ReNamer:Pascal Script:Reuse variable

If you want to store a variable to reuse the value later you can read here a few tips.

For examples you can store the last used path, folder or file name or parts of them. Also you may want to store an index number, or perhaps a list of the original file names. There are several techniques to store variable values, feel free to choose the one that suits you.

File Approach

First we take a look on the file approach.

We use simple plain text files to store the variable.

Utilized Function

The ReNamer PascalScript functions to write and read text files are:

FileWriteContent( "FileName" , "Content" );
FileAppendContent( "FileName" , "Content" );

FileReadContent("FileName");
FileCountLines("FileName");
FileReadLine( "FileName" , LineNum );

For "FileName" you can just use a name without a path to store the file into the ReNamer folder.
Example:

FileWriteContent( "FileName.txt" , "Content" );
FileWriteContent( ".\FileName.txt" , "Content" );

To use an full path to your ReNamer folder use the ReNamer PascalScript function "GetApplicationPath"
Example:

FileWriteContent( WideExtractFilePath(GetApplicationPath) + "FileName.txt" , "Content" );

You can use your private temp (temporary) folder in your profile
by using the ReNamer PascalScript function "WideGetTempPath"
Example:

FileWriteContent( WideGetTempPath + "FileName.txt" , "Content" );

Also you can access all system environment variables by using "WideGetEnvironmentVar"
Example:

UserName := WideGetEnvironmentVar('USERNAME');

Script examples

Store one value to one dedicated file

First rule in rule list:
(GET stored variable 'LastFolder')

var
  LastFold:string;

begin
 if(GetCurrentFileIndex=1)then
    if(WideFileExists(WideGetTempPath + 'den4b_LastFolder.txt')) then
        LastFold := FileReadContent(WideGetTempPath +'den4b_LastFolder.txt');

  //check if it works:
  ShowMessage(LastFold);
end.

Other rules here in between
-
-
-

Last rule in rule list:
(SET variable 'LastFolder' to stored for later reuse)

var
  ParentFold:string;

begin
 if(GetCurrentFileIndex=GetTotalNumberOfFiles)then
   begin
       ParentFold := CalculateMetaTag(FilePath, 'File_FolderName');
       FileWriteContent(WideGetTempPath + 'den4b_LastFolder.txt', ParentFold);
   end;
 
  //check if it works:
  ExecuteProgram('notepad ' + WideGetTempPath + 'den4b_LastFolder.txt',false);
end.

Store more then one value into a common file

Note this approach is to cumbersome for real use.
Better use dedicated file for each var/value (see above).

We can also use FileAppendContent(); to add "NAME=VALUE" pairs to an single file
and a routine to read the lines of that common vars.txt.

Here just as proof of concept:

Last rule in rule list:
(add a line with "NAME=VALUE" pair)

 FileAppendContent('den4b_vars.txt','LastFolder=' + ParentF + #13#10);

This 'den4b_vars.txt' could look now like:

LastIndex=10
LastString=Vacation 2013
LastFolder=Translits

Other rules here in between
-
-
-

To get the wanted value i would use a code like this:

First rule in rule list:
- read the vars.txt
- split into lines
- split line into 'name' and 'value'
- check if 'name' is a wanted var name, if yes get the value

var
  vars,v:string;
  Lines,CurrLine:TWideStringArray;
  i:integer;
   
begin
  if(GetCurrentFileIndex=1)then
  begin
    if( WideFileExists('.\den4b_vars.txt') ) then
    begin
       vars := FileReadContent('.\den4b_vars.txt');
       ShowMessage('complete content:'+#10+vars);
       Lines:= WideSplitString(vars, #13#10);
       if( length(Lines) > 0 ) then
         begin
             for i:=0 to length(Lines)-1 do
             begin
                CurrLine := WideSplitString(Lines[i],'=');
                v := CurrLine[0];
                //ShowMessage(v);
                if ( WideCompareText( v, 'LastIndex' ) =0) then
                    ShowMessage( v + ' has value ' + CurrLine[1] );
                if ( WideCompareText( v, 'LastFolder' ) =0) then
                    ShowMessage( v + ' has value ' +  CurrLine[1] );
                if ( WideCompareText( v, 'LastString' ) =0) then
                    ShowMessage( v + ' has value ' +  CurrLine[1] );
             end;
         end;
    end;
  end;
end.

Registry Approach

Not recommended !

Not recommended !

 var
  ECAreturn:string;

 begin
   // Add your code here
   
   //Store/Write/Set:
    ExecuteProgram('reg add  HKCU\Software\den4b /v TestName1 /t REG_SZ /d "Test value 1" /f', true);
     
    //Load/Read/Get: 
    ExecConsoleApp('reg query  HKCU\Software\den4b /v TestName1', ECAreturn);
    ShowMessage(ECAreturn);
    // Result:
    //  
    //  ! REG.EXE VERSION 3.0
    //  
    //  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\den4b
    //      TestName1       REG_SZ  Test value 1
    //  
      
    //>---more code needed here to extract the value "Test value 1"---<
end.

Clipboard Approach

var
  vLastExtension, vCurrentExtension: WideString;
begin
  // At start, load stored data //Load/Read/Get:
  vLastExtension := GetClipboardText;
  // Add here some error handling and cleanup code for vLastExtension 
  //if Length(vLastExtension) > 4 then Exit;
  //
  // Add your code here and use content of var vLastExtension
  vCurrentExtension := WideExtractFileExt(FileName);
  if vCurrentExtension <> vLastExtension then
   .....
  // 
  // 
  // 
  // At the end store the wanted data //Store/Write/Set:
  SetClipboardText(vCurrentExtension);
end.