Advanced Tricks: Customizing isimSoftware Folder List Print OutputisimSoftware Folder List Print is a handy utility for generating printable lists of files and folders. By default it produces straightforward directory listings, but with a few advanced techniques you can tune the output to better fit documentation, end-user handouts, audits, backups, or archival catalogs. This article walks through deeper customization options, practical workflows, and tips to make your printed folder lists both more useful and more attractive.
Why customize the output?
Default folder listings are functional but often too generic. Customization helps you:
- Emphasize important files, dates, or sizes.
- Remove clutter (system files, temporary items).
- Add context (notes, categories, project codes).
- Produce consistent, branded documents for sharing or archiving.
Output formats and when to use them
isimSoftware typically supports plain text (TXT), rich text (RTF), CSV, and HTML for folder lists. Choose based on how you’ll use the list:
- TXT — Minimal, portable, ideal for quick reviews or embedding in scripts.
- CSV — Structured; best for importing into spreadsheets or databases for sorting/filtering.
- RTF/HTML — Retains formatting; ideal for printable handouts or reports with headings and emphasis.
Tip: Export as CSV when you plan to post-process the list (filtering, adding columns), then re-export to RTF or HTML for polished printing.
Pre-export filtering: clean the source
Before exporting, reduce noise by excluding files and folders you don’t want in the final printout.
- Use built-in exclude patterns (if available) to skip:
- Hidden/system files (e.g., Thumbs.db, .DS_Store).
- Temporary files (~*, *.tmp).
- Large media folders if not relevant (e.g., /Videos).
- Filter by file extension to focus on relevant asset types (e.g., .docx, .pdf, .psd).
- Filter by date ranges to show only recent changes or items older than a specific date (useful for audits).
Practical example: exclude *.tmp, *.bak, and hidden files; include only .docx and .pdf created in the last year.
Post-export transformations
Once you have an export (CSV is ideal), use spreadsheet software or scripting to transform the data.
- Add columns:
- Project code, owner, retention policy, confidentiality level.
- Custom notes or URLs linking to cloud locations.
- Reformat dates to your organization’s preferred format (ISO 8601 for technical teams; dd/mm/yyyy for others).
- Calculate human-friendly sizes (KB/MB/GB) if the export uses raw bytes.
- Sort and group by folder, owner, date, or file type.
Example spreadsheet steps:
- Import CSV.
- Add column “Project” and fill via lookup matching folder names.
- Convert size column: =TEXT(A2/(1024^2),“0.0”) & “ MB”
- Group rows by project, then export to RTF for printing.
Styling the printable report
If exporting to HTML or RTF, you can style the output for readability and branding.
- HTML tips:
- Use CSS to set fonts, colors, alternating row backgrounds, and print-friendly page breaks (page-break-inside: avoid).
- Add a header with logo, report title, generation date, and scope summary.
- Use collapsible sections for large folders to keep the top-level summary concise.
- RTF tips:
- Use heading styles for folder levels, smaller font for file names, and bold for totals.
- Insert page breaks between major sections or projects.
Example CSS snippet for print-friendly tables:
@media print { table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 11pt; } th, td { padding: 6px; border: 1px solid #ddd; } tr:nth-child(even) { background: #f9f9f9; } .no-break { page-break-inside: avoid; } } Automation: scripts and scheduled exports
For recurring reports, automate the export and formatting pipeline.
- Windows: PowerShell can run isimSoftware via command line (if CLI available) or manipulate exported CSVs:
- Schedule a Task to run weekly.
- Use Import-Csv, add columns or filters, then export to HTML via ConvertTo-Html or back to CSV.
- macOS/Linux: shell scripts with awk/sed/python:
- Use Python/pandas to load CSV, transform, and write styled HTML (with Jinja2 templates) or PDF (via wkhtmltopdf).
- Include versioning in filenames: project-folderlist_YYYYMMDD.csv
Minimal PowerShell example (post-export CSV transform):
$csv = Import-Csv "C:xports olderlist.csv" $csv | Where-Object { $_.Extension -in @('.docx','.pdf') } | Select-Object Folder, Name, @{Name='SizeMB';Expression={[math]::Round($_.Size/1MB,2)}}, Modified | Export-Csv "C:xports olderlist_filtered.csv" -NoTypeInformation Adding metadata and QR codes
Enrich printed lists with metadata to make them actionable.
- Include owner contact, retention policy, or a one-line summary per folder.
- Generate QR codes linking to cloud folders or an internal ticket that opens the project in your system. You can batch-generate QR images and reference them in HTML/RTF output.
Quick approach:
- After CSV transform, create a URL column for each folder.
- Use a QR generation library (Python qrcode) to produce images named by folder.
- Embed images in your HTML template next to each folder row.
Handling very large trees
Large directory trees can overwhelm printed pages. Use these strategies:
- Produce summary pages (counts, total sizes) with drilled-down annexes for specific projects.
- Print only the top N items per folder, plus a “more…” link or QR code to the full online listing.
- Use pagination and section headers so readers can navigate easily.
Accessibility and archiving considerations
- Make sure report text uses sufficient contrast and a readable font size (11–12pt for body text).
- For archival, include a metadata header: generation date/time, scanned root path, tool and version used, and filters applied.
- Save machine-readable copies (CSV/JSON) alongside PDFs for future automated processing.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Missing files in export: check exclude patterns and permissions; run with elevated privileges if needed.
- Incorrect sizes/dates: ensure time zone settings and file system timestamps are consistent.
- Formatting lost after export: prefer HTML/RTF for rich formatting; recreate styling in your post-processing step if needed.
Example end-to-end workflow
- Configure isimSoftware to export CSV, with exclude patterns for system/temp files.
- Run scheduled script that:
- Imports CSV into Python (pandas).
- Adds Project and Owner columns via lookup tables.
- Filters to relevant extensions and reformats sizes/dates.
- Renders an HTML report using a Jinja2 template with embedded QR codes.
- Converts HTML to PDF (wkhtmltopdf) for distribution and saves CSV/JSON for archive.
- Email the PDF to stakeholders and upload both PDF and CSV to the project archive.
Final tips
- Start by defining the audience and purpose — reporting needs differ for auditors, users, and archivists.
- Prefer structured exports (CSV/JSON) for downstream processing.
- Keep branding and readability in mind when styling printable output.
- Automate repetitive tasks and document your pipeline so others can reproduce it.
If you want, I can: produce a sample CSV-to-HTML template, write the PowerShell/Python script for your environment, or design a printable HTML report with QR-code embedding.
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