Project documents, client files, and departmental shared drives often accumulate a large number of folders. When creating a directory list, copying paths one by one is time-consuming and error-prone. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to introduce how to batch-read folder names, paths, creation times, and modification times through the folder information statistics function, and generate an Excel table to help users quickly create a standardized folder directory ledger.
When handing over projects, archiving materials, or inventorying shared drives, it's often necessary to submit a "folder directory list." The list usually needs not only folder names, but also complete paths, parent directories, creation times, and modification times. The problem is that project materials often involve not just one or two folders, but dozens of business modules, customer categories, or department directories. If you manually copy paths and paste them into Excel, the workload can increase rapidly with a larger number of directories.
This article introduces a method more suitable for office scenarios: using the "Folder Information Statistics" feature in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to batch export path information for a large number of folders into an Excel spreadsheet. It is suitable for users who need to batch process file and folder information, especially for administrative, HR, finance, project management, operations, and archive management roles that need to maintain directory ledgers.
Applicable Scenarios: Work Requiring Quick Generation of Folder Directory Ledgers
"Folder Information Statistics" is not just about viewing folders; it's about turning folder information into manageable, filterable, and archivable Excel data. The following scenarios are all very suitable for its use:
- Project Material Handover: Export the list of project folders so both parties can check the completeness of materials against the Excel file.
- Business Directory Index: Organize business folders like AccountManagement, BrandManagement, BusinessDevelopment into a directory index for easier team lookup.
- Shared Drive Governance: Regularly count folder paths and modification times on shared drives to identify directories that haven't been updated for a long time or have non-standard naming.
- Archive List Creation: Export a folder list before archiving to serve as part of an electronic archive catalog.
- Preparation for Subsequent Batch Processing: Before performing file migration, backup, or permission adjustments, generate a path list first to confirm the scope.
Compared to manual consolidation, the advantage of batch exporting folder paths to Excel lies in unified fields, complete paths, and reusable results. Whether for subsequent filtering, sorting, or copying into reports, it's more convenient than ad-hoc manual note-taking.
Effect Preview: From Folder List to Excel Directory List
Before Processing: Multiple Project or Business Folders Exist in the Directory
The screenshot before processing shows a directory containing multiple folders. It can be seen that folder names include AccountManagement, BrandManagement, BusinessDevelopment, CompetitiveResearch, ContractManagement, CorporateFinance, CustomerSuccess, etc., with corresponding time information on the right.
If you wanted to create a list of these folders manually, you'd typically need to copy the folder name, then copy the path from the address bar, and also check the creation or modification time. Managing 20 folders this way might be feasible, but it becomes impractical for 200 or 2000 folders.
After Processing: Excel Automatically Lists Complete Path and Time Fields
In the Excel file generated after processing, each folder occupies one row with clearly arranged fields. The headers include Path, Name, Containing folder name, Containing folder path, Created time, and Modified time. This means the software not only exports the folder name and full path but also sorts out the parent folder and parent path.
Such a result is very suitable for creating a project directory list. For example, you can use Name as the directory title, Path as the actual storage location, and Modified time as the last update time. If you need to find a specific business directory later, just search for its name or path in Excel.
Operation Steps: Batch Generating a Folder Path Excel List
Step One: Open the Software and Navigate to "Folder Information Statistics"
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , select File Organization in the left navigation panel. In the right functional area, you can see multiple feature cards related to file organization, including "Classify files by filename," "Classify files by extension," "File Information Statistics," "Folder Information Statistics," etc.
Since we are creating a folder directory list this time, select "4. Folder Information Statistics". The description below this card reads "Batch count folder names, paths, time and other information," which perfectly matches the requirement of batch exporting folder path information to Excel.
The purpose of this step is to enter the correct functional module. Note that if the objects to be counted are files themselves, you can use "File Information Statistics"; if they are folder directories, you should select "Folder Information Statistics."
