File organizer

File Organizer

Personal organization assistant that helps maintain a clean, logical file structure without the mental overhead of constant manual organization.

When to Use This Skill

• Your repo has notes, drafts, and files scattered everywhere
• You can't find files because they're in the wrong directories
• You have duplicate files taking up space
• Your folder structure doesn't make sense anymore
• You're starting a new project and need a good structure
• You're cleaning up before archiving old projects
• A repository has grown organically and needs restructuring

What This Skill Does

1. Analyzes Current Structure: Reviews your folders and files to understand what you have
2. Finds Duplicates: Identifies duplicate files across your system
3. Suggests Organization: Proposes logical folder structures based on your content
4. Automates Cleanup: Moves, renames, and organizes files with your approval
5. Maintains Context: Makes smart decisions based on file types, dates, and content
6. Reduces Clutter: Identifies old files you probably don't need anymore

How to Use

Example Requests

Help me organize this repo — notes and drafts are everywhere

Find duplicate files in this project

Review the folder structure and suggest improvements

Clean up old files I haven't touched in 6+ months

Instructions

When a user requests file organization help:

1. Understand the Scope

   Ask clarifying questions:

   • Which directory needs organization?
   • What's the main problem? (Can't find things, duplicates, too messy, no structure?)
   • Any files or folders to avoid? (Current projects, sensitive data?)
   • How aggressively to organize? (Conservative vs. comprehensive cleanup)

2. Analyze Current State

   Review the target directory. Example commands (adjust for your OS):

   # Get overview of current structure
   ls -la [target_directory]
   
   # Check file types and sizes
   find [target_directory] -type f -exec file {} \; | head -20
   
   # Identify largest files
   du -sh [target_directory]/* | sort -rh | head -20
   
   # Count file types
   find [target_directory] -type f | sed 's/.*\.//' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn
   

   Summarize findings:

   • Total files and folders
   • File type breakdown
   • Size distribution
   • Date ranges
   • Obvious organization issues

3. Identify Organization Patterns

   Based on the files, determine logical groupings:

   By Type: Documents, Images, Videos, Archives, Code/Projects, Spreadsheets, Presentations

   By Purpose: Work vs. Personal, Active vs. Archive, Project-specific, Reference materials, Temporary/scratch files

   By Date: Current year/month, Previous years, Very old (archive candidates)

4. Find Duplicates

   When requested, search for duplicates. Example commands (adjust for your OS):

   # Find exact duplicates by hash
   find [directory] -type f -exec md5sum {} \; | sort | uniq -d -w32
   
   # Find files with same name
   find [directory] -type f -printf '%f\n' | sort | uniq -d
   

   For each set of duplicates:

   • Show all file paths
   • Display sizes and modification dates
   • Recommend which to keep (usually newest or best-named)
   • Always ask for confirmation before deleting

5. Propose Organization Plan

   Present a clear plan before making changes:

   # Organization Plan for [Directory]
   
   ## Current State
   - X files across Y folders
   - [Size] total
   - Issues: [list problems]
   
   ## Proposed Structure
   [Show the new folder tree]
   
   ## Changes
   1. Create new folders: [list]
   2. Move files: [summary]
   3. Rename files: [any renaming patterns]
   4. Delete: [duplicates or trash files]
   
   ## Files Needing Your Decision
   - [List any ambiguous files]
   
   Ready to proceed? (yes/no/modify)
   

6. Execute Organization

   After approval, organize systematically:

   • Always confirm before deleting anything
   • Log all moves for potential undo
   • Preserve original modification dates
   • Handle filename conflicts gracefully
   • Stop and ask if you encounter unexpected situations

7. Provide Summary and Maintenance Tips

   After organizing, provide:

   • What changed (files moved, duplicates removed, space freed)
   • The new folder structure
   • Maintenance schedule (weekly/monthly/quarterly tips)
   • Quick commands for future cleanup

Best Practices

Folder Naming

• Use clear, descriptive names
• Avoid spaces (use hyphens or underscores)
• Be specific: "client-proposals" not "docs"

File Naming

• Include dates: "2024-10-17-meeting-notes.md"
• Be descriptive: "q3-financial-report.xlsx"
• Avoid version numbers in names (use version control instead)

When to Archive

• Projects not touched in 6+ months
• Completed work that might be referenced later
• Old versions after migration to new systems
• Files you're hesitant to delete (archive first)