Manually archiving a large number of files starting with names or Chinese titles by surname or first Chinese character is very time-consuming. This article uses mixed files such as PDF, docx, csv, zip, and md as examples to explain how to use HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to automatically sort files into corresponding folders based on the first Chinese character in the file name. Users can clearly see the differences before and after processing, and complete batch archiving by following the workflow: adding files, selecting the classification method, setting the save location, and starting the process.
Many office workers encounter similar issues: a folder is piled up with materials from different people, clients, or projects, and the file formats are inconsistent, including PDF, Word docx or doc files, Excel spreadsheets, CSV data files, compressed zip packages, and even md text files. Although the filenames often already contain key information, such as "陈杰," "李娜," "王芳," "赵敏," etc., manually organizing them into folders by the first character of the name or the first Chinese character is still repetitive, mechanical, and error-prone work.
This article introduces a more efficient method: using the office software HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch-read the first Chinese character in filenames and automatically categorize files based on that character. After processing, the software generates folders named after characters like "陈," "李," "王," "杨," "张," "赵," grouping files with the same initial character together. For those who need to organize employee documents, student materials, client files, or contract attachments in bulk, this method significantly reduces the time spent on repetitive dragging and manually creating directories.
Use Cases: Where Archiving by the First Chinese Character is More Suitable Than Manual Sorting
If your file naming has a certain pattern and the filenames contain Chinese names, company names, project names, or category names, then "classifying by the first Chinese character" is usually very practical. It does not require all files to be in the same format or have the same extension; the key is whether there is a Chinese character in the filename that can be used for classification.
Typical scenarios include: HR departments organizing employee onboarding materials, such as scanned ID cards, resumes, registration forms, and contract PDFs; schools or training institutions organizing student application materials, like registration forms, transcripts, and compressed photo packages; sales teams organizing client documents, such as quotations, contracts, communication records, and CSV data sheets; and administrative staff organizing meeting or project files, such as Word, PDF, and Excel documents starting with the project's Chinese name.
In these scenarios, manual organization usually involves observing the filename, creating a new folder, and then dragging the file into it. If multiple files share the same initial character, one must repeatedly check if they belong in the same directory. The more files there are, the more apparent the repetitive operations become. The value of a batch file processing tool lies in handing these fixed rules over to the software, with users only needing to confirm if the rules are correct.
Preview of Results: From a Chaotic File List to Clearly Sorted Folders
Before Processing: Different File Formats, Yet Filenames Contain Chinese Prefix Information
Before processing, multiple files are grouped together in a single folder. You can see files including "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," etc. These include compressed packages, PDFs, Word documents, Markdown files, and CSV spreadsheets.
To organize them traditionally, a user would need to first create folders like "陈," "李," "王," "杨," "张," "赵," and then move the corresponding files into them. For example, "陈杰.zip" and "陈静.pdf" go into "陈," while "赵敏.csv" and "赵婷.csv" go into "赵." This is manageable when the number of files is small, but once the count increases, manual operation becomes inefficient.
After Processing: Multiple Folders Automatically Formed by the First Chinese Character
The result after processing is very intuitive: files originally scattered in the same directory are organized into multiple folders, with folder names being the first Chinese character from the filenames. The screenshot shows that directories like "陈," "李," "王," "杨," "张," and "赵" have been generated.
This structure is more convenient for subsequent management. For instance, if you need to view materials related to the surname "王," you just open the "王" folder; if you need to check CSV files starting with "赵," you can directly go into the "赵" folder. For daily office file archiving, this automatic classification by the first Chinese character in filenames is both clear and time-saving.
Operation Steps: Batch Creating Categorized Directories by the First Chinese Character in Filenames
Step 1: Find the Corresponding Feature in the File Organizing Tool
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , the left navigation bar contains multiple office processing modules, including "File Organization." Since the goal of this operation is to organize file locations, not edit the content of Word, Excel, or PDF files, you should select the "File Organization" module.
In the right-hand function area, click "Classify files by filename." As seen in the screenshot, the description on this feature card is "Batch classify all files by filename." This indicates that the feature categorizes files based on their names, making it suitable for the current need to create folders by the first Chinese character.
The expected result of this step is to enter the batch processing task interface. When selecting the feature, be careful not to mistakenly choose "Classify files by extension," as this would separate pdf, docx, csv, etc., by format, whereas this article's goal is classification by Chinese characters in filenames.
Step 2: Import the Files to Organize and Check the Record List
After entering the feature, the top of the interface provides buttons like "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder." If the files needing processing are already in the same directory, using "Import Files from Folder" is more convenient; if you only want to organize some files, you can select specific ones using "Add Files."
