Make New Project Directory

I like to organize photos, videos, GIS projects, and developments projects in separate "project directories." Each project folder has the following format:

YYYY-MM-DD - Description

File Structure Example:

• [Drive]:\
• Development
• 2014-10-04 - Scuba Calculators
• 2015-06-01 - Make New Project Directory
• GIS
• 2012-05-14 - Whatever Project...
• Shapefiles
• Exports
• From Client
• MXDs
• Photos
• 2013-04-05 - Birthday in Midtown
• Hilights
• Edited
• Original
• ...
• Videos
• 2015-06-01 - Michelin Man Thug Life
• Source Media
• Exports
• ...

This is an easy way to chronologically catalog projects within their respective folders, but I'm lazy, and I hate having to look down at my task bar clock to find out what the date is, and I can't stand typing in that endless date!

Solutions Posted on GitHub

I posted all the scripts I came up with for this on my GitHub page under the Make New Project Directory repo.

Batch File

I originally tried coming up with a Batch file (.bat) to add the folder using the format I wanted. It's easy to make a predefined folder structure using CMD commands, but pulling that date style turned out to be a little tricky, so I looked elsewhere.

Python Script

I came up with a great Python script that will automatically add a folder that's named with the current date followed by XXXXDescriptionXXXX (so I could easily find and rename it further). Just double click the python file and the new project folder is added. Additionally, I repeated the code to add subdirectories for common sub-folders: Exports and Shapefiles for GIS projects; Originals, Highlights, and Edited for photos & video; etc.

Pros:

• This is great! It works automatically
• Simple code. It executes in 6 lines.  View the code here

Cons:

• I quickly realized how awfully tedious it is to have to slow double click to rename, something every time I create a new project. I need some kind of interface to enter a project name, and I haven't had great luck using TkInter yet.

Note: I've heard good things about PyQt for an interface

• I don't necessarily want those sub-directories for every project

VBScript

My best solution so far was to write a VBScript (.vbs format) to prompt me for a project name AND ask if I want to add those common project sub-folders.

Pros:

• Most efficient method so far
• Quick, easy, no renaming

Cons:

• Slightly longer code (24 lines without comments & line continuation), but it does include some more logic handling. View the code here.
• This is still generalized, and the "common subdirectories" option is hard coded (i.e. I don't need a Shapefiles directory in a video editing project).

Overall, This VBScript method opens the door to writing a slightly larger executable in Visual Studio with a more dynamic interface to add any kind of project folder - but that moves away from the original requirement of a highly rapid way to add a project folder automatically. I think this nails it.