ReNamer Batch renaming of files. Batch renaming files in Windows

Cameras and video cameras save files with names that tell the user little about the photos and videos they captured. By default, file names are most often formed from a meaningless set of letters and numbers. File names like IMG2312 or DCIM1978765 among dozens of similar ones in the catalog do not give the user any information about the photo or recorded video. Another thing is the name of files like New_Year_2014_123 or Egypt_Pyramid_Cheops_456, it immediately becomes clear what information the files store. The free ReNamer program is used for batch renaming of files using rules, filters and other useful algorithms, and is an excellent tool for automating the file renaming process.

Changing file names in a list

The program's capabilities allow you to rename groups of files using a large number of functions designed for this operation. To generate new file names, the user is required to create rules for renaming. With their help, it is possible to remove a certain set of characters from a file name, insert text, replace characters, insert various meta tags into the file name, transliterate letters in file names, change the case of letters, insert sequential values ​​(indexing), rename files by mask, use for renaming regular expressions and scripts in Pascal. In addition to files, the ReNamer utility can also rename folders. Before the final renaming of files, the program provides a preview of the result.

Screenshots

The other day, while wandering around the Internet, I came across a new version of my long-time and faithful assistant - the ReNamer program, which has become my indispensable toolwhen bulk renaming files . This is a routine action that we can perform several times a day. Each of us solves this problem in our own way, for example, using the built-in tools of the operating system, without experiencing any special problems.

That's it, you say, it's a big problem, what's there to talk about! It’s good, of course, when the renaming allows the use of mask symbols, and - I add - it’s good if you know how to use the mask. But there are situations when using a mask is quite difficult or even impossible. It would seem that there is only one way out - to rename each file separately by hand. But no - there is a way out, which is offered by Denis Kozlov’s very functional, installation-free and free program ReNamer, which will be discussed in this article.

You can download the program both on the computer portal Softodrom.ru and on the developer’s website.

The program provides the user with all imaginable ways to batch rename files. In any case, I didn’t have enough imagination to come up with something that the program couldn’t handle! I think that it is an indispensable assistant for administrators and other computer people, as well as teachers, authors and others like them. By the way, what I immediately noticed when I discovered the new version of ReNamer was the appearance of a Russian localization of the program. And although I don’t experience any particular discomfort when working with the English interface, still, you know, my own language is somehow much more native, and - most importantly - more understandable...

When you first load the program, it will prompt you to open and, accordingly, familiarize yourself with the Quick Guide. If you have a basic understanding of the English language, then I advise you to accept this offer. To be honest, I have not often come across such a clear and at the same time brief description of working with the program!

At the same time, I can’t help but notice that, understanding the author, who aims his brainchild at the widest possible range of users and uses English for this, he could “bundle” an analogue of the manual in Russian, since the author is a programmer from Tolyatti. By the way, it’s good that Russian localization of the program has appeared, otherwise it was not observed in previous versions :). True, it appeared only last year, and it was not even completed by the author(!) I hope that the author will not be too offended at me for criticism, since the program is really very good in its work.

The ideology of the program is that the user creates rules according to which files are renamed. Rules allow you to change program prefixes and suffixes, replace, add and delete parts of text in file names, add serial numbers to names, etc.

Therefore, the program window itself consists of two parts: the upper one is the formation of rules for renaming files, the lower one is the selection of files. Accordingly, the program has two groups of buttons located on separate panels: the top one for working with files and the bottom one for working with rules.

Select files

Selecting files to rename is extremely simple. On the top toolbar, click the "Add files" button. If all files in a folder are to be renamed, then use the "Add Folders" tool. The selected files are displayed at the bottom of the window. To delete files, we use the generally accepted selection techniques, after which we call up the context menu on the list of files and select the “Delete selected” item from it.

Create a rule

On the second (lower) toolbar in the upper window, click the “Add” button (“Add a new rule”), after which the “Add Rule” window appears, in which a rule is created that will be used to rename files. To remember the generated rule, click the large “Add Rule” button in the window.

To edit a rule, double click on its name.

To delete a rule, click the "Delete" button on the second toolbar.

Let's look at examples of the formation of certain types of rules.

