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dir\file = name.ext would add confusion.   [Discuss]

By: Juergen Hestermann       
Date: Jun 21,2002 at 17:19
In Response to: dir\file = name.ext would add confusion. (Steve Rawling)

> A suitable chracter is needed to mark the start and end of the old rename style
> string say like a pipe
> eg
> big dog.txt
> \dog\cat\ |*.doc| \big\small\ \ \-\ |*:001:.*|

I would prefer to use the | as a piping symbol as it is used in DOS batch files. Many users know about that and would learn this easily. If this is so, we don't even need any starting or ending symbol because they are defined automatically. Your example would then look like this (if " will be used instead of \):

dog"cat|*.doc|big"small| "-|*:001:.*

The only thing is that you cannot use additional spaces for formatting purpose only cause they would be treated as part of the replace string.

The | would separate the single commands exactly. If then a " is located in one of these commands a F&R command is found. In general there would be only one but if modifiers are added, then there could be more as in

dog"cat"x|...

> would initially be
> big cat,txt
> then
> big cat.doc
> then
> small cat.doc
> then
> small-cat.doc
> then
> small-cat001.doc
> but the user would only ever see the final output ie small-cat001.doc
> That could make F4 a challenge! Should it step through every change or only the
> final outcome.

That would go much too far. We already have this problem with normal rename where you can combine several things like sequential numbers and deleted characters. If the user is in doubt how the result has come out from his rename commands he can do what you did with the above and write them down step by step.

> I read your idea but I think its concept would not be picked up and so it would
> seem an obscure approach.
> I think it better to keep the dividor period as a period and other dots to be
> described as ". Then the period can be used as a final or inital character
> to limit the search field to name or extention, and left out of the search filed
> if the search is to inclde both name and extention.

I would not like this. It is not very intuitive to have a special character to precede a period if it should be only in the name part. I find it much better to specify that my rename should be applied to name or extension only or to the whole string by adding a modifier. I then don't have to think about the period being a special character. This is much easier and clearer.

And I don't see how you would replace text that contains a period if the mostright period should be treated like all others.

> But I am suggesting an alternative to the modifiers that is inclusive in the
> seach string. If modifiers were introduced, this inclusive approach may be
> eliminated- thus I'm against it.

At least you are doing the same but you put your 'modifiers' within the string. I find this less ideal because you mix modifiers (that only change a behaviour) and the original characters to be replaced in one string. If the modifiers (or operators) are put at the end, separated with one(!) special character then their meaning is very clear. They cannot be taken for search characters by mistake.

> Yes so do I, the separator is . whereas a dot in the name is a ".

As I said: What happens if you want the rightmost period to be treated as a normal period and not as a separator?

> Steve

Jürgen.

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