Describe and classify files

Use properties to record information you define for files in a Workspace Folder. A property can hold text, a number, a date, a choice, a rating, a tag, or another structured value. Phials can then show those values in file views and use them for sorting, filtering, and grouping.

Properties are Workspace Folder data. They are different from metadata, which Phials reads from a file or the filesystem. For example, an image’s dimensions are metadata, while a review status you assign is a property.

When you first use one of these features in an ordinary folder, Phials prepares the required Workspace Folder data and continues the action. You do not need to import the folder or set it up separately.

• Add and configure properties to choose a value type, name the field, and change its definition.
• Set property values on files from Details, Grid, File, or Page surfaces.
• Use Select, Multi-select, and Status properties to create reusable, colored choices.
• Rate files with one to five stars.
• Tag files across Workspace Folders and browse tagged files in the Tags panel.