Main Window Custom Renaming Panel

Custom Renaming Panel

When scanning with custom renaming, files are first filtered using the file filter. The files passed by the filter are then scanned for potential replacements. The types of replacements found are based on the python-style regular expressions (regex) chosen in the search and replace fields. Any of the pre-defined renaming commands can also be added into list entries. The use of regex expressions along with many examples is described in the Regular Expressions section.

The regex expressions are entered in a list using an editor. Double click with the left mouse button on a search or replace entry to activate the editor. Enter the expression and then use any of the following to save the entry:

press enter key (also closes the editor)
click the mouse outside the area being edited (also closes the editor)
press TAB, SHIFT-TAB, an up or down arrow, SHIFT-Home, or SHIFT-End key (also keeps the editor open at the next entry)

Press ESC to exit the editor without saving.

Right clicking the mouse over the list but away from the row being edited makes other commands available for inserting, removing, or moving rows, and for adding any of the pre-defined or specialized renaming commands. The same can be accomplished by pressing SHIFT-F10 after the panel is selected.
When adding pre-defined or specialized renaming commands, the commands are placed in the "replace pattern" column. The command sequence uses a custom syntax. The first argument is the command and the second argument is the first parameter of the command. The arguments are delimited by "*"s. When a pre-defined command in the "replace pattern" column, the "search pattern" column must remain blank or the pre-defined command becomes invalid.
An exit command can also be inserted. The exit command will force the search/replace sequence to quit at that point. This can be useful when debugging a sequence of regular expressions.

Right clicking the mouse over the row being edited makes other options available for copying/pasting/undoing/redoing entry data.

Selected rows can be moved by clicking on the down-arrow or up-arrow icons or by dragging with a mouse. Multiple rows are selected by pressing CTRL or SHIFT at the same time as pressing the left mouse button.

The search/replace scanner will serially invoke each search/replace expression pair in sequence with the output of a search/replace pair being used as input to the following search/replace pair. The table below shows an example:

Search Pattern Replace Pattern

%20

*Insert Counter Before*Extension*

abc
ABC

*Insert Counter Before*Prefix*

The first row deletes all occurrences of the string '%20'. The second row is a pre-defined renaming command which takes the names that have had the '%20' removed and inserts a counter before the filename extension. The third row takes the names that have just had the counters added and translates all occurrences of 'abc' with 'ABC'. The fourth row is a pre-defined renaming command which takes the resulting names and inserts a counter (the same counter as inserted by the command in row 2) before the filename prefix. It is only at this point that checks are made for potential problems such as duplicate names.

Search Pattern	Replace Pattern
`%20`
	Insert Counter BeforeExtension*
`abc`	ABC
	Insert Counter BeforePrefix*

The output of the custom renaming sequence can be previewed. This is done by typing some sample text in the "Sample Name" field or dragging a file/folder icon into the field. Then press the "Update Preview" button. The custom renaming sequence will then be applied to the sample text and output to the "Preview" field. The renaming will be applied as follows:

If the sample text is the name of a real file with full path specified, then it will be treated as a real filename. The custom renaming commands will be applied to the portion of path after the last slash character. You can preview using custom commands that include the predefined renaming commands for parent folder name insertion, tag insertion, or date insertion (using dates derived from the file/folder name).
You can also just type the name of a file or subfolder without a path component. The sample text will then be treated as if the name is a file or folder belonging to the currently selected folder. The custom renaming commands will be applied to the portion that you typed. You can preview using custom commands that include the predefined renaming commands for parent folder name insertion, tag insertion, or date insertion (using dates derived from the file/folder name).
If the sample text includes path separators and the path is invalid, then custom commands that include the predefined renaming commands for parent folder name insertion, tag insertion, or date insertion (using dates derived from the file/folder name) will not have any effect. The renaming commands will only be applied to the text after the last path delimiter.

Note that both slashes or backslashes in the sample name are treated as path delimiters.

The contents of the custom list can be saved and retrieved using the Load/Save buttons. Up to three sets of lists can be saved and retrieved in this way.

When restarting PFrank, the list entries, the preview sample text, and the three sets of lists will be restored to what they were before.

If you move the mouse between the bottom of the custom renaming panel and the top of the summary panel (see next section), you will find a sash which can be used to control the height of the summary panel.