Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

Maian · 2006-10-13 09:26

Hi, I just discovered this great tool, and migrated over from the shareware Better File Rename (BFR) utility. I found this one to be much more powerful, yet for simple tasks, I found that it often took longer to rename things than BFR, in terms of number of clicks. I have a couple suggestions to remedy this and some other issues.

1) Let me explain how Better File Rename works. It is on the context menu of any folder or file, or group of folders and/or files. ReNamer, on the other hand, only has it for folders, and furthermore, AFAIK it doesn't allow renaming of both folders and files at the same time (I'm not even sure if it allows renaming of folders). To work around this, I tried putting a shortcut to ReNamer in the Send To menu. However, when sending lots of files (seems like 28 files is the limit) to ReNamer this way, I get this error message: "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

I would be nice if there was some way to select a bunch of files and open them all in ReNamer, without having to drag to an already open ReNamer window. FYI, I looked at the registry and it seemed like BFR was (crudely) adding commands for each file type.

2) ReNamer requires the user to click Preview (or changing a rule with the auto-preview option enabled) before clicking Rename. Although this is a good "user-safety" feature, I'd prefer if there was a way to just click Rename immediately. I suggest having the auto-preview option also automatically preview just added files, so that the Rename button can the be clicked right after a file is added.

3) BFR closes the dialog after hitting the Rename button. I would like to have an option that makes ReNamer behave the same way in this regard. It goes along with the "open for selected files" paradigm (as opposed to the drag files to window paradigm).

Other than that, the GUI is fine - or at least I can't think of anything else at the moment.

4) Now to the features of the tool. I really love how ReNamer supports regexps. I've been building complex sets of rules (for complex renaming schemes). However, there are some things regexps are not so good with by themselves, and that's string transformation. Regexp replaces can shift substrings around, insert new text, and delete text, BUT they cannot transform text on a character-to-character basis. For example, there's no easy way to embed a lowercase function within a regexp replace. I suggest allowing a PascalScript function that returns the new string, that could be specified in place of the standard replace string syntax. This function would be passed the original string, the index of the match, and the array of substrings matching groupings.

5) Speaking of PascalScript, I'm not impressed with the language at all. While I guess it's simple to implement, it's really annoying to code in. I wonder if it would be possible to take advantage of Windows Scripting Host to allow other scripting languages, e.g. JavaScript and VBScript.

Thanks for reading.

Last edited by Maian (2006-10-14 00:38)

den4b · 2006-10-15 13:59

Hi Maian!

Sorry for such a late reply, was a bit busy last few days...

1) There is a slight problem with adding "Add to ReNamer" for files. Windows launches a new instance of ReNamer for each folder/file added using this method "ReNamer.exe /enqueue <file/folder>". Inside the program I have to check if there is already an opened instance of ReNamer, and if there is - send the files/folders to it. For folders this method is fine, because users don't tend to add many folders at once, but for files - users may be adding 100's of files at once (Windows gonna give a warning as well).

Another method would be to write a context menu extension, which is a bit of a nightmare, it will be a separate DLL, and will partially kill a purpose of ReNamer to be a standalone application. At the moment, ReNamer.exe is the only file you need to launch and use the application.

You said that BFR has (crudely) added commands for each file type, so I will make an option which will do the same, except a bit smarter, without adding it to every class/extension but adding only to "*" class which encapsulates all the files. Personaly, I'm against using that option for 2 reasons: it is highly inefficient since an instance of ReNamer is launched for each file; there are alternative and better ways for adding files (copy&paste, drag&drop).

2) Ok, I've added "Auto preview when new files are added" option, so if you use it together with "Auto preview on change of rules configurations" option - you will never have to click Preview button again

3) This is a very dangerous option, because renaming process might not go well one time and closing ReNamer will mean that the changes could not be undone! I will think about this one, might add this feature later...

4) Unfortunately, parsing PascalScript is not a simple operation/function. It requires a lot of pre and after processing and preparations. Dont want to make a mess by combining RegEx and PascalScript functionalities together...

5) ReNamer is written using Delphi programming language, that's why PascalScript (3-rd party component) is used. And I can assure you that it was not simple task at all, to implement real-time scripting with all the object orientated magic. I don't want to be bound to highly platform dependant things like Windwos Scripting Host, which isn't probably available on Win9x as well. I'm afraid we just have to live with PascalScript.

You can download the latest development version from here (look in the settings for the new options): ReNamerBeta.zip

Tell us how it goes, ok? Hope this helps

Maian · 2006-10-16 16:00

Thanks for the reply.