Replace

1. From the list of rule names, select “Replace”.
2. In the "Find" field, we determine the part of the name that needs to be changed. We do not use the "*" symbol.
3. In the "Replace" field, enter the characters that will replace the text in the "Find" field.
4. In the "Matches" group we determine the number of replacements in names.

Removal

To remove part of the text in the middle of the name, we create the following rule.

1. From the list of rule names, select “Delete”.
2. In the "Starting from" field, we determine the position from which we want to start deleting text in the name.
3. In the "Before" field we determine the number of characters to be removed from file names.
4. To disable actions with extensions, enable the “Skip extensions” action.
5. Save the rule by clicking the "Add Rule" button.

Creating number sequences (index)

Sometimes it is necessary to change the file names Name1, Name2, Name3 so that their names contain a numerical sequence with a certain increment, for example, increasing by “5”: Name11, Name26, Name311. The procedure for creating a rule is as follows.

1. From the list of rule names, select “Index”.
2. Select the "Sequentially" option.
3. We set the initial value of the number sequence: “Start with:”.
4. In the "Step" field we specify the increment (step) of the numerical sequence with which the numerical value will change.
5. In the "Where to insert:" field, we determine the place in the file name where the number sequence will be inserted. In this case, the user has the opportunity to set:
   • Position: determines the position from which the number will be inserted in the file name. If, for example, for our example we set the second position, then the file names will be: И1мя1, И6мя2, И11мя3.
   • Prefix: at the beginning of the file name. In this case, the file names will be in the following sequence: 1Name1, 3Name2, 5Name3.
   • Suffix: at the end of the file name. The file names will be: Name11, Name26, Name311.
6. Selecting the checkbox for the label field "Add zeros to:" allows you to specify the same number of positions for all elements of the number sequence. For example, by setting this field to “2” and using the “Suffix” option for our example, we get the following names: Name101, Name206, Name311.
7. To disable actions with extensions, enable the “Skip extensions” action.
8. Save the rule by clicking the "Add Rule" button.

Defining Multiple Rules

The system allows you to apply several rules to file names at once. The main thing here is not to get confused with the names that should be obtained, since applying the rule at some stage may lead to the creation of a name that matches the name at the previous stage. However, the system will immediately warn you about this.

To avoid such situations, follow a simple rule: do not apply all the rules at once, but do it sequentially, clearing or checking the boxes in the first column preceding the name of the rule.

In this case, the user can not only add and delete rules, but also change their places using the tools located at the top of the rules window.

And one more thing. The rules are used strictly sequentially, exactly in the order in which you created them. If you need to change their sequence, use the "Up" and "Down" buttons, which are located on the second toolbar.

And one last thing. Renaming

In order to see what we get, click the “Preview” button on the toolbar, after which the names generated according to the specified rules will be displayed in the “New name” column at the bottom of the window. As a matter of fact, you don’t need to take any action at all if you first perform the action of selecting files, and only after that - creating rules. In this case, adding or changing a rule automatically causes files with new names to be displayed.

And finally, the last step: renaming itself. We click the “Rename” button and admire our work, not forgetting to express respect to the author for the most convenient and, moreover, free tool.

And the very last thing. As follows from the annotation to the program, the user has the ability to work with ID3v1, ID3v2 and EXIF, as well as use batch renaming of folders. And besides this, there are many custom renaming template settings.

Valery FETISOV

A small but very flexible file renaming tool that supports all standard renaming procedures, including prefixes, suffixes, replacement, case changing; as well as removing quotes, adding a counter, removing numbers or symbols, changing extensions and much more. Advanced users can take advantage of the power of the Pascal language by creating their own renaming rules.

Often, when traveling across the Internet, we download everything we can find, and then for a long time we cannot sort the necessary files. For example, yesterday you downloaded about fifty pictures of nature onto your desktop, but today it turned out that instead of names they contain a bunch of meaningless sets of letters and numbers.

Or the same situation with music. What to do, you need to sit down to rename the files. However, manually, you will do all this for a very long time. It's easier to use special programs.

You can find plenty of such programs if you look hard enough, but are they all worth paying attention to? I suggest not searching, but downloading ReName.

