Some Ideas

Would you like Bulk Rename Utility to offer new functionality? Post your comments here!

Some Ideas

Postby RThomann » Thu Jun 15, 2006 5:58 pm

Thanks so much for an outstanding product!! Very nice job!!!

I was blessed to find this utility this week, as I had to move and rename a few thousand files from a dated file tree (G:\Folder\2006\JANUARY\JANUARY01\*.* files etc. for identically named files for every day of the year to a common path with filenames that included the date, which was the folder name, to make them unique C:\Reports\JANUARY-01-2006-filename.ext etc.).

You, too, deserve the praises I was given after using BRU: "This worked really slick for what we needed to do! ... This process saved a lot of time and will move this project to completion sooner. I appreciate your efforts."

After looking at the suggestions in this forum, I had a few ideas that would be nice to have in BRU, and maybe are on the wish list already (sorry if I missed them).

1) Append Folder Name function (#9 in v2.3.4.1) could ask for the number of "super" folders to include in filename, with a default of 1 (immediate parent folder).

Example: User enters '3' for the number of super folders with source path of C:\Reports\ and the subfolders option checked in the Selections area. This would allow files like myfile1.txt & myfile2.txt in the below structure to have more than just their parent folder name, 01, attached to the file name (as prefix or suffix). With '3' selected, up to 3 folders in the hierarchy could be added to the filename, less for files without that many folders between them and the source folder. This would make a single renaming pass change all files selected in this type of tree in this way (myfile1.txt to 2005-January-01-myfile1.txt, assuming prefixing and a '-' separator).

Tree:
C:\Reports\
2005\
January\
01\
myfile1.txt
myfile2.txt
...
02\
myfile1.txt
myfile2.txt
....
...
31\
...
February\
...
...
December\
...
2006\
...

This could save a few rename / move passes.

2) Tooltips on some of the important controls on the main screen would be a nice optional feature that may help initial users overcome the initial fear of so many controls.

3) Confirmation prompts on the Reset, Revert, and "R" buttons, like that on the Rename button, may also be a nice option to make available for users who select them accidentally.

4) A few references to functional areas' numbers in the documentation are no longer valid in v2.3.4.1 due to new functions.

Example on Action Menu page of compiled help file (.chm):

"Reset All Criteria

This allows you to quickly reset all the renaming-criteria which are currently selected. Handy if you want to start from scratch. (This won't reset your file-selection and new-location items, groups 11 and 12)."

... underlined text should now be "12 and 13."

Very minor issue and an unglorious maintenance task, but wanted to point it out.

5) In the file viewer's right-click context menu for copying to the clipboard, could there be an option to copy values in the New Name and / or Sub Dir., or other columns to the clipboard?

This would be great for summarizing changes in documentation (for audit purposes in my line of business). Even a text file output of all the file viewer's information would be a nice option, especially if the copy to clipboard is too big of a task.


I also like these suggestions and wish list items of others:

- changing the order of operation for the functions to some degree
- export of a batch file to do the renaming, much like the undo batch file
- web-safe file & folder names
- indicating the number of subfolders in the tree hierarchy to recurse in the Selection area

Thanks for your consideration of these small ideas for improving a wonderful product!!
RThomann
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Madison, WI, USA

Postby Admin » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:41 pm

Hi,

Many thanks for your feedback and suggestions. Some comments:

1) Yes, this is already in the wishlist, it's just never got round to being implemented. I'll try to bump it up the list.

2) Tooltips. These used to be there, but were replaced with Shif+F1 fucntionality. I'm not sure hwich one is best......

3) Yes agreed, these should probably be added.

4) Well spotted! I've now updated this, for the next release.

5) Yes, I don't see why these can't be added. I'll add this to the list for the next release.

Thanks again!



Jim
Admin
Site Admin
 
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:39 pm


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