How To's > How To Report On Specific File Types

There may be instances where you need to analyze disk space usage by one or more specific file type(s).

FolderSizes provides a few different means of accomplishing this goal, each producing slightly different results.

Constraining Normal Reports by File Type

The first option we'll discuss allows you to constrain the "normal" (main window) analysis results that FolderSizes produces by file type. This has the benefit of retaining the hierarchical output of the main window, as well as the associated graph panes, etc.

Steps to accomplish (using image file types as an example):

1.	Click the Scan Filter button in the main window ribbon bar. The Scan Filter window will appear.

2.	Un-check the "Include all files by default" checkbox. Leave the "Include all folders by default" button checked.

3.	Check the "Apply scan filter to normal scans" checkbox.

4.	Click the New Rule button and select New File Rule from the resulting pop-up menu. The File Rule Editor window will appear.

5.	Optionally give the new file rule a descriptive name (e.g. "Include image files").

6.	Within the Name tab of the Match Criteria area, enter one or more file name type masks (e.g. ".gif;.jpg"). Use the Presets drop-down button to access a common set of presets, if you wish.

7.	Click the OK button twice to dismiss the File Rule Editor and Scan Filter windows.

Now that a Scan Filter has been defined and is in effect, navigate (using the Folder Browser panel or the path input box near the bop of the screen) to file system path you wish to analyze. If this path has already been analyzed by FolderSizes, you may need to click the Refresh button in the ribbon bar to initiate a re-scan (so that scan filtering is properly applied).

Result: You will now have a hierarchical reporting of folders, just as you normally would, but metrics of those folders (e.g. size, file count, etc.) will only reflect the file types you specified in step #6 above.

Using FolderSizes Search

The FolderSizes Search tool finds specific file instances within one or more paths that match specific criteria.

The main benefit of using the FolderSizes Search to report upon one or more specific file types(s) is that it produces a "flat" (i.e. non-hierarchical) result set that still includes critical metrics such as file size, allocated size, etc.

Steps to accomplish (using image file types as an example):

1.	Click the Search button in the main window ribbon bar. The FolderSizes Search window will appear.

2.	Use the New Path button to specify one or more paths that you'd like to search for the given file type(s).

3.	Click the Search Rules tab.

4.	Un-check both the "Include all files by default" and "Include all folders by default" checkboxes.

5.	Click the New Rule button and select New File Rule from the resulting drop-down menu.

6.	Optionally give the new file rule a descriptive name (e.g. "Include image files").

7.	Within the Name tab of the Match Criteria area, enter one or more file name type masks (e.g. ".gif;.jpg"). Use the Presets drop-down button to access a common set of presets, if you wish.

8.	Click the OK button.

9.	Click the Start button in the FolderSizes Search window toolbar.

Result: With these steps accomplished, FolderSizes Search will begin enumerate the specified file system path(s) and report upon any file instances it finds that match the file types specified in step #7 above.

Using the File Report Generator

The FolderSizes File Report tool is capable of generating a File Types Detail report.

The main benefit of creating a File Type report in this manner is that it summarizes a broad range of file types by file extension, without the need for the user to specify any search or filter rules.

Steps to accomplish:

1.	Click the File Reports button in the main window ribbon bar. The File Report Generator window will appear.

2.	Select the "File Types \| Detail" node within the navigation tree on the left hand side of the window.

3.	Specify one or more paths to analyze for file type information, either by entering the path directly into the path input box near the top of the screen or using the folder browse toolbar button.

4.	Click the Start button in the File Report Generator window toolbar.

Result: Once the file system analysis is complete, you will be presented with a summary of file types by extension. The file types presented here are based upon Windows file type associations. To find specific file instances, you may double-click a given file type (doing so will launch FolderSizes search).