Files vs. Folders

Helping woodworkers become as organized on their computers as they are in their workshops.

Understanding the Difference

By Andy Anderson

In our last article, we talked about why every woodworking project deserves its own folder.

Today I’d like to answer a question that confuses many new computer users.

What’s the difference between a file and a folder?

It may seem like a small distinction, but understanding these two terms will make using your computer much easier. Once you understand the relationship between files and folders, organizing your woodworking projects becomes simple.

Think Like a Woodworker

Let’s forget about computers for a moment.

Imagine you’ve just finished designing a beautiful Stickley dining chair.

Over the next several weeks you create quite a collection of information.

You have:

Now imagine placing everything related to that chair into a plastic storage tote.

The tote has a label on the outside that reads:

Stickley Dining Chair

The tote is the folder.

Everything inside the tote is a file.

That’s all a folder really is.

A container.

Its job is to keep related information together.

What Is a File?

A file is a single piece of information.

Think of a file as one item inside your project box.

Examples include:

Each one is a separate file.

Together, they become your project.

What Is a Folder?

A folder doesn’t contain information itself.

Its job is organization.

Just as a drawer organizes hand tools or a cabinet organizes router bits, a folder organizes files.

Without folders, every drawing, every photograph, every PDF, and every CNC file would be piled together in one enormous list.

Finding anything would become frustrating very quickly.

Folders make your computer easier to use because they group related information together.

The Mistake Many Beginners Make

When someone is new to computers, it’s common to think that one file is the entire project.

For example, you may have an Aspire drawing named:

Shop Stool.crv

It’s easy to think,

“That’s my Shop Stool project.”

Actually, it’s only one part of the project.

You probably also have:

Those files all belong together.

The folder is what keeps them together.

Think in Projects, Not Programs

One of the biggest mistakes we see is organizing files by software instead of by project.

For example, some people create folders like this:

At first it seems organized.

But six months later, when you decide to build your Shop Stool again, you’re forced to hunt through four different folders to find everything.

Woodworkers don’t think that way.

When you build a project in your shop, you keep the plans, hardware, material, and notes together.

Your computer should work the same way.

Instead, organize your folders like this:

Woodworking Projects

→ Shop Stool

→ Stickley Dining Chair

→ Toy Box

→ Router Cabinet

Everything for one project stays together.

Future you will be grateful.

Building a Digital Workshop

One day your computer may contain hundreds of woodworking projects.

That isn’t something to fear.

It’s something to plan for.

Good organization today prevents frustration tomorrow.

Every time you begin a new project, create a new folder first.

Then place every drawing, photograph, PDF, CNC file, and note inside that folder.

Soon, finding your work becomes second nature.

Instead of wondering where you saved something, you’ll know exactly where it belongs.

The Legacy Principle

A folder is a home.

A file is something that lives inside it.

When every file has a home, every project is easy to find.

In our next Digital Shop Skills lesson, we’ll open Windows Explorer and learn how to create folders, move files, and begin building your own digital woodworking library.

Build more, build faster, build a better future.

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