After importing, the software lists the pending records in a table. The screenshot shows a total of 10 records, with table fields including Name, Path, Extension, Creation Time, Modification Time, etc. Through this list, users can confirm whether all files were successfully imported and observe whether the extensions include expected formats like pdf, docx, csv, zip, md.
The purpose of this step is to establish the file list for this batch classification. It is recommended that users check two points before clicking next: first, whether the number of records matches the actual number of files to be processed; second, whether the filenames align with the rule of classification by the first Chinese character. If some filenames are not standardized, it's best to process or exclude them separately to avoid affecting the final archiving structure.
Step 3: Select "Classify by First Chinese Character" as the Core Rule
After confirming the file list is correct, click "Next" at the bottom to enter the processing options setting page. The top of this page indicates that the process is now at step 2, "Set Processing Options." In the "Classification Method" area, the software offers multiple classification rules.
To achieve the goal of this article, select "Classify by First Chinese Character." From the screenshot, you can see this option is on the left side of the classification method area and is already selected. Once chosen, the software will extract the first Chinese character from each filename and then generate classification folders based on this character.
For example, the first Chinese character in the filename "陈静.pdf" is "陈," so it will be placed into the "陈" folder; "王芳.docx" and "王昊.pdf" will both go into the "王" folder; "赵敏.csv" and "赵婷.csv" will both go into the "赵" folder. This rule is independent of file extensions, so doc, docx, pdf, csv, zip, and other files can be organized together.
At the bottom of the page, there is also a "Letter Case Conversion" option, including Default, Convert to Uppercase, and Convert to Lowercase. Since the classification targets in this tutorial are Chinese characters and do not involve English letter case, keeping the default setting is usually sufficient.
Step 4: Set the Save Location and Execute Start Processing
After setting the classification method, click "Next" again. Following the page flow prompts, subsequent steps lead to "Set Save Location" and finally "Start Processing." As the screenshots do not detail the specific save location and start processing pages, actual operation should follow the software interface prompts, selecting a suitable output directory and executing the process.
To facilitate checking the results, it is advisable not to scatter the output location excessively. Choose a dedicated target directory, such as "Classification Results" or "Archived by First Chinese Character." After processing is complete, open the output directory to see if folders corresponding to the first characters of the filenames have been generated.
Seeing folders like "陈, 李, 王, 杨, 张, 赵" in the post-processing screenshot indicates that the classification rules have taken effect. The next step is simply to enter the corresponding directories to verify the files.
Common Questions and Considerations
1. Why choose "Classify by First Chinese Character" instead of "Classify by First Character"?
The focus of the two is different. "Classify by First Character" usually directly takes the very first character of the filename. If the filename has a prefix like a number, space, date, or special symbol, the classification result may not be the Chinese directory you want. "Classify by First Chinese Character" is more suitable for archiving Chinese information like names, client names, or project names, as it focuses on the first Chinese character appearing in the filename.
2. What if filenames have numeric or English prefixes?
If a filename starts with numbers or English letters but contains Chinese characters afterward, using "Classify by First Chinese Character" usually better fits the needs of archiving by name or Chinese title. If your actual goal is to classify by numerical ID or English letter, you can select the corresponding rule from the other classification methods in the interface.
3. Will files with different extensions affect the classification results?
No. The sample files in the screenshots include zip, pdf, docx, md, csv, and other formats, but the classification basis is the Chinese character in the filename. Therefore, Word docx or doc documents, PDF files, CSV spreadsheets, compressed packages, etc., can all be batch-archived following the same rule.
4. Do I need a backup before processing?
For important files, it is recommended to keep a backup of the original folder or output the processed results to a new directory. This way, even if the chosen classification rule is inappropriate, you can readjust the rules and reprocess without affecting the original materials.
5. What impact does a non-standard filename have?
If a filename contains no Chinese characters, or if the Chinese character is not what you intended as the classification basis, the final sorting result may not meet expectations. Therefore, it is best to browse the filenames before batch processing to confirm consistent naming conventions. A small number of abnormal files can be renamed or handled individually beforehand.
Summary: Let Office Software Batch-Complete Archiving by the First Character of a Name
Classifying files by the first Chinese character in the filename is a simple yet highly efficient file organization method. It can automatically sort PDF, Word, CSV, ZIP, and other files mixed in the same directory into corresponding folders based on the initial Chinese character, making it especially suitable for office scenarios involving employee data, client archives, student files, and contract attachments.
With HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , the entire process can be summarized in four steps: enter "File Organization" and select "Classify files by filename," import the files to be processed, select "Classify by First Chinese Character," and then set the save location and start processing. Compared to manually creating new folders and dragging files one by one, batch processing significantly reduces repetitive labor and makes the file structure much clearer. If you frequently face a large number of similarly named files, it is recommended to use this method directly to complete archiving and organization.