Directory List & Print Pro 4.28

Overview

With Directory List and Print you don’t have to mess with Windows Explorer anymore, as it allows you to browse all you directories and lists them in the most convenient way for printing. In this list you can view all the properties of each file within a folder, and print it directly or export it to Microsoft Word or Excel.

Installation

Interestingly enough the program is portable, meaning that you don’t have install it in order to use it, but you can just launch it from the main executable file. This way you can carry it around in a USB stick and use it whenever you want without installing it, a unique feature that gives this program a huge advantage. It can run under Windows XP, Vista and 7.

Interface

The interface is simple without many graphics. The main window has 3 tabs: Directory, Selection and Output. In the first tab you can explore your computer’s folders like a tree structure and list all the files that each folder contains in an editable window at the bottom. In the second tab you can change what the program displays, like the size of every file, date modified, subdirectories or file type. Then in the last tab you have the option to print the current list, copy it to the clipboard or open it with Microsoft Word, Excel or a text editor.

Pros

Instead of manually browsing the folders, the drag and drop feature is implemented to make the listing process even easier. What’s more, important directories are available to you for direct access in the favorites list, and you can add more as well. You can view a lot of information about every file that is listed, apart from the main attributes; for example if it is a music or video file you can choose to display its duration in a separate column too.

Version 4 of the program added UNICODE support in file names, so if a file has characters other than the ones from the Latin alphabet (e.g. Greek), they will now be properly displayed.

Last but not least, you can’t exclude the fact that this program is portable. No need for installation, a big addition to the pros list.

Cons

None.

Alternatives

Directory Printer is a good substitute to Directory List & Print, as they both have about the same features, although Directory Printer has stopped releasing updated versions since late 2009. Then there is also FileLister, an application designed to create a .txt or .html file from a directory in order to print it or publish it online afterwards.

Conclusion

In general, Directory List & Print is a valuable tool for anyone who wishes to list and print the contents of his directories, or even export them to other programs for further editing. Still, there are some good alternatives that are able to do this job without problems as well, so in the end it really comes down to personal taste. A strong point in deciding which one works best for you is portability and that's where Directory List & Print Pro wins big.