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Management

Cool Utilities Revisited (CAD Manager's Toolbox)

23 Sep, 2008 By: Robert Green

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Here's a neat tool to help you handle large groups of files — and it's free!

I had a problem in a project this week that required me to splice together a bunch of data files for import into a single spreadsheet for a customer application. The prospects of merging 200 plus files or so manually didn't really appeal to me, so I set out to find some utilities that would help me solve the problem. I found a really neat application in TXTCollector.

You may not have the exact problem I did, but have you ever had to work with multiple script files, batch procedures, or even ASCII-based CAD data like DXF files? If so, this utility could help you just as it helped me with my problem.

After you install TXTCollector, you simply start it from the desktop shortcut and enter into the main program interface shown here:

Next click the Browse Folders button to navigate to the directory where the files you'll join together are located, making sure to specify the correct file extension in the extension drop-down folder as shown above. After making your file type and extension, you'll receive confirmation of the number of files meeting your criteria in the upper right-hand corner of the interface, as shown below.

Then select how you'd like to delimit between files (using a separator line), whether or not you'd like each file name inserted into the merged file, and whether you'd like to remove hard returns (or replace them with a user-defined space) by checking the appropriate boxes as seen here:

Finally, select the Combine All Files box to actually produce the merged file, and name the file in the resulting Save dialog box shown here:

That's it. A powerful, yet very simple tool that allows you to work with multiple text files with full control.

And the best part? It's totally free. You can download TXTCollector from Bluefive Software along with many other neat free utilities. You also can find links to this and other cool utilities on my Web site. Enjoy.

Got a cool tip I should know about? Send it to me at rgreen@cad-manager.com. If I use your tip in the newsletter, you'll receive a cool Cadalyst prize!