Not really a computer problem as much as software. I need a program that will sort a bunch of files by left string preferably with a browse button to select the correct folder.
Example:
When windows sorts files they are alpha-numerically sorted. Like this:
1
6
19
23
136
192
400
1468
1000005 here you have first digit 1's list top middle and bottom
I need to sort them like this (using the left most character then the next left most):
1 there is no second character so it gets listed
1000005 the first 0 is lower the 3 in 136 so it gets listed next
136 3 is lower than 4 in 1462 by comparing the second digit.
1468
192
23
400
6 so if you look at the fist character on the far left and read DOWN you see all the 1's listed the 2's, 3's. 4's etc. Then the second numbers read lowest to highest reading down. If you look in a bearing catalog you can really see how efficient it is as opposed to traditional listing.
It also has to be alpha numeric with letters first as I have thousands of part numbers in various formats. I f you know of a program let me know. Or some of you smarter fellas could try to program it!?!?!?!?!?
Anyway thanks in advance for you time and input. See you on the killing field.
As a side note I won lunch today at work. One of my co-workers was renaming the same thousands of files by adding a letter to the front of it. Like this B1468 it was 1468. I bet him I could have it done by lunch (about two hours). He agreed to the bet.
I downloaded Rename4U ran it on a couple of folders and viola! Three days work done in 27 minutes.