Total Commander

I just found out that it's not possible to select more than one file in the Multi-Rename Tool. I'd like to be able to do this, so that I can move a block of files up and down the list.

What for?

Today I wanted to rename a couple of numbered files (scanned pages). A number of pages was named wrongly, like this:

FILENAME -> PAGE NUMBER
0001.tif -> 1
0002.tif -> 2
0003.tif -> 3
0004.tif -> 7
0005.tif -> 8
0006.tif -> 9
0007.tif -> 4
0008.tif -> 5
0009.tif -> 6

It would have been very easy if I could have selected the wrong files (in bold) and move them all up the list to the right position. Now I had to do this one by one.

Now I see. But you don't need to rename them one by one, but "group by group". In your case you first select 1...3, then 7...9, and finally 4...6. That's much easier.
I don't think many people have the same task as you. For example, I've never had such problems. So, AFAIK, this feature is not realised in TC, and would hardly be ever realised.
One more question: can you sort files in desired order by some criterion other then name? (size, creation/modification date, comment, resolution...)

Vochomurka wrote:Now I see. But you don't need to rename them one by one, but "group by group". In your case you first select 1...3, then 7...9, and finally 4...6. That's much easier.

That would have been easier if there were just one or two 'groups' to rename, but in fact there were more than 50 different 'groups'.

Vochomurka wrote:I don't think many people have the same task as you. For example, I've never had such problems.

For me it was the first time too, but I still was surprised to see that I could only select one file at a time.

Vochomurka wrote:One more question: can you sort files in desired order by some criterion other then name? (size, creation/modification date, comment, resolution...)

Unfortunately not - I thought of that too. But the wrongly-named files were pages that I scanned later on, after I noticed that the original pages had scanning errors.

But thanks for your replies!

2ArchCarrier

Try to use "Edit names..." command (to reach it, press the button beside Upper/lowercase combobox) then in notepad move the files 7,8,9 just under the file 3, save the changes and return to TC.

Once you've opened the MRT click the Folder ICON underneath the [?].
1) Choose Edit Names.
2) Organize them in the Editor as you like.
3) Save File.
4) Click OK.

The one caveat you will need to change the Name for a first Pass. EG: Use:
Name Mask: [N]+

Reload the results, and do the naming as you like. Or just strip the "+" off.

Example:

FOO_001.txt
FOO_002.txt
FOO_003.txt
FOO_004.txt
FOO_005.txt
FOO_006.txt
FOO_007.txt
FOO_008.txt
FOO_009.txt

In the editor I cut/paste 6, 7 and 8 to below the 2:
Thus the renames will be:

FOO_001.txt --> FOO_001+.txt
FOO_002.txt --> FOO_002+.txt
FOO_003.txt --> FOO_006+.txt
FOO_004.txt --> FOO_007+.txt
FOO_005.txt --> FOO_008+.txt
FOO_006.txt --> FOO_003+.txt
FOO_007.txt --> FOO_004+.txt
FOO_008.txt --> FOO_005+.txt
FOO_009.txt --> FOO_009+.txt

OT

Balderstrom wrote:And click the Folder ICON underneath the [?].

It is icon like dropdown menu not folder

/OT

Looks like a folder with lines across it to me...

If it was supposed to resemble the contextMenu key on a keyboard the top piece wouldn't be so short.
********
|---------|
|---------|
|---------|

Instead of:
****
|---------|
|---------|
|---------|

I think it is resemble the menu strip not the contextMenu key.

People, thanks for all the suggestions! But I just wanted to suggest an improvement for a future version of TC, not to get help on how to rename a list of files

Touche!

I agree the suggestion would be a good feature improvement.

I suppose we've seen a reduction in what ideas have been getting implemented over the last few(?) years -- so our default mode is to try and provide an alternate way to get a particular task done...

ArchCarrier wrote:I just found out that it's not possible to select more than one file in the Multi-Rename Tool. I'd like to be able to do this, so that I can move a block of files up and down the list.

I've needed such a feature very few times in the many years i use TC but i agree it would be nice to have it. It doesn't seem difficult to implement.

I do not think it would be difficult to implement. Multiselected items would move after the first item in the selected list and places, after the first one is placed consequently, regardless if they were shift selected or control selected. Foobar2000 has such behavior, for instance. Edit Names works but dragging files would be much faster, I believe.

here is an example of the list that quite often I need to sort and assign common name, where, as the first step, I need to select the bold items an move them to the position 2:

sample_file_1.txt
sample_file_10.txt
sample_file_11.txt
sample_file_12.txt
sample_file_13.txt
sample_file_14.txt
sample_file_15.txt
sample_file_16.txt
sample_file_17.txt
sample_file_18.txt
sample_file_19.txt
sample_file_2.txt
sample_file_3.txt
sample_file_30.txt
sample_file_31.txt
sample_file_32.txt
sample_file_33.txt
sample_file_34.txt
sample_file_35.txt
sample_file_36.txt
sample_file_37.txt
sample_file_38.txt
sample_file_39.txt
sample_file_4.txt
Samples_20.txt
Samples_21.txt
Samples_22.txt
Samples_23.txt
Samples_24.txt
Samples_25.txt
Samples_26.txt
Samples_27.txt
Samples_28.txt
Samples_29.txt

Heh. Looks like you don't like Non-XP sorting.

Search: _(\d)\.([a-z]+)$
Replace: _0$1.$2
[x] Regex.

Reload Results.
Name Files as you need. and they will all be sorted in numerical order.

You could also enable one of the Natural Sorting modes in Config/Display -- which is the default in WinXP IIRC. I don't care for either of the Natural Sorts usually, but sometimes they're useful.