a student's name, and project data with a project abbreviation. As the number of files grows, folders can contain documents in various formats like pdf, docx, doc, xlsx, csv, zip, and md. If you still manually create new folders and copy, paste, or drag to move them, it is not only inefficient but also prone to misplacement.
The problem this article aims to solve is clear: batch categorize many files into groups based on the first Chinese character in their filename. That means the software will read the first Chinese character in each filename and use that character as the classification basis, placing files with the same initial Chinese character into the same folder. For example, "陈杰.zip" and "陈静.pdf" would go into the "陈" folder, while "李娜.pdf" and "李洋洋.docx" would go into the "李" folder. Using screenshots, the guide below will demonstrate how to use the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to complete this kind of batch file organization task.
Applicable Scenarios: Which Files Are Suitable for Classification by the First Chinese Character
Classifying by the first Chinese character in the filename is particularly suitable for materials where filenames have an obvious Chinese character prefix. It's not a simple classification by extension or creation date, but one that aligns more closely with everyday office business habits. For example, a department receives a batch of employee documents, with filenames like "张伟身份证.pdf", "张伟简历.docx", "李娜登记表.xlsx"; a school or training institution receives registration files named "王芳报名表.pdf", "王芳照片.zip", "赵敏成绩.csv"; or a sales or customer service team organizes client data where filenames start with a client's name or company abbreviation.
In these scenarios, using the first Chinese character for classification offers several advantages. First, it quickly groups files starting with the same surname or type together, making subsequent searches easier. Second, it is not restricted by file format; PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, CSV data files, compressed archives, Markdown documents, and more can all be processed together. Third, it reduces repetitive work, eliminating the need to manually judge which folder each file should go into. Fourth, when file counts increase from dozens to hundreds or thousands, the efficiency advantage of batch processing becomes very apparent.
It is important to note that this article explains classification "by the first Chinese character in the filename." If your filenames are purely in English, purely numeric, or you wish to classify by extension, you should choose other corresponding classification methods within the software. This article's focus is on archiving Chinese filenames, especially suitable for file collections starting with names, surnames, or Chinese project names.
Result Preview: Files Mixed Before Processing, Grouped by First Chinese Character After
Before Processing: Different File Formats Jumbled in the Same Directory
From the pre-processing screenshot, you can see multiple file types in the current folder, including zip, pdf, docx, md, csv, etc. The filenames start with Chinese characters like "陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵," but all files are mixed together in the same directory. If there were only ten files, manual organization might be manageable; but with hundreds or thousands of similar files, manual dragging becomes very tedious and prone to omissions.
For instance, the screenshot includes files like "陈杰.zip", "陈静.pdf", "李娜.pdf", "李洋洋.docx", "王芳.docx", "王昊.pdf", "杨磊.pdf", "张伟.md", "赵敏.csv", "赵婷.csv". The common feature of these files is that the first Chinese character at the start of the filename can serve as a classification basis. Our goal is to have the system automatically identify this initial Chinese character and place the corresponding file into a folder named after that character.
After Processing: Classification Folders like "陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵" Auto-generated
After processing is complete, the previously jumbled files are organized into multiple folders. Each folder name corresponds to the first Chinese character in the filename, such as "陈", "李", "王", "杨", "张", "赵". Files with the same starting character are placed into the same folder, allowing you to simply enter the corresponding folder for future searches.
This organizing method is highly suitable for batch archiving because it preserves the business meaning inherent in the filename itself, while simultaneously reducing the time spent manually creating directories and moving files. For organizing office documents, this approach aligns better with practical usage habits than simply classifying by extension.
Operation Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to Classify by First Chinese Character
Step 1: Enter "File Organizing" and select "Classify files by name"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see different tool categories on the left side, such as File Organizing, Word Tools, Excel Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, etc. Since this task involves batch archiving the files themselves, you should enter the "File Organizing" category.
In the File Organizing page, select the function card "Classify files by name". In the screenshot, this function card is located first, with the description stating it can classify all files in batches by their filenames. This function is the entry point to be used in this article, designed to automatically generate classification directories and organize files based on the filename content.
The purpose of this step is to tell the software that the next operation is not format conversion, PDF merging, or Word processing, but file classification and organization. After selecting the correct function, the subsequent interface will enter the batch processing workflow.
Step 2: Add the files to be processed or import from a folder
After entering the "Classify files by name" function, you can see operation buttons like "Add files", "Import files from folder", "Clear", and "More" at the top of the interface. For a small number of files, you can use "Add files" to select them individually; for a large volume of materials already centralized in one directory, using "Import files from folder" is recommended, as it allows you to add target files to the processing list all at once.
The screenshot shows 10 records have been imported, with the list displaying information such as index, name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. You can see the file path is under the D:\test directory, and extensions include zip, pdf, docx, md, csv, etc. The software does not require file types to be consistent, which reflects the value of a batch file organizing tool: as long as filenames match the classification rule, different formats can be processed together.