This small program can give odds to any commercial products of the same direction. The paid program File Renamer Turbo has similar functions. Let's compare the capabilities of two "renamers":

Comparison of the ReNamer program with the paid analogue File Renamer Turbo

ReNamer is quite a powerful and at the same time uncomplicated tool that can be customized to suit your needs as you please.

The first good news is that the program does not require installation. You just need to unzip it (you can also put it on a flash drive) and run it.

The second is the presence of a Russian interface (the program was made by our compatriot). Let's launch and take a quick look at ReNamer:

If you need detailed information about all the capabilities of the program, I advise you to read the “User Guide” before starting work. And if you are the type of person who immediately jumps into action, click “No” on the offer panel.

ReNamer interface

The program window consists of the following sections: menu bar, file control panel, rules control panel, rules entry field and file display field.

There should be no problems in managing ReNamer, since each item has a hint in its arsenal. I believe that you can immediately proceed to direct action.

Let's say we downloaded several pictures from the Internet with inappropriate names and saved them on the Desktop. To open these images in ReNamer, you can either select them and simply drag them into the lower file display field, or click the "Add files" button and select the desired images through the explorer. The list of files is ready.

Now you need to create rules for renaming files from the list. The first rule can be created by simply left-clicking on the rules entry field. Subsequent ones can be added using the context menu or the “Add” button.

Renaming rules

The rules themselves have not been translated into Russian, so I will explain a little the meaning of each of them.

Insert. Used to specify a new name. Here you will have to enter a new common name for all the files that you will rename. Here you can configure exactly where the entry will be inserted (prefix, suffix or arbitrary position).

Delete (delete). Allows you to delete the current file name. Requires the start and end file to be specified. You can delete the name completely or ignore the extension.

Remove (remove). Used to remove certain letters or symbols from the file name.

Replace (replace). Allows you to replace one name with another.

Extension. Using this function, you can give the file to be renamed an arbitrary extension.

Strip (clear). Thanks to this function, you can quickly clear file names of numbers and symbols.

Case (case). This rule allows us to randomly change the case of the new file name.

Serialize. Helps automatically number files with the same names.

CleanUp (organization). Used to remove some characters or replace them with spaces.

Translit (transliteration). Used to translate new names into Latin. Translit dictionaries are used for many languages, which can be edited at will.

RegEx (regular expressions). An "advanced" function that allows you to change file names in accordance with existing rules that you set (see the "User Guide").

PascalScript (scripts in Pascal). Here you can write your own mini-programs in Pascal, which will affect the change of file names.

UserInput (user input). Here you can manually enter all file names, each on a new line (or paste from a ready-made list).

Example of renaming files using ReNamer

Now let's see in practice what needs to be done to change the names in the list we created. Let's move on to creating rules and set "Delete" first to delete real file names. Moreover, please note that the starting point for deletion will be “Position 1”, and the final point will be the value “To the end”.

Also check the "Skip extension" box to avoid damaging our files. The result of our manipulations will be a list without names (with only extensions):

Now we will need to create a new name for our files. There are many ways you can do this. For example, if you have a ready list (from the Internet) of downloaded files, you can add a UserInput rule and paste it into the input field. If there is no list, but all files are related to each other by a common theme, you can create a common name for all with numbering.

That's what we'll do. To do this, add an Insert rule and specify the desired name in the name input field (in our case, “picture_”). Make sure that the "Skip extension" checkbox is selected.

After this, our list will take a more or less familiar form. However, all the files in it will have the same names:

There are several ways to correct this misunderstanding.

Method one. One of the easiest ways is to fix conflicting names using the Options menu. After you click the corresponding button, serial numbers in brackets will be attached to each subsequent file name:

Method two. If parentheses do not suit you, you can use the serialization function. Add the Serialize rule and set the addition of numbers from one with the insertion method "Suffix".

Also make sure that the "Skip extension" option is activated. We add a rule, and our list takes on a pretty decent form:

To confirm new names, all that remains now is to click the “Rename” button.