Step Two: Click "Add Folder" to Import the Directory to be Counted
After entering the feature page, the interface top will display the current feature name "Folder Information Statistics." The upper right corner provides buttons like Add Folder, Clear, More, etc. The current process is at Step 1: Select records to process.
Click Add Folder to add the folders you need to include in the list. After adding, the software displays these folders' names, paths, creation times, and modification times in a table. In the screenshot, you can see the list has read 20 records, with the pagination area showing 10 items per page.
The expected result of this step is: all folders to be counted are displayed in the table. Paths appearing in the list, such as D:\test\folders\AccountManagement\, are one of the sources for the Path field in the subsequent Excel file.
Step Three: Verify Pending Records to Avoid Missing or Wrongly Selected Directories
Before batch processing, verifying the records is very important. It is recommended to check in the following order:
- Check Names: Confirm if all the folder names in the list are directories you need to output to the list.
- Check Paths: Confirm if the paths are from the target parent directory to avoid mixing in folders from other locations.
- Check Times: Verify if the creation and modification times have been read correctly.
- Check Record Count: The summary area at the bottom shows the number of records, which is 20 in the screenshot, useful for quickly judging if the count is correct.
If you find an item added by mistake, use the delete button in the operation column to remove the single record; if you need to reselect, use Clear to empty the current list before adding again.
Step Four: Proceed to the Next Step to Set the Save Location
After confirming the pending folders are correct, click the Next button at the bottom of the page. The process will then move to "Set save location." The save location determines where the final generated Excel file will be stored.
For easier future retrieval, it's recommended to save the statistical results in a directory related to the project. For example, if counting a specific project's material folder, you can create a "Directory List" or "Statistical Results" folder under that project directory. This way, when opening project materials later, you can also find the generated Excel ledger.
Step Five: Start Processing and View the Excel Result
Once the save location is set, enter the "Start Processing" phase. After clicking start processing, the software will batch read the folder information from the list and generate an Excel file. Once completed, open the Excel file to see the folder path list summarized row by row.
The fields in the generated table are suitable for direct use in office management. For example:
- Path: Complete folder path, used for accurately locating the directory.
- Name: Folder name, used for directory titles or project names.
- Containing folder name: Name of the parent folder.
- Containing folder path: Path of the parent folder.
- Created time: Creation time.
- Modified time: Modification time.
These fields are more complete than just the folder name, helping users establish a traceable folder management ledger.
Common Questions and Notes
1. Can folders with English names be counted?
Yes. As seen in the screenshots, folder names include English names like AccountManagement, BrandManagement, BusinessDevelopment, etc., and the software can read and export them to Excel normally. Folders containing numbers or common symbols can also be counted according to their actual paths.
2. Why is there parent folder information in the Excel file?
The parent folder name and parent path help users understand the directory hierarchy. For example, if multiple folders have the same name but are located in different parent directories, the Containing folder path can distinguish their actual locations. This is particularly important for shared drives and project drives.
3. Do I need to close Excel before processing?
If the result file to be generated conflicts with an already open Excel file of the same name, it might affect saving. It is recommended to close possibly identically named Excel files in the target save location before starting processing and confirm you have write permission.
4. How can I make the directory list easier to read?
After generating the Excel file, you can adjust column widths, add filters, freeze the top row, or sort by modification time as needed. The software is responsible for batch generating the basic data; subsequent formatting and beautification can be done within Excel.
Summary: No More Manual Path Copying for Project Folder Lists
The key to creating lists for a large number of project folders lies in "accuracy" and "efficiency." Manually copying paths is prone to omissions and field inconsistency; using the "Folder Information Statistics" feature of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool allows you to read the name, path, creation time, and modification time of multiple folders at once and export them to an Excel spreadsheet.
If you are preparing for project handovers, shared drive inventories, customer data archiving, or department directory ledgers, you can follow the steps in this article: enter File Organization, select Folder Information Statistics, add folders, verify the list, set the save location, and start processing. This allows you to quickly obtain a clearly structured, filterable, and archivable folder path Excel list.