Advance Rename: Copy to Filename Preview Editor

I believe you cannot paste the list of files to rename preview editor, something like as below. So, maybe you might consider it for the future feature? :slight_smile:


You can. Rename Macros explains how it works.

I believe you but I guess it's too complicated for common user as one paste to the previewer should do it.

From what I understand, you should loop through the clipboard content and use the new lines from within it to insert them at the desired position and then rename altogether. I don't think it could be done by just typing in into previewer allowing a macro to auto generate itself, and stay away from the script editor itself.

It's not complicated, just use Ctrl+Shift+V if you want to paste what's in the clipboard into the macro editor.


Oh! I see what you mean now, you want to paste multiple lines, one for each file.

I don't think the macro editor can do that [we're thinking of adding something similar, however], but there are some rename scripts which do something similar. e.g. From clipboard or file rename script 4.0

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Yes you are right. Would it hurt if you put it somewhere on your feature request list? :innocent:

We've actually added this in the next beta already :slight_smile:

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Thanks, I guess this was natural improvement over what you have already done. You keep spoiling us. One more thanks for that. :slight_smile:

This feature has several bugs:

  1. Problem with extra dots in the filename
  2. Loses file extensions despite the ignore checkmark
  3. It should be careful about special characters such as ", ?, \ etc and automatically correct them

You may use this example so you can see for yourself: Rename Paste File Issues.txt (4.7 KB)

I'm not sure what the "extra dot" problem you're referring to is, could you be more specific.

At the moment file extensions are always included but I agree it probably makes sense to respect the ignore option for this.

Special characters - I guess we should filter these out, although you shouldn't put them in in the first place :slight_smile:

In my previous post I attached exemplatory file. You may use it against any set of files and you will be able to reproduce all three errors and see it for yourself. :slight_smile:

However:

  1. Extra dots: say your new name is like "Jonathan cats..."
  2. Ignore extension is of absolute necessity as the set of files may be of different file types but grouped by same content
  3. Special characters. You know what is and will be happening.. - we download some list from the internet (i.e. Wikipedia) against hundreds of files, maybe run them through Notepad++ so they lose any rubbish formatting, maybe add some characters using vertical marker and then just paste them.

I still don't understand the extra dot thing, I'm sorry.

Regarding number 3, do you do that a lot? I can't imagine any instance where grabbing a random list of names from the internet and renaming your own files using it would be remotely useful :slight_smile:

I could see it happening when renaming album tracks or TV episodes using a list of titles from the web.

Should : / \ be filtered or kept? I can see it being useful to keep them sometimes, but also causing accidents when people paste a list of names and don't realise they have those characters, then move filss into subfolders accidentally. Almost seems like it should ask what to do if those characters are detected (while automatically stripping ones that are never valid, like ? and *).

I really, really suggest you try that example that I attached, you will see how strange it behaves. If you have some dots in the line either in the middle or at the end it behaves differently.

Random? I never said it was random. Leo figured out what it's all about.

Or comic books, or eBooks or some other cataloged list. :wink:

If I were you I would offer an option to the user within the rename dialog box. I know it becomes more and more cluttered, but...

Both @jon and I have tried your example list, including lines with dots at the end, and we can't see anything wrong.

Can you say exactly what the Before and After filenames are that you are seeing, and what is wrong with them?

Note that Win32 does not allow dots at the ends of filenames (without invoking a mode that will cause compatibility issues with most other software). Dots are the ends of names with be trimmed when the names are applied, and that is by design. (When I say end, I mean after the extension, or if there is no extension.)

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Ok, so this explains a lot, but since you asked, here are the screenshots of all the issues.

Screenshots:

  1. Gives an error on special character, but I think we're beyond that now.

The following is obviously by not respecting [Ignore extension] checkmark.
2. Dots are missing, and this is related to your explanation. Normally, you don't see it, as most of the files do contain the extension.

3, Since it is only dot in the name DOpus cannot distinguish it's not really an extension.

Sorry to bring this old topic back, but I don't know how to paste clipboard lines to preview list anymore. [CTRL][V] does not work, and [CTRL][SHIFT][V] just repeats the first line. I used to know it, but I don't know anymore. :frowning:

Have you changed something maybe, as I see that it works now if I choose "From File" option in the menu?

Multiple lines? There is an icon/menu top-right of the preview list for doing that. You need to turn off macro mode (checkbox to the left of it) for it to be available.

"From File" sounds like a rename preset from the forum. AFAIK that still works as well, but I don't use it myself and similar functionality is built in these days..

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YES. This is it. Thanks Leo.

However, to be frank, I really didn't see it and I looked all over except there, as it is far away from all the checkmarks. How about you maybe move it to the left so it will become more visible hence more intuitive?

That dialog is already pretty crammed full of things. I think the clipboard icon and menu arrow are fairly inviting for a click and look inside the menu if you're looking for something to do with the clipboard.