Manual editing

TODO: ProofUpload read, upload images, update links.images.

In addition to combining multiple rules to automatically generate new names,names automatically, you can also make manual changes to the new names.names directly in the Files pane. This can beis useful for performing minor tweaking of the new namestweaks before completingproceeding theto renaming process..

Note: ReNamer is designed primarily for automaticautomatic, renaming rule-based on a set of rules.renaming. Manual editing is ana after-thoughtconvenience process which is available purelyfeature for convenience in case thesmall final resultadjustments. need to be tweaked slightly. It is important to note that everyEvery time you regenerate new names theare regenerated by a preview operation, all manual changes will be lost!lost.

StepHow byto stepedit a name

The following steps explain the process of manual editing.

Step 1

In the Files pane, select the row of the file whose name you want to be manually renamed. Click anywhere on its row.edit.

Step 2

ToEnter enteredit Editmode mode, dousing any of the following:following methods:

• Press F2
• Right-click on the filename and select the Edit New Name option
• Slow-click on the file-name.

ReName enters Edit mode. The New Name column shows the file name inand select Edit New Name

Slow-click (single click with a box,short andpause) on the file'sfile name

The New Name column switches to an editable field with the current name isselected. highlighted.

You

Nowcan you can:

• Typetype a completely new namename, toor replaceuse the old name entirely.
• Use left/right arrow keys to placeposition yourthe cursor anywhere in the name and add/delete/changemake atargeted few characters.

In this example, we will replace 2 with 3 (the effect is shown below).changes.

Step 3

ToPress endEnter to confirm the Edit mode, press ENTERchange (or click anywhere outside the edit box)field).

The newly edited name is shown as a preview (— the file ishas not been renamed yet).yet.

Press

• YouEsc canto abortcancel and discard the renaming by pressing ESC.

edit.

Step 4

To actually renameClick the file,Rename clickbutton onto perform the actual button.renaming.

Manual changes can get lost

Manual changes willare bediscarded lost if thewhenever new names are regenerated as a result ofby a Previewpreview operation,. executedThis either:can be triggered:

• Manually — by clicking the Preview button
• Automatically (— when auto auto-preview optionfires triggereddue byto added files or changed rules), or
• Manually (by clicking the "Preview" button).rules

This happens because manual changes are not rulepart based and such changes cannot be passed on to other rules for further processing. The process for generating new names usesof the rules stackstack. andName generation always starts withfrom the original file name.name and passes through all rules in sequence, so any manually entered name is simply overwritten. A manual change is preserved only as long as no preview is generated after it was made.

If you wishneed to makepreserve manual changes, you have the following options:

1. Perform the renaming immediately after making manual changes to thecommit new names permanent or semi-permanent you have two options:
   1. After making manual changes, perform the renaming so that the changes are committed,them, then you can continue adding newrules rules.as needed.
   2. After making manual changes, export the new names intoto the clipboard via the "Export"Export menu,menu, then add newa UserInputUser Input rule and paste the list of new names from the clipboard. This effectivelycaptures createsthe a savedcurrent state of all new names inas a rule.
   3. After making manual changes, export both the original and new names to the clipboard via the Export menu, then add a Mapping rule and load the new name mappings from the clipboard. This maps each original name to its intended new name as a rule.

   Examples

   The following examples demonstrate when manual editing works and when it does not, and your manual changes will be lost.

   Example 1

   Manual renaming is always lost if the Preview button is pressed.

   If we press the Preview button, the manual renaming is lost, and the rules in the Rule pane take over again.

   In this example, we renamed the second file manually, and then pressed the Preview button. As a result, the ALLCAPS rule acted on the original name (Name2) again, and converted it into NAME2.

   

   Example 2

   Manual renaming may be lost when files are added (if the Auto preview when new files are added mode is turned ON).

   In this example, the preview options are set to refresh the preview whenever new files are added to the Files pane of ReNamer. So, if we add a new file, ReNamer behaves as if we pressed the Preview button (and the manual renaming is lost).

   So the net effect is same as the Example 1 (above).

   Compare the three screenshots:

   1. The first screenshot shows the effect of the Case Rule, which is set to convert the name to ALLCAPS. Both file names are turned ALLCAPS.
   2. The second screenshot shows that the file Name2 is manually renamed to Manual. (The ALLCAPS rule still works on the first file.)
   3. The third screenshot shows what happens when the New file is added to the Files pane: The auto preview mode forces a refresh of the pane. As a result, the name of the second file is reset to its original name. Then the ALLCAPS rule acts afresh on all three names, and turns all the three file names to ALLCAPS.

   The net effect is as if the manual renaming was never done at all.

   

   Example 3

   The effect of manual renaming may be lost when you add a new rule (if the Auto preview on change of rules configurations mode is turned ON).

   In this example, the preview options are set to refresh the preview on any change to the rules.
   The file was renamed manually, and then a single Case Rule was added to convert the names to ALLCAPS. Notice that this rule actually ignored the manually given name (Name 3) and acted on the original name of the file (Name2), and made it NAME2.

   

   Example 4

   This is the reverse of the Example 3. The preview options are also set to refresh the preview on any change to the rules. But this time the ALLCAPS (Case) rule was added first. As soon as it was added, It acted on both files. The second file was manually renamed after that. So its name is changed from NAME2 to Name 3.

   To conclude, the effect of the manual renaming survived because it was done after the last Preview (triggered by adding the rule in this case).