In line edit of rename pairs

[FXLEWIS]

After importing rename pairs, I can't find where I can edit the file in the console and I swore I could do this before?

[Admin]

Hi,

BRU does not include a full in-app text editor for an imported rename-pairs file. You can view the imported list, edit individual targets in the New Name column, or export -> edit externally -> re-import for bulk changes. Steps:

1) View what was imported
- Actions > View Imported Rename-Pairs (or click the "Rename Pairs Imported" entry). This shows the pairs and the imported file path.

2) Edit a single target inside BRU
- Select the file in the right-hand file list and press F2 (Rename Object Manually), or edit the New Name cell directly after enabling Preview/selection. This changes one entry at a time.

3) Bulk edit the imported pairs (recommended)
- Select the items (Ctrl+A or pick specific files).
- Right-click > Copy to Clipboard and choose the columns you need (e.g., pathname + new filename or all columns).
- Paste into a text editor or spreadsheet, edit the pairs (CSV, tab or pipe separated). Quote fields if they contain commas.
- Re-import: Actions > Import Rename-Pairs (CSV) > Import Rename-Pairs from File or Import Rename-Pairs from Clipboard (Ctrl+Alt+C).
- Use Actions > Import Rename-Pairs (CSV) > Select Imported Rename-Pairs to match/select files in the list if needed.
- Then click Rename to apply.

[Admin]

PS the Replace / RegEx / Case list editors are a good in-BRU alternative to importing a CSV of exact old->new pairs, and you can edit those lists directly within Bulk Rename Utility.

How they compare
- CSV import (Import Rename-Pairs) populates explicit old -> new mappings and sets the New Name column for matching files. It matches filenames (or full paths if your CSV used full paths). Use this when you already have exact old->-new pairs.
- List editors in Replace(3) or RegEx(1) create replacement rules that run as part of BRU’s renaming pipeline (in-place transformations). Use these when you want to transform names by rule inside BRU and be able to edit rules without re-importing a CSV.

Which editors to use
- Replace(3) multiple replacements editor: click the small icon next to the With field. Two-column editor (Replace | With). Supports tab-separated paste, | separators, escaping \|, wildcard patterns, and \regex\ prefix for regex use inside Replace(3) (but RegEx(1) is recommended for complex regex).
- RegEx(1) multiple editor: click the icon next to Match. Two-column editor (Match | Replace). Supports multiple regex pairs (one per line, tab-separated columns) and also the (?X) inline separator if you prefer a single-line approach.
- Case(4) Exceptions editor: click the icon next to Exceptions. One-column list for exceptions (colon-separated works in the main field; the editor is easier for many entries).

Practical steps to use the list editors
1) Open the appropriate panel (Replace or RegEx or Case).
2) Click the small editor icon (next to With or Match or Exceptions) to open the multi-row editor dialog.
3) Paste data from a spreadsheet or text editor:
- Use tab-separated columns (Replace<TAB>With) or copy rows from Excel; Ctrl+V works.
- For Replace editor you can paste "find<TAB>replace" per row.
4) Edit pairs directly in the dialog. Use Load/Save buttons to save lists for reuse.
5) Close the editor, run Preview (Ctrl+P) to verify results for selected files, then Rename (Ctrl+R) when ready.

Notes and tips
- Replace(3) supports multiple pairs with | in the main fields as a shorthand: Replace: A|B With: X|Y. In the list editor you get clearer one-row-per-pair editing.
- For regex work, use RegEx(1) editor; RegEx(1) is more powerful (supports /g, /i modifiers, etc.). If you must use regex in Replace(3), prefix with \regex\ but know it is limited versus RegEx(1).
- Rules in these editors run in BRU’s pipeline position for that panel (order matters). Use Special(14) -> Order if you need to change when they run.
- If you started from an imported CSV of exact old->new pairs and want to continue editing inside BRU, you can:
- Export the file list (right-click > Copy to Clipboard and include New Name) or use View Imported Rename-Pairs, edit externally, then either re-import as rename-pairs or convert edits into Replace/RegEx list rules.
- If you need exact mapping (not rule-based), CSV import is still the right tool; list editors are best for rule-based batch transforms and are editable inside BRU.