FR: Multi-Stage Renaming

Help & Support
1

Currently when doing a rename you can already do a lot! From regexes to scripting almost anything is possible.
However there are some situations where it would be handy to do a multi-stage renaming.

What do I mean by saying "multi-stage"? I mean to execute MULTIPLE rename operations one after the other in one go - of course WITH preview of the resulting file names!

This way one could do rather complex rename operations WITHOUT having to write any script for it. It could be a chain of multiple search+replace and/or regex rename operations.

How to implement this? By adding FOLDERS to the presets on the right!
Two benefits:

  • first you can run my suggested multi-stage renames by clicking on the folder rather than on any preset inside that given folder. Clicking on the folder means: do everything inside this folder with the selected files.
  • second you have some way of organizing your rename presets

What do you think?

2

This is the idea behind Dynamic Renamer.

3

Thanks for your suggestions, we do have plans to enhance the Rename function in the future so all suggestions are welcome!

4

That's a nice approach - however it's more complicated than having a dedicated machanism that supports multi-staged renaming out of the box without having to remember any switches.

I believe "macro"-presets (which include an ordered series of different transformation steps) and / or the suggested preset folders which are selectable by their own right are a way to make this process a bit more usable.

My suggestions would still allow your script to be part of that multi-staged rename setup if you choose so :slight_smile:

5

As I often need to combine different rename-presets, maybe here solution for the GUI then:

Adding two buttons next to "ok" (something like "More" and "Previous") doing this:

  • On "More" preview-pane shows (simulated!) renamed files from previous rename and you can choose another rename-option
  • On "Previous" you simply get a step back to previous rename (like undo).
  • On "Ok" all rename steps will be executed.
6

How about extending COPY AS by adding "Advanced Rename" option (to the currently existing "OK", "Skip", "Abort")?
That would allow to set a desired destination file/dir names with help of all advanced DOpus renaming capabilities.
Currently COPY AS renaming capabilities are limited to wildcards and to an explicitly typed names.