0 File Management Software

File management software are surely the biggest part of our computer lives. I'm sure everyone is familiar with Windows Explorer, the implemented file manager of Windows OS. Whenever you open a folder on your computer, it is Windows Explorer which makes you able to see your files and such.

That being said, Windows Explorer isn't the only one which you can use on your computer. Infact, there are many file management software which are far more advanced than Windows Explorer, or perhaps, more suitable for different users. Today, I will be talking about different types of these software and recommend you my personal favorites.

If we are to categorize, the categories would be:

• Orthodox
• Navigational
• Spatial

Let's start with Orthodox!

Orthodox file managers are the oldest ones between these three categories. They were used to make it easier to manage files back in the DOS days when there was no Windows where you can assign your files easily. An orthodox file manager consists of three panels. One of the panels is called the active panel, where you can navigate through your folders and files in the current working directory. The second panel is the passive panel, and it is used to see the content of an another directory at will. Lastly the third panel is a shell/command line where you can input commands as if you are in DOS. In the time of DOS, these were really popular since it made everything so much easier. Instead of inputting hours of commands, you could copy,paste,read,modify files and many more things with the help of shortcuts. The most famous orthodox file management software is surely Norton Commander. Even though these aren't used anymore (for obvious reasons), if you want to take a look at it, I'd suggest using Norton Commander.

The second type is, which everyone must be familiar with, is Navigational.

Navigational file managers are the ones we use every day. The greatest example to these would be Windows Explorer for Windows and Finder(has spatial mode too) for Mac. A navigational file manager consists of two panes, where one pane shows the system tree, and the other pane shows the active working directory. What seperates navigational from orthodox is the fact that navigational file managers have a graphical user interface, and orthodox file managers don't.  That being said, the GUI brings lots of advantages such as being able to go back & forward with a click of a mouse, and expanding folders without going into them (The arrows to the left of folders in Windows Explorer), drag & drop, and clipboard. WinSCP is a great alternative to Windows Explorer if you are willing to try something different.

Our last type file managers is Spatial.

Spatial file managers are completely different from the ones I have listed above. In a spatial file manager, every window represents a different folder. Basically, every time you double click a folder, a new window will be opened to show the contents of it. It's totally a different concept compared to the other two, and in my opinion, it's really hard and time consuming to use. That being said, some people prefer spatial over navigational because they like to know what is where instead of going around folders all the time. It's totally a matter of choice, but navigational is a lot more popular compared to spatial. Konqueror is a good spatial file management software (it has a navigational mode too) which you can try and see.

These three would be all the file management software types, all with their advantages and disadvantages.. Choose the one you feel comfortable with and stick to that one. You don't have to be forced to using Windows Explorer / Finder if you don't like it. We are living in a world of alternatives and technology :) If you asked my opinion though, I would say get used to navigational as it will make your life a lot easier.

I hope you enjoyed this, see you next time!