1) Even if the context menu option is a no-go, there still should be an easier way to rename files quickly. Right now, ReNamer has to be launched, it has to be positioned so that the files can be selected, then files have to be dragged to it (alternatively, the files can be dragged to the ReNamer taskbar entry to bring up ReNamer then dragged to it).

Here's an idea. Allow ReNamer to minimize to the system tray, so that it can be left open or even started up with Windows without wasting taskbar real estate. Clicking on the ReNamer's system tray icon would bring up the window again. Maybe you can also add a way to spawn a mini-window that's always on top, which when files are dragged onto, would bring up the main ReNamer window with those files added.

2) I've checked out the beta - looks good

3) You could just add a "this is dangerous" warning to the option. BFR had no undo functionality, yet it was rare for me to mess up.

4-5) That's a pity... Does this also mean that you can't extend the regexp replace string syntax as well? If you could, you could add some simple functions, e.g. "$lower(1)" would resolve to 1st matching group lowercased.

den4b · 2006-10-16 19:16

1) I have a better solution to this problem, I told you about it but I don't think you fully understood it: You can Copy & Paste files/folders into ReNamer, directly from the explorer. Simply select your files, copy them into buffer (Ctrl+C), open ReNamer and paste those files into it (Ctrl+V).

3) Here, I've added that option "Close program after successful rename", in the settings: ReNamerBeta.zip

4-5) I really don't want to mess it up, by combining RegEx and PascalScript. But whatever you want - it is already possible without this combination! If you are searching for some particular patterns, you can use RegEx to separate them out (for example putting them inside [] square brackets), and then from within PascalScript you can find those fragments and do with them whatever you want. How does that sounds to you?

Maian · 2006-10-17 04:04

1) You're right, I didn't know about this option. I just tried it out. Unfortunately, it brings up a confirmation box, which seems to be rather useless and requires another click. In any case, it still requires a window to be opened beforehand, so it's not much better than the drag&drop way.

3) Thanks, it works fine

4-5) That's actually what I do as a workaround. I add a "(TEMPDELETEME)" marker, which I later search for in a PascalScript function. It's rather inconvenient though. Is there any way to run a regexp within a PascalScript function?

Last edited by Maian (2006-10-17 04:05)

Maian · 2006-10-18 08:53

Another thing: Can you add a way to rename multiple folders? Or even better, multiple folders along with multiple files?

den4b · 2006-10-18 18:11

1) I might remove that confirmation dialog, when user pastes files into ReNamer. By using "Always on Top" option (from the settings) and resizing ReNamer's window you can have it available all the time, dragging over files without any hassle. Did you know about that option?

4-5) RegExp within a PascalScript: not at the moment, but I might add that in future!

Another thing: You can do that! You can rename as many files and/or folders as you wish. Did you see the switch in the settings "Add Files from Folders / Add Folders as Files" ?

Maian · 2006-10-19 00:45

1) I've had that option enabled for a while. Although it does make drag&drop a bit easier, it's impractical to keep it open all the time since it wastes a lot of screen real estate, which is why I suggested some sort of mini-window that users can drag files to.

6) I saw the switch, but I can't seem to get it working. With it enabled, when I drag folders to ReNamer, they don't appear in the names window. Some sort of bug I guess.

Oh wait, I see what's wrong. When I have the "Add all subfolders from the folders" option enabled, it only adds the subfolders and doesn't include the folder itself. Pretty sure that's a bug.

Last edited by Maian (2006-10-19 00:45)

den4b · 2006-10-19 23:53

1) You can resize the main window of ReNamer to the smallest possible, which will be about that size (below):

6) That's no bug - it's just he way this option meant to work. Sometimes users want to rename folders that they drag over, and sometimes they want to rename all sub-folders from some particular folder that they drag over.

Maian · 2006-10-20 02:25

1) If that's done, the window has to be resized again. Hmm...that does give an idea though. How about adding some button toggles between normal mode and mini-window mode?

6) I see... How about revamping the folder options into something like this:

When a folder is added:
x Add folders as files
x Add files within folders
x Include subfolders
x Include hidden files

where all those options are checkboxes. It can retain all the functionality that's currently possible, and adds the possibility of adding folders, subfolders, and files within those folders and subfolders all at once (or any other combination).

den4b Forum

#1 2006-10-13 09:26

Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#2 2006-10-15 13:59

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#3 2006-10-16 16:00

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#4 2006-10-16 19:16

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#5 2006-10-17 04:04

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#6 2006-10-18 08:53

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#7 2006-10-18 18:11

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#8 2006-10-19 00:45

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#9 2006-10-19 23:53

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

#10 2006-10-20 02:25

Re: Some GUI and advanced usage suggestions

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