I'm working a lot with ruby on rails and mysql lately, so I'm using the command line window a lot as well. Clicking Start»Run etc. to open a command line window and then navigating via DOS to each of your working directories is just too much sometimes, many times. If only there were a way to open a command window by right clicking a Windows Explorer folder ... Well, of course there is plus some other neat tools to help with images and syncing directories, to name just a few.

Open Command Window Here

To the rescue, enter a free program (PowerToys for Windows XP) from Microsoft, the "Open Command Window Here" application.

Download and install

After a simple download, just run the installer and a few clicks later, you're immediately ready to go.

Opening a command line from a Windows folder

Using the Open Command Window Here program is easy. It's an option in your right click menu of any Windows folder.

1. Navigate to desired folder
2. Right click on folder
3. Choose "Open Command Window Here"

You will be presented with a new, nice command line window with the current directory set to the Windows folder you right clicked. Enjoy!

Other Power Toys

The overview pages lists over a dozen tools for free download. And I looked at quite a few, but I'll only mention the ones I actually installed.

Sync directories with SyncToy

I also installed, but have not had a chance to test, another tool called SyncToy, which is supposed to sync two directories. Microsoft writes that SyncToy "helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers."

I have a need at work for just such a Windows tool. I was about to write something myself in either LabVIEW (my company's software) or Ruby. We'll definitely see how well SyncToy works. An immediate concern is that I need to sync more than two directories. I need to sync at least three, and SyncToy appears to only sync up to two directories at a time. But I could always run it twice, which might even be a better idea than syncing all three directories at once. We'll see.

Not sure about Image Resizer

I was really excited to the "e;Image Resizer" tool, which Microsoft writes "enables you to resize one or many image files with a right-click." I mean, who wouldn't love that?

But the tool's resizing options are too limited to be useful in real Web design. You have default options like 800x600 and 640x480. As it turns out, this tool is aimed at photographers. So I guess those sizes would be helpful in resizing for prints?

Whip Windows into shape using Tweak UI

MUST HAVE TOOL. I've used Tweak UI on both Windows 2000 and XP. Basically, it gives you extra Windows configuration options like different thumbnail sizes in Windows Explorer and other interface and taskbar/folder cool stuff.

I used Tweak UI to change my Windows folder image thumbnails to monstorous size, which I find really helpful. The default size of image thumbnails is 96x96 pixels. I upped it to 256x256. Nice! I can actually see every image now when browsing, and it works great in Filmstrip mode too.

Never used Filmstrip mode for viewing images in a Windows folder? Then you simply haven't lived yet. Seriously, though, it's nice and really useful. Just view a folder of images, then go to View»Filmstrip in the Windows Explorer menu.

Now when browsing for your web design images and photos, you can actually used Windows Explorer as a nice image browser.

Conclusion

Well, I hoped that I helped set you up with some cool new Windows tools and introduced you to more of hte possibilities of making Windows a better Web development experience for you.