The Filename Tool was built to solve a quiet but persistent problem: how to name digital files clearly, consistently, and for the long term. Whether in film production, photography, or research, files accumulate quickly — and a filename that made sense at the time can become opaque a year later. This tool was designed to make structured naming simple, intentional, and repeatable.
At its core, the Filename Tool is a kind of language system — one that turns dates, subjects, and context into durable, human-readable identifiers. Its interface helps users build filenames step by step, showing the impact of each choice as they go. Instead of treating filenames as afterthoughts, it treats them as metadata: small but powerful carriers of meaning that can outlast folders, tags, or database entries because they’re always attached to the file.
The tool’s interface reflects this philosophy. Every part of it is tuned to the act of naming — nothing extraneous, nothing decorative for its own sake. Complex combinations of rules, flags, and formats are presented through a clean, responsive design that encourages experimentation while keeping the structure visible. And it’s trivially easy to drag a file back into the tool to make a change. The result is an unusually direct workflow: you can craft exactly what your filenames convey within your system.
Behind the interface, the logic is carefully layered. Each component of a filename — date, sort value, subject, author, or note — follows consistent parsing and validation patterns. This allows the tool to anticipate errors, flag ambiguities, and preserve uniformity across large sets of files. It’s not just a generator, but a validator — one that balances flexibility with precision.
The project also includes extensive documentation, written to explain not only how to use the tool but why naming matters. The philosophy behind it extends beyond any one project: names are part of how we think about our work. When they’re structured thoughtfully, they make collections searchable, collaborations smoother, and archives more durable.
You can try the tool yourself, or read its documentation, at filenametool.com. It’s completely free — no ads, no subscriptions, nothing to buy — just a tool built to make naming easier.
For Pipsqueak, the Filename Tool represents an ideal: software that does one thing carefully, with depth and consideration. Every element, from its text parsing engine to its visual layout, is built to reward care — a small, precise tool for working neatly in the digital age.
Filename Tool’s Docs Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Matcher Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Dimensions Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Details Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Logging Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Flags Panel Screenshot
Filename Tool’s Results Panel Screenshot
