user-created custom columns?

[jimspoon]

Quick question - pardon me for not doing a thorough forum search first.

I would like to add a metadata field to my files - example "Purchase Date". I'd like to be able to collect files in a scrap container and then sort them by their "Purchase Date", then scroll through them.

The field would not be one already available as part of a file format definition (e.g MP3, JPG, PDF), but one of my own creation. Where the field=value data would be stored (file alternate data stream, sidecar file, separate database) wouldn't matter much to me.

It's also important to me that the added metadata be in the format of "field=value". I've looked at a number of "file tagging" programs, and I didn't see one that offered tags in a "field=value" format that could be put in a column and sorted by value.

I get the idea that this sort of thing is not possible yet? I did just jump on the Version 4 upgrade when I read about the programmable column - I think I can do a lot with that. But it seems that the "programmable column" is one that is generated from data extracted and assembled from other existing columns.

[nikos]

the column to use for this kind of thing is COMMENT [S] that can be added to all files. It takes text information, but if you want to have it paired keywords or whatever, it's up to you. The programmable column can also run external programs as explained here:
www.zabkat.com/blog/find-blurred-pictures.htm

so the general idea is "it can be done", but I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble!