Choosing Renaming Actions (Rules)

To specify actions, which must be performed with file names and extensions, please go to Specify renaming actions (rules) page.

Main Action

In the top part of the page, please specify the main project action:

• Copy. Copies of the source files will be created.
• Move (Rename). The source files will be renamed.

Renaming actions (rules) for file names and extensions

You can specify a set of actions (rules), which must be performed with file names and (separately) with file extensions during the project execution. The actions are performed in the order as they appear in the set of actions. The first action will work with original text (file name or file extension), and each next action will work with the result of the previous action.

On the Specify renaming actions (rules) page, there are two lists: the top one is for file names' actions, and the bottom one is for file extensions' actions. The corresponding drop-down lists above each of the action lists contain names of available actions. The main part of available actions is the same for file names and extensions; the differences are described in the action descriptions below.

To add needed action to action list, select it from the drop-down list and click Add selected action button . If selected action require additional parameters, the corresponding dialog will be displayed; after filling the needed parameters, click OK. Finally, the selected action with specified parameters (if any) will be added to the corresponding list.

The lists of actions are parts of the project and stored in it when saving project to file.

Description of the actions

Set constant extension. For extensions only. Specifies new constant extension for files.

Parameters:

1. New extension.
Example: jpg.

Use enumeration. Use it to enumerate the files.

Parameters:

1. Enumeration schema. Specifies the initial file number, maximum number of characters in the file number, and optional zero padding. The maximum number of characters in the file number is equal to the character count in the schema; if character count in the schema does not correspond to file count (for example, schema 01 for 200 files), error is generated. If the schema begins with zero, zero padding numbers will be used; to avoid zero padding, prefix the schema with '#' character(s).
Examples:
0001 (files will be enumerated starting from 0001: 0001, 0002, 0003, ..., 0010, ..., 9999)
0125 (files will be enumerated starting from 0125: 0125, 0126, 0127, ..., 0130, ..., 9999)
##1 (files will be enumerated starting from 1: 1, 2, 3, ..., 10, ..., 999)

2. Schema applying. Specifies where to insert the enumeration in the name: Replace file name with schema, Use schema as prefix, or Use schema as suffix.

3. Schema separator. Specifies schema separator text if Schema applying parameter is Use schema as prefix or Use schema as suffix. For example, if the name of 27th file is Sunset, and the schema is 001, and Schema applying parameter is Use schema as prefix, and Schema separator is underscore, then the target file name will be 027_Sunset.

Change text to upper case. Changes all the text to upper case.

Change text to lower case. Changes all the text to lower case.

Capitalize the first letter. Changes case of the first letter to upper case.

Replace sub-string. Replaces specified sub-string with new text.

Parameters:

1. Text to replace. Specifies the text to replace.

2. Replace with. Specifies the substitution text.

3. Case sensitive. If the option is checked then the search is case sensitive.

Add prefix. Adds specified text constant to the left.

Parameters:

1. Prefix.

Add suffix. Adds specified text constant to the right.

Parameters:

1. Suffix.

Cut prefix. Cuts specified number of characters from beginning of the text.

Parameters:

1. Number of characters to cut.

Cut suffix. Cuts specified number of characters from the end of the text.

Parameters:

1. Number of characters to cut.

Custom rule (expression). This is the most powerful action, but it requires more effort from you. The result of such an action is the result of expression (mathematical, logical, text, or composite) calculation. Use expressions when you cannot find the needed action (rule) among other actions (rules). With expressions, you can name the files more flexibly: using file dates, file numbers, their old names, MP3 tags (for .MP3 and .APE files) etc.
Expression can consist of constants (numeric or text), functions, operators (arithmetical and logical), and comments.
The comment is the text inside {} brackets or all text in a line after two slashes //. Comments are ignored when the expression is calculating.
Text (string) constants must be enclosed in single quotes. They cannot contain line breaks (i.e. carriage return or line feed characters); when it is needed to include line break in the text constant, the char function should be used.

Parameters:

1. Expression. Each function in expression must be entered in upper case; functions, concerning current file in the thread, must be enclosed in angle brackets (<>). MP3-related functions work with ID3v2 tag by defaults; if the appropriate ID3v2 tag is empty, the contents of the ID3v1 tag is returned.

Examples:

<FILENO> + '. ' + <MP3TAG_ARTIST> + ' - ' + <MP3TAG_TITLE>

The result looks like 04. Bethoven - Symphony No.5

to_string(<FILENO> + 100) + '. ' + <CURRENT_NAME>

The result looks like 104. Symphony No.5

substr(<CURRENT_NAME>, 1, 2) + '. ' + <MP3TAG_ARTIST> + ' - ' + <MP3TAG_ALBUM> + ' - ' + <MP3TAG_TITLE>

The result looks like 05. Apocaliptica - Reflections - Drive

trim(substr(<CURRENT_NAME>, 3, length(<CURRENT_NAME>) - 2))

The result looks like Symphony No.5

format_date_time( file_last_modified( <FILE_PATH> ), 'YYYYMMDD' )

The result will use the file last modified date and looks like 20090528

You can see more expression examples here.

Convert Cyrillic symbols to translit. Converts Cyrillic symbols found in the text to their translit representation.