Advanced Renamer Feature Suggestions

I've got some suggestions to make AR even better than the best out there which it already is. They just make AR a little easier and quicker to use and add common Windows standard functionality to the AR application.

- Ability to rename files in the batch window with F2. This is common to Windows explorer and MANY other applications and would be a VERY welcome function. Sometimes there are filenames that are outliers that are different from all other filenames in your list and it would be helpful to be able to simply rename THAT filename. It would be much quicker than what you have to do now which is go to the mouse and right click on the filename hit p to bring up properties on the item Shift+Tab to go to the filename field in the properties windows and change the name there. And even after you do this the name doesn't update in the file list which means you can't just adjust the filename a little to standardize it ENOUGH to use the rest of your methods on it so you have to completely rename the filename manually and then delete it from the list of files you're working on.

- Ability to open the parent folder of files in the rename list from the context menu in the files to rename list. This would be very helpful to be able to access the files themselves in their respective directories and is standard functionality in many windows based applications. When you've added a directory with a many subfolder structure it's a pain to go into Windows Explorer and drill down to the location manually.

- Ability to open a file by hitting enter when the file is highlighted the same way this works in Windows Explorer and many other apps. Currently you can do this by hitting the context menu key or right clicking on a filename in your list and hitting R twice and enter but it would be much simpler to incorporate a standard windows function by using the simplest solution which would be to just hit enter which fortuitously is not used for anything in the filename window currently so it's open.

- Capitalize words when grouping them in brackets ( ). For example if I group words that hold the same relative position in a filename and they are NOT capitalized before the method I would like them to be capitalized after the method but I can only do this currently by capitalizing every filename in the list. It would be helpful to be able to capitalize JUST the words in that relative position in the filename. The words in the grouping you specify.
Also along the same line it would be helpful if there was a way you could group words that are acronyms and apply an all caps function to them for example (usb|dom|ajax|aio|cad|sql|ssl|nt|tcp|ip|os|php|css|html|uk|us|usa) etc and the funtion would ALL CAP all of the acronyms in the group. Currently there's no way to do this short of entering a method for each acronym individually changing it from standard case to all caps in the replace field. This can take a long time in a list of filenames that have a lot of acronyms which happens a lot these days. Acronyms allow you to shorten filenames a lot while retaining meaningful information in the filename.

- Drag and drop organizing for methods in the method list. Also Keyboard shortcuts are sorely lacking in AR which is too bad because there’s no doubt AR is BY FAR the best renamer I’ve ever used and I’ve tried a bunch of them. AR is MASSIVELY superior. I'm a keyboard guy because using the keyboard when your hands are already there (which is MOST of the time) is much faster than constantly having to go back to your mouse.
You could for example use the same functionality used by Tree Style Tabs in Firefox. When you are in a tab you use Shift+Ctrl+PageUp or PageDown to move the tab up or down in the list. This would be very helpful when you are using many methods. Some of my method lists number several hundred methods and the order and sequence of the methods becomes critical.
Also there is no way to move from one method to a subsequent or a preceding method with the keyboard so it is again going to the ridiculously slow mouse constantly. Also there's no way to move to different parts of the window which is common functionality in most applications today. For example moving from the method list to the "Add batch method" buttons to the file list etc using the tab button. Keyboard functionality is really the next big step for AR in making it even better in a substantial way.
- another function that would be very helpful for troubleshooting your method list when you have several hundred methods in your list is if there was a button that you could hit to deselect all methods in the list or select all methods in the list. Much faster than selecting and deselecting them one at a time.

I've got no complaints about AR. I absolutely LOVE THIS APPLICATION. I can't tell you how amazing it is to see a list of filenames that are absolute gibberish turned into a list of filenames that are meaningful representations of information in the files in your list. Absolutely amazing. These are just refinements to make a terrific application even better. Simpler. Faster.

---

Reply to #1:

Yeah, the F2 to rename would definitely be pretty useful

I think your suggestions are pretty solid

cheers

---

Reply to #1:
1.
The next release of Advanced Renamer will include a F2 rename override. It might work a little different than you suggest, but I hope you will like it anyway.

2.
You can open a files folder by right clicking the file and select "Open containing folder". I will add a shortcut for this in the next release. It will be Ctrl + Enter.

3.
Sure, why not. I will include a ENTER-shortcut to open the file in the next release.

4.
I would like to make some new case based tages, like <up>this will be uppercase</up> or <down>This Will Be Lowercase</down>. But it might take me some time. I don't expect this feature to be included in the next release.

5.
Drag and drop. I agree. But don't get your hopes up.

(sorry for the rather short answers)

---