Switching between files/folder mode

Qkid · 2006-07-02 17:37

Now that you are using a tree component in your Add Files/Folder, it is unable to drag and drop files/files into these. Before v4 I noticed to select folders to rename quickly you could open the folder window and drag-n-drop to your folders to rename into this.

Now it is hard to switch between Add folder/file mode quickly. Could you maybe add radio buttons across from the Rules: Add/Remove/Up/Down for switch between Files / Folder mode?

ie

ADD REMOVE UP DOWN Files o Folder o

You could use what was ticked in the Default behaviour for adding folders for these radio buttons.

Just a thought as it's a bit slow atm switching between the two modes unless I've missed a quick way to do this via drag-and-drop now (as this is my preferred way of adding to the rename list).

Cheers

den4b · 2006-07-03 00:15

If you meant the Browse dialog - it is almost independent from the "default behavior" that you choose in Settings. I said "almost" because it loads your "default behavior" parameters when it is first opened, and any changes to the settings in Browse dialog will be only for that dialog, independently from "default behavior". "default behavior" is for drag&drop and copy-and-paste.

If you want to quickly change the files/folder behavior in the Browse dialog, then simply switch between 2 tabs "Add files from folders" and "Add folders as files"...

Does that explanation solve your problem?

Qkid · 2006-07-03 01:06

I'm after a way to change the default behaviour quickly from the main window instead of having to open up settings. Hence the idea for a toggle switch on the main window to flick between Add Files from Folders/Add Folders as Files.

I normally use drag and drop for adding files/folder and never use the Browse dialogs as it's hard to add files/folders quickly using the tree.

den4b · 2006-07-03 15:52

To be honest, I'm strongly against adding any sort of radio buttons (or anything else, in fact) to the main window. I always wanted to keep ReNamer as clear as possible, and defiantly don't want to make a mess out of the user interface, especially for the main window... That's why most of the functionality is well hidden.

There is a shortcut for showing Settings - F8. To change the "default behaviour", you need 2 key-presses and 1 mouse-click: 1) F8 to show settings; 2) mouse-click on the option you need; 3) press Enter to save settings. This operation will take about a second, and probably even less once you did it few times

I really hope you'll understand my reason for not implementing your suggestion...

By the way, whatever you said about the old Add Files/Folder dialog is true. It was much more powerful for manipulating files within it-self. It was an already implemented component, which was written by Borland developers. And it was more then 100Kb of highly sophisticated code fully integrated with Windows API and ActiveX. Unfortunately, it didn't support Unicode! So I had to replace it with my very own browse dialog, which obviously doesn't give as much functionality, but it supports Unicode file/folder names

Qkid · 2006-07-03 19:01

I agree with trying to keep the main window clean. The F8 method is ok but not optimal for choosing between the two modes but i understand not wanting to clutter up the UI anymore. Could you work something at all into the Options pulldown to switch between the two modes?

den4b · 2006-07-05 14:14

Just curious.. how often do you have to switch between these 2 modes?

Qkid · 2006-07-05 22:17

I can tell you don't really want to add this so i'll just drop the suggestion

den4b · 2006-07-06 15:50

I have good news for you

I've implemented your suggestion! The default behavior can be selected from the Options: add files from folders, or add folders as files. Try it from here:

http://www.redbrick.dcu.ie/~den4b/Projects/ReNamer/ReNamerBetaQkid.zip

You still don't understand... It's not as if I don't like your suggestion and don't want to implement it! I do treat every suggestion individually, and I'm always trying to satisfy everybody. But I simply can't implement everything that people suggest. Every suggestion is weighted by me: all pros and cons.

* You say you don't want to go to Settings every time you need to change it.
* I say it is replicated functionality, which is bad from programming point of view.
* You say F8 method is ok but not optimal.
* I say that putting it into Options will not increase the speed of changing the default behavior.
-----
At the end, here is what it comes to... We get replicated functionality, but we don't get any dramatical improvement. I was asking the question "how often do you have to switch between these 2 modes?" for a reason. If you change it once a week, or even once a day.. it probably doesn't worth the cost of replication. But if you have to change it 5-10-20 or even more times a day, then I will add it, since it will increase the overall performance.

You might not understand that, but replication in programming implies problems in future, in maintenance, for example if I change something in the default behavior, I will have to change it in 2 or 3 different places now.

I've compiled a version with this implementation specifically for you, just to prove you that it's not the laziness (or not willing to help) what stops me, but in fact it is much more complex... Anyway, try it, and tell me how it goes. I'm not sure if that addition will stay in the main development version.

Denis.

Qkid · 2006-07-07 01:41

Cheers for the custom build. Sorry i was a bit blunt in the previous post.

I do understand your reasoning since i program myself. I guess it boils down to that I was using Flexible Renamer before this program and the Files/Folder modes were checkboxes you could toggle so I'm just used to having this option stare at me.

I don't really change between the modes that often but feel it's a setting that should be able to be toggled outside options since the settings in options I consider to be long term settings. The File/Folder toggle, i would consider a more day to day setting that should be changeable from the main window.

Either way I can adapt but that's just my line of reasoning.

Yogui · 2007-09-28 05:28

Hi,

Reviving an old post

I love the simple front GUI of renamer.

I usually drag and drop from Windows Explorer

I swap from "Adding Files within Folders" to "Add Folders as Files" a few times a day

This is because, I fix a lot of mp3 for my collection in which the file names and folders names has specific formats.

This is an example from an Artist (Default):
My Documents\My Music\Artist\Year-Album Name\Track Number-Track Name.mp3
My Documents\My Music\@...@\####-@...............@\##-@.......................@.mp3

Why leave it simple whe I can complicate it

When adding folders I also switch "Skip root folders when added as files" and "Include Subfolders" Both On and Both Off

Because Artist is just a string but album must have 4numbers then a - and then the string Album name.

This means that I don't need to explore subfolders to correct folders names and the I correct all file names in one hit

F8 is already taken, may be Control+F9 and Shift+F9 can be the shortcuts for this Swap and Switch actions, with no windws poping Up.

I would love to have that feature, any shortcut will do for me as long I don't need to deal with a other window.

Cheers, Yogui.
PD: Once I've fixed the names, I generate the IDtags from them

den4b Forum

#1 2006-07-02 17:37

Switching between files/folder mode

#2 2006-07-03 00:15

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#3 2006-07-03 01:06

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#4 2006-07-03 15:52

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#5 2006-07-03 19:01

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#6 2006-07-05 14:14

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#7 2006-07-05 22:17

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#8 2006-07-06 15:50

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#9 2006-07-07 01:41

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

#10 2007-09-28 05:28

Re: Switching between files/folder mode

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