how to actually undo a rename (at a later time)?

wahnsinn · 2018-11-22 13:57

As the title says, I exported my changes as csv file and now I dont know how to use those to revert changes back to original.

I have tried importing the csv file and then using "undo renaming" but that says "nothing to undo".

Maybe I'm slow. I know the information to undo the renames is in the csv file. (as well as in the batch files if you export those). I *could* manually modify those (reversing source+target) to get what I want.

But I suspect this functionality is already in ReNamer, and Im just not finding it?

wahnsinn · 2018-11-22 14:25

The more I mess around with this the more I start to think maybe there actually is no built-in way to undo (at a later time) after all..

I have tried copying the contents of the "file paths and undo paths" csv file, then adding my renamed set of files, then using "Import new names from clipboard" -- but that won't do the trick because now I have full paths instead of file names in the "New Name" column. AND I have to make sure that the sorting order is as it was back when I exported the csv.
And even if I get that right, it still doesn't work, because if I add any rules (say, to remove "C:\directory\structure\ ), the pasted information in the "New Name" column gets overwritten entirely.

den4b · 2018-11-22 21:50

It is possible to undo a renaming operation at a later stage, but it is not a straight forward task, as you have already discovered.

The steps would be:

1) Rename the files in ReNamer
2) Click on Export menu - Export file paths and undo paths

Then, to undo the renaming:

3) Open ReNamer (without any rules yet)
4) Click on Export menu - Import file paths and new names
5) Rename

If you wish to modify the new names, then:

3) Open ReNamer (without any rules yet)
4) Click on Export menu - Import file paths and new names
5) Click on Export menu - Export new names to clipboard
6) Add a User Input rule, paste the list of new names, choose to replace the exiting names, do not skip extension.
7) Add other renaming rules as desired.

The step with the User Input rule is required to capture the original undo paths and allow further manipulation with additional rules.

Make sure you don't sort your files, otherwise they will become out of sync with the list of undo paths in the User Input rule.

wahnsinn · 2018-11-23 11:30

den4b wrote:

It is possible to undo a renaming operation at a later stage, but it is not a straight forward task, as you have already discovered.
The steps would be:
1) Rename the files in ReNamer
2) Click on Export menu - Export file paths and undo paths
Then, to undo the renaming:
3) Open ReNamer (without any rules yet)
4) Click on Export menu - Import file paths and new names
5) Rename

Ahh. My mistake was in the very first step. I had added files and rules but not actually carried out the renaming when I exported file paths and undo paths.

The step with the User Input rule is required to capture the original undo paths and allow further manipulation with additional rules.

That is quite clever, I had not looked at User Input rules before, but great to know!

Make sure you don't sort your files, otherwise they will become out of sync with the list of undo paths in the User Input rule.

Yes, that's a big risk actually

Thanks for your response!

den4b Forum

#1 2018-11-22 13:57

how to actually undo a rename (at a later time)?

#2 2018-11-22 14:25

Re: how to actually undo a rename (at a later time)?

#3 2018-11-22 21:50

Re: how to actually undo a rename (at a later time)?

#4 2018-11-23 11:30

Re: how to actually undo a rename (at a later time)?

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