Summary

Product Name: CopyCat

Product Version: 1.0 alpha (some features not complete, minimal testing)

Purpose: CopyCat is a file browser and copy utility similar in function to the Windows XP Explorer but with a number of enhancements that address some of the typical file copying shortfalls (especially when copying large numbers of files). In a sense, it is a cross between a batch file copy utility and an interactive file browser.

Test Platforms: Windows XP, Mac OS X, and whatever flavor of Linux our NAS is running.

Why?

CopyCat in it's current form is still limited in what it can do. For example, drag and drop has not yet been implemented. Given this, the reasons to use CopyCat in lieu of your operating system file browser rest within CopyCat's unique features which include:

• CopyCat does not stop whenever it reaches a file it doesn't know what to do with. Instead, it keeps track of such files and continues on. The user is free at any time to see a list of these files and decide what to do with them (even while the copy is still in progress).
• CopyCat skips files that appear identical to files that already exist in the copy destination. This enhances performance (especially when copying folders that have been copied before; for example, if you were using CopyCat to periodically back up files to a network share). This also reduces the number of files that you would otherwise need to manually decide whether or not to overwrite.
• CopyCat does not give up and fail tragically like most file browsers whenever it hits a file that is corrupt or that it doesn't have access to. Much like any other file it doesn't know what to do with, it simply records the issue and continues on, allowing the user to try and resolve the problem at his or her leisure.
• While not implemented yet, it is planned to provide a way to save the list of files it was unable to copy for the user's future reference. The user can also load this list of files in CopyCat at a later time to try and copy them again.

These features provide unique benefits lacking from most file browsers and allow CopyCat to serve in the role of a simple file backup application (which happens to be part of it's initial inspiration).

Screenshots

The CopyCat file browsing window:

When a copy is started, a "Copy Process" window is opened that shows status on the copy operation (still could use some layout work):

At any time, the user can switch to the "Problem Resolution" tab to decide what to do with files CopyCat was unsure what to do with:

Last Updated 2/23/2009 by Scott Arnold