FileSorter

FileSorter is a small C++17 command-line utility that sorts files by their extensions using a user-defined configuration file.

The program reads extension rules from a text config, shows a preview of where each file will be moved, asks for confirmation, and then moves files from a source folder into categorized folders inside an output folder.

Features

• Reads sorting rules from a .txt config file
• Supports multiple extensions per category
• Ignores empty lines and comments in the config
• Trims extra spaces around folder names and extensions
• Shows a safe preview before moving files
• Moves files into category folders
• Sends unknown extensions to Other
• Lets the user choose:
  • source folder
  • output folder
• Keeps the console open after execution when launched as an .exe

Example

Source folder:

input/
  movie.mp4
  archive.zip
  setup.exe
  notes.txt
  unknown.qwe

Config:

Video: .mp4, .avi, .mkv
Archives: .zip, .rar, .7z
Programs: .exe, .msi
Documents: .txt, .pdf, .docx

Output folder after sorting:

sorted/
  Video/
    movie.mp4

  Archives/
    archive.zip

  Programs/
    setup.exe

  Documents/
    notes.txt

  Other/
    unknown.qwe

Project Structure

FileSorter/
  src/
    main.cpp
    config_parser.cpp
    config_parser.h
    file_sorter.cpp
    file_sorter.h

  config/
    File_Exp.txt

Config Format

The configuration file describes which extensions should go into which folders.

Example:

# Media files
Video: .mp4, .avi, .mkv
Images: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .webp

# Documents
Documents: .txt, .pdf, .docx

# Archives
Archives: .zip, .rar, .7z

# Programs
Programs: .exe, .msi

Rules:

• One category per line
• Folder name goes before :
• Extensions go after :
• Extensions are separated by commas
• Spaces around names and extensions are allowed
• Empty lines are ignored
• Lines starting with # are treated as comments

How It Works

1. The program loads extension rules from config/File_Exp.txt.
2. The user enters a source folder.
3. The user enters an output folder.
4. The program scans files in the source folder.
5. For each file, it checks the file extension.
6. If the extension exists in the config, the file is assigned to the matching category.
7. If the extension is unknown, the file is assigned to Other.
8. The program shows a preview.
9. After confirmation, files are moved into the output folder.

Build

Windows / MinGW

From the project root:

cd src
g++ main.cpp config_parser.cpp file_sorter.cpp -std=c++17 -o sorter

Run:

sorter.exe

Linux

From the project root:

cd src
g++ main.cpp config_parser.cpp file_sorter.cpp -std=c++17 -o sorter

Run:

sorter

Usage

1. Build the project.
2. Make sure the config file exists:

config/File_Exp.txt

3. Run the program.
4. Enter the source folder path.
5. Enter the output folder path.
6. Check the preview.
7. Confirm sorting with y.

Example:

Enter source folder:
C:\Users\User\Desktop\input

Enter output folder:
C:\Users\User\Desktop\sorted

=== Preview ===
movie.mp4 -> C:\Users\User\Desktop\sorted\Video\movie.mp4
archive.zip -> C:\Users\User\Desktop\sorted\Archives\archive.zip

Continue moving files? (y/n):
y

Safety Notes

Use a test folder before running the program on important files.

The program moves files, so the original source folder will no longer contain the moved files after confirmation.

Recommended first test:

test_input/
  video.mp4
  archive.zip
  document.txt
  unknown.qwe

Current Limitations

• Does not sort files recursively (partially finished)
• Does not rename files if a file with the same name already exists
• Does not currently support undo
• Does not copy files, only moves them
• Extension matching depends on how extensions are written in the config

Possible Future Improvements

• Recursive folder sorting (partially finished)
• Dry-run mode as a command-line option
• Copy mode instead of move mode
• Automatic conflict renaming, for example file_1.txt
• Logging to a file
• JSON or TOML config support
• GUI version
• CMake build support

Why This Project Exists

This project is a small practical utility for organizing files automatically.

It is also a learning project focused on:

• C++17
• std::filesystem
• file handling
• config parsing
• maps and strings
• modular project structure
• safe command-line workflows