Conclusions

To be honest, ReNamer is not as simple as it seems. This is a very powerful tool that can work wonders in the right hands. To get started, practice making simple renames, and when you understand the nuances of all the rules, try creating your own (read the manual for this).

I'm sure you'll like it!!! And at the same time learn Pascal;).

P.S. Permission is granted to freely copy and quote this article, provided that an open active link to the source is indicated and the authorship of Ruslan Tertyshny is preserved.

Massively renaming files is not an easy task. Users often simply do not know what to do when the need arises to rename a large number of files. Doing this manually is long and tedious. Therefore, to solve such problems, it is better to use special programs for bulk renaming of files.

Advanced Renamer is a free solution for bulk file renaming

In this article we will look at a program that allows you to quickly and easily perform bulk file renaming. With its help, you can quickly rename any number of files. The main advantages of Advanced Renamer over similar programs are: free, Russian-language interface and ample opportunities for setting up mass file renaming.

The program interface is divided into two parts. On the left side of the Advanced Renamer window there is a list of rules (methods) that are used to rename files, and on the right side there is a list of files and folders. The list of files is on the " tab Rename files", and the list of folders on the tab " Rename folders».

How to Rename Files Using Advanced Renamer

In order to add files or folders for mass renaming, you can use the “Add” button or simply drag and drop the desired files into the program window.

Once you have added the files, you can begin setting up renaming methods. To do this, click on the “Add method” button and select the appropriate item. By setting up renaming methods on the right side of the window, in the “New file name” column, you can observe future file names.

The following file renaming methods are available here:

• New name. The files are given new names. You can choose one of the methods for generating new names.
• Register. Changes the case of file names.
• Moving. Move characters in a file name from one position to another.
• Delete. Removing characters from the file name.
• Deleting a template. Removing characters from the file name according to the specified pattern.
• Re-numbering. Changing numbers in the file name.
• Replacement. Replacing phrases in the file name.
• Addition. Add text to the file name.
• List. Rename files according to the new list of names.
• Trimming. Remove unwanted characters from the file name.

In addition, you can change the attributes and creation/opening/modification dates for files. It is also possible to rename files using an algorithm written in JavaScript. Existing methods for renaming files can be combined in any way.

Example of using the Advanced Renamer program

For example, let's perform a bulk rename of files using the “ New name” method. First, we load into the program a list of files that we plan to rename.

After everything is configured, you can click on the “Start” button to start the process of renaming files.

Import from a text file, etc. The tag editor supports all popular audio formats: MP3, FLAC, APE, M4A, MP4, AAC, OGG and others.

On the other hand, information from tags can be used to rename audio files.

Let's see how you can rename MP3 files (other supported formats are renamed similarly). This function is similar to the function of getting tags from filenames.

Select files

Options in the rename window

All changes affect only the marked files. Next to each file name, on the left, there is a square. If there is a green checkmark in this box, the file is checked.

By default, all files are checked. You can change this by unchecking some files manually or using the buttons directly above the list, in the upper left corner.

Register is a drop-down list with several options:

They determine how information from ID3 tags will be processed. By default, no processing occurs, but you can choose to convert existing values ​​to lowercase, uppercase, or other available options.

Another dropdown list:

With it, you can easily replace spaces with underscores "_", or vice versa. You can also remove spaces.

For example, there is a title "Some title". You can rename the file to "Some_name.mp3" by choosing to replace the spaces with "_". This may be useful for systems that do not like spaces in file names.

Remove bad characters. Some characters cannot be used in file names. If you try to rename a file in Windows and enter one of these characters (for example, ":"), the system will refuse to add this character and will provide details using a tooltip.

When creating filenames from tags, mp3Tag Pro can either replace such characters with spaces or remove them.

Remove leading and trailing spaces. If information in tags begins or ends with spaces, directly wrapping the information into file names may have undesirable consequences. As a rule, the system is tolerant of spaces, but expects that the file name does not start with a space. Additionally, adding spaces from tags to spaces in the template can cause doubling and tripling of spaces, making filenames look worse.

Rename by right click

Individual files can be renamed using the context menu. Just right-click the file in the main tag editor window and select "Rename":

A small window will open, suggesting a new file name based on the "Artist - Title" template: