Rename File

Invoking The Rename Function

A file must be selected (highlighted) in the active file window. Pushing the Name button in the Data Panel, selecting Rename from the Files menu or pushing the key combination Alt+N will present a long file name entry field in the Data Panel with the cursored file name ready for editing.

File Rename Entry Field and Pushbutton

If changes are made to the file name, the pushbutton legend will change to Rename and the color changes to bright green. Keyboard Enter or mouse click the button to rename the file.

If no changes are made to the file name, pushing the Name pushbutton cancels the operation. If the file name has been edited and the user desires to abort, pressing keyboard Esc or mouse clicking elsewhere in FS/2 cancels the operation.

Note: It is not possible to insert a line feed or carriage return with this function. In this case, the WPS style name edit must be used.

Renaming Multiple Files

If the file Rename function is invoked with multiple files selected, the Name pushbutton will be titled Rename Files versus Name for a single file. The multiple files rename function has six distinct rename capabilities:

• Wildcard - Uses the meta characters ? and * to preserve characters in the file name or extension. The Wildcard function works best when renaming files where the file name length is the same for all selected files, such as digital camera photo files. Prepending a string of characters to a file name is not possible but characters may be appended to each file name.

• Serialize - Appends a serialized number to a user defined name segment of a filename. Variable file name lengths are not a factor when using the Serialize function as the files are converted to a constant length file name which end with a serial number. The starting number and length of the number can be set by the user.

• Insert/Trim - Uses the { } characters to define an insert or trim operation of the name segment. The Insert/Trim functions also work best when renaming files where the file name length is the same for all selected files, such as digital camera photo files. However, with these function it is generaly possible to rename files with variable length files. Multiple rename passes through the selected list may be necessary to achieve the desired result.

• Include/Exclude - Uses the [ ] or ] [ characters to define include or exclude operations of the name segment. The Include/Exclude functions work much like the Wildcard method except it has the capability to prepend and/or append characters to the existing name. Multiple rename passes through the selected list may be necessary to achieve the desired result.

• Remove String - The Remove String function simply removes one or more characters from the name segment regardless of the position or instances in the name.

• Replace Character - The Replace Character function is used to replace one character with another, such as converting spaces to underscores. There is no limit on the characters used, other than they must be legal file name characters, so be careful with this function.

See Renaming Multiple Files for additional help.

Changing the Case of File Names

The case of all selected files may be changed in one operