Re: Cataloging apps for Finder files? (Mathematica notebooks especially)
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg120928] Re: Cataloging apps for Finder files? (Mathematica notebooks especially)
- From: Dan <dflatin at rcn.com>
- Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2011 01:27:53 -0400 (EDT)
- Delivered-to: l-mathgroup@mail-archive0.wolfram.com
- References: <j29p01$7d4$1@smc.vnet.net>
On Aug 14, 8:24 pm, AES <sieg... at stanford.edu> wrote:
> Can anyone suggest a Mac OS X cataloging app that can easily create
> multiple catalogs of selected Finder files ("FFiles" from here on) and
> assist in their management -- with specific reference to catloging
> Mathematica .nb notebook files distributed here and there on a Mac HD?
>
> By "catalogs" I mean separate, named document files (or database
> files, if you wish), which can be opened and edited by this cataloging
> app, and each of which contains lists of selected FFiles and data
> about these FFiles as entries.
>
> By "FFile management* I mean the ability to do tasks like:
>
> * Add additional FFiles as entries in any catalog (preferably by drag
> and drop).
>
> * Add supplemental info about each entry in the catalog (and
> preferably have this info be added as metadata to the FFile itself).
>
> * Do usual sorting tasks within each catalog, on multiple fields
> within the entries.
>
> * Build and export or print selected lists of the FFile entries in
> the catalog.
>
> * Jump directly from an entry in the catalog itself to the FFile
> associated with it ("Find in Finder"), or Open that FFile in its own
> app.
>
> Plus other useful tasks, like rename (and batch rename) FFiles, or
> Move or Copy associated FFiles, directly within the catalog; find
> duplicates or missing entries; and so on.
>
> Existing cataloging apps I know about that can do some of these tasks:
>
> * iView Media Pro or PhaseOne Media Pro: Does a superb job of all o=
f
> these management tasks; can actually be used for .nb files also, but
> really designed mostly for image files.
>
> * EndNote: Really a bibliographic database, doesn't do most of the
> above -- but if you have a PDF FFile of a cataloged article on your
> HD, an associated catalog entry has a field that can you open that PDF
> directly.
>
> Existing cataloging apps I know about but am not interested in:
>
> * Bento [doesn't create separate catalog document files];
>
> * Filemaker Pro: I don't believe it can do most of the management
> tasks listed above (???).
>
> * Excel, Numbers, or other spreadsheets [often used as cataloging
> apps, but not designed for this task, and lousy at it].
>
> Any suggestions appreciated.
For overall file management on my Mac I use PathFinder by CocoaTech.
This is a sophisticated tool with many unix sensibilities. For batch
file renaming you might want to try "A Better Finder Rename". I use it
to manage photographs mostly, but it can easily be used to rename any
file based on its meta data. It can also create droplets so that you
can have standard conversions for different sets of files.
-- Dan