Articles - Continued

Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is the main application designed for organizing files in MS Windows.

These files are organized in folders in a very similar manner to a real life filing system. These folders can be stored inside one another to make a more intuitive and efficient system. (This can be compared to how actual tangible files on a similar theme are most often stored together in the same filing cabinet).

Windows Explorer is what’s known a graphical user interface or GUI. This means it can display the data in picture or diagram format, as opposed to just as text. This makes it a lot simpler to understand how the files & folders on your computer system are arranged.

While the file organization is the most notable feature, the Windows Explorer application also includes such things as one’s computer system’s desktop, icons, Control Panel and the Start Menu.

Some features available in the version of Windows Explorer (running under Windows XP) include such things as:

* Tasks: When one opens a folder, a menu comes up on the left with the most used actions for the files in the folder. That is, if most of the files in a folder are jpegs, the menu will include options such as printing or creating a slideshow.

* Search: You can search for files in numerous ways. Results can be tailored -you can state the size, date or even type of file you are searching for.

* Internet publishing: Web sites have the ability to connect to Windows Explorer on your system to make it much easier to upload files – that is, if one is sending pictures to an image processing firm.

By clicking on View at the top of a folder, one can look at files in 5 different views:

* Thumbnails: This shows a small picture for each file wherever it is applicable. For example, image files will show the picture involved, while movie files will display a screen shot of the beginning of the movie.

* Tiles or Icons: These things list the files in order, sorting them in rows (Icons fits more files on to a row.)

* List: This prints a basic list of the data files in columns.

* Details: This format prints a one column list with data about the size, type & date of said files.

By clicking on “Arrange By”, one can organize the  data files in numerous ways including: alphabetically, by date or by size.