Dobby — File Manager

Automatically rename and organize your files the moment they appear — no manual work required.

Dobby watches folders you choose, applies your custom rules, and moves incoming files to the right place with the right name. Set it up once, let it run forever.

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Overview

At a glance: how many files were processed today, how many rules are running, and a live feed of recent file activity.

Before & After

Left: a folder full of unsorted files. Right: the same folder after Dobby runs — files automatically renamed and moved into the right subfolders, with nothing left for you to do.

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Features

• Rule-based automation — Define exactly which files to watch, how to name them, and where to move them
• Flexible name templates — Use variables like {project}, {type}, {YYYY}{MM}{DD}, {seq} to generate consistent, meaningful filenames
• Filter by extension or keyword — Target only the files you care about (e.g. .png, .pdf, or filenames containing a specific word)
• Activity log — Every processed file is recorded with its original path, new path, applied rule, and timestamp
• Desktop notifications — Get notified the moment a file is processed
• Runs silently in the background — No interaction needed after setup

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Rules

The Rules page lists all your automation rules. Each rule shows its name, watch folder, and current status. You can toggle a rule on/off or delete it at any time.

Creating a Rule

Click + Add Rule to open the rule editor. Configure:

Field	Description
Rule Name	A label to identify this rule (e.g. Design Files)
Watch Folder	The folder Dobby monitors for new files
File Extensions	Filter by type — leave empty to match all files
Keyword Filter	Only process files whose name contains this word
Project Name / Type Label	Custom values injected into the filename template
Name Template	The output filename pattern using {variables}

Available template variables:

Variable	Meaning
{project}	Your project name
{type}	Your type label
{YYYY}	4-digit year
{MM}	2-digit month
{DD}	2-digit day
{seq}	Auto-incrementing sequence number
{original}	Original filename (without extension)

Example: A rule with template {project}-{type}-{YYYY}{MM}{DD}-{seq}.{ext} applied to a file dropped into the watch folder produces my-project-screenshot-20260418-001.png.

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Activity Logs

Every file operation is recorded. Filter by rule to quickly audit what happened, with the exact original path, output path, rule that matched, and timestamp.

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Settings

The Settings page is divided into four sections. Here's what each field does:

Language

Field	Description
Interface Language	Switches the display language for the entire app. Currently supports Traditional Chinese and English. The change takes effect immediately — no restart needed.

Notifications

Field	Description
Desktop Notifications	When turned on, Dobby sends a system notification each time a file is processed. Turn it off if you prefer to check the Activity Log manually instead.

License

Field	Description
Status	Shows the current state of your copy: Activated (full access), Trial (shows days remaining), or Expired (background processing is paused until a key is entered).
License Key	The key you received after purchase. Paste it here and click Activate to unlock the full version. Format: XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXX.

Don't have a key yet? Dobby is $9.99 USD — one-time purchase, no subscription. Buy here.

About

Displays the app name and current version number. No editable fields.

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Pricing

Dobby is available for $9.99 USD — one-time purchase, no subscription.

A free trial is included (14 days). After the trial, background processing pauses until a license key is activated.

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Getting Started

1. Download and install Dobby
2. Open the app and go to Rules
3. Click + Add Rule and configure your first rule
4. Drop a file into your watched folder — Dobby handles the rest

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For Developers

Tech stack, local development, and project structure

Tech Stack

Layer	Technology
Desktop Framework	Wails v2 (Go backend + native WebView)
Backend Language	Go 1.21+
Architecture Pattern	Tactical DDD (Aggregate, Repository, Domain Service)
Database	SQLite via modernc.org/sqlite (pure Go, no CGO required)
Frontend	React + Vite (TypeScript)

Prerequisites

Tool	Version	Installation
Go	1.21+	https://go.dev/dl/
Wails CLI	v2.x	go install github.com/wailsapp/wails/v2/cmd/wails@latest
Node.js	18+	https://nodejs.org

Windows: WebView2 Runtime is built into Windows 11. Windows 10 users can download it from the Microsoft website.

macOS: Run xcode-select --install.

Local Development

git clone <repo-url>
cd Dobby-Files/dobby
go mod download
wails dev

Running Tests

cd dobby
go test ./...

Build for Production

cd dobby
wails build
# Output: dobby/build/bin/dobby.exe (Windows) or dobby/build/bin/dobby (macOS)

Database Location

Platform	Path
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\.dobby\dobby.db
macOS / Linux	~/.dobby/dobby.db

Schema migrations are applied automatically at startup — no manual SQL required.

Project Structure

Dobby-Files/
├── dobby/
│   ├── main.go                    # Wails entry point, DI assembly
│   ├── app.go                     # Wails binding shell
│   └── internal/
│       ├── domain/
│       │   ├── rule/              # Rule aggregate, value objects
│       │   ├── job/               # ProcessingJob state machine
│       │   └── service/           # RuleMatcher, TemplateRenderer, SequenceGenerator
│       ├── application/
│       │   ├── rule_service.go    # Rule CRUD use cases
│       │   └── log_service.go     # Operation log use cases
│       ├── infrastructure/
│       │   └── persistence/       # SQLite repositories + migrations
│       └── query/
│           └── operation_log_query.go
├── features/
│   └── file-manager.feature       # Gherkin behavior spec
└── docs/
    └── features/file-manager/