The purpose of this step is to clarify to the software which files need to be included in the classification. After importing, it is recommended to review the number of files and filenames in the list for correctness, to avoid mistakenly adding files that should not be organized to the task. If a record is found that should not be processed, you can remove it using the delete operation in the interface; if the import is wrong, you can also use "Clear" and re-import.
Step 3: In the processing options, select "Classify by the first Chinese character"
After confirming the file list, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the "Set processing options" interface. This is the most critical step in the entire workflow, as the classification method will directly determine the final generated folder structure.
In the "Classification method" area, you can see various rules, such as classifying by the first character, by the first digit, by the first English letter, by the first English letter or Chinese character, by the initial few characters, by characters within a custom position range, by custom regular expressions, and more. To achieve the goal of this article—classifying by the first Chinese character in the filename—you should select "Classify by the first Chinese character".
After selecting this option, the software will use the first Chinese character found in the filename as the classification name. For example, the first Chinese character in "陈杰.zip" is "陈", so it will go into the "陈" folder; for "李洋洋.docx", it's "李", so it goes into the "李" folder; for "赵婷.csv", it's "赵", so it goes into the "赵" folder. This way, even if the file extensions differ, the classification result is not affected.
Further down the same interface, you can also see the "Case conversion" area, containing options like Default, Convert to uppercase, and Convert to lowercase. Since the classification basis here is Chinese characters, keeping it on "Default" is usually sufficient, with no need for case conversion.
Step 4: Continue to the next step, set the save location, and start processing
After completing the classification method settings, click "Next" at the bottom of the interface. Following the workflow prompt at the top, the subsequent steps are "Set save location" and "Start processing". In actual operation, you should follow the software interface prompts to select a save location for the organized files, then proceed to the start processing step to execute the task.
The choice of save location affects how the final organized results are stored. For easier verification, it is recommended to select a clear output directory, such as creating a new folder specifically named "Results Sorted by First Character". This way, after processing is complete, you can directly open that directory to check if classification folders like "陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵" have been generated.
After processing, comparing with the result screenshot shows that the files have been archived according to their first Chinese character. When you need to find materials for a specific person or a certain type of starting character, you can simply enter the corresponding folder, eliminating the need to repeatedly sift through a large number of mixed files.
Frequently Asked Questions and Notes
1. What if a filename doesn't start with a Chinese character? Can it still be processed?
The method used in this article is "Classify by the first Chinese character," which focuses on the first Chinese character that appears in the filename. If the filename starts with numbers, dates, or other characters but still contains Chinese characters later, it can usually be classified based on the first Chinese character. If your classification basis is not Chinese characters but digits, English letters, or characters at a fixed position, you should select a more suitable classification method in the processing options.
2. Can PDFs, Word docs, Excels, CSVs, and ZIPs be classified together?
Yes. As seen in the processing list from the screenshot, files with different extensions like zip, pdf, docx, md, and csv were added to the task simultaneously. The core basis of this function is the filename, not the file format. Therefore, office materials like doc, docx, pdf, xls, xlsx, csv, and zip can be batch organized together based on the first Chinese character in the filename.
3. Do I need to manually create folders before classification?
Judging from the post-processing results, the software will generate corresponding folders based on the classification results, such as "陈", "李", "王", etc. In actual operation, users do not need to manually create these directories one by one; they only need to select the correct classification method and follow the workflow to process.
4. How can I avoid misclassification?
It is recommended to check the filenames after importing files. If filenames contain spaces, numbers, special symbols, or inconsistent naming conventions, first confirm whether the first Chinese character matches your archiving rules. For very important materials, it is also advisable to test with a small number of files first, and proceed with batch processing of all files only after confirming the output meets expectations.
5. Should the original files be kept after processing?
The screenshot does not show the specific saving policy, so in actual operation, you should follow the save location and processing prompts in the software interface. For safety, you can back up the original directory before processing important files, or output the results to a new folder, making it easier to verify and roll back.
Summary: Reduce Repetitive Dragging with Batch File Organizing and Improve Office Archiving Efficiency
Classifying by the first Chinese character in the filename is a highly practical method for organizing office files. It is particularly suitable for collections of files starting with Chinese names or titles, such as personnel archives, client data, registration documents, contract attachments, and project materials. Using the "Classify files by name" function in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you only need to import files, select "Classify by the first Chinese character", set the save location, and start processing to automatically sort a large number of mixed PDFs, Word documents, CSVs, ZIPs, and other files into corresponding folders.
Compared to manually creating new folders and dragging files one by one, batch processing not only saves time but also reduces the risk of omissions and misplacement. If you frequently need to organize large numbers of files, it is recommended to delegate such rule-based repetitive operations to office software, freeing up your energy for more important tasks like review, analysis, and business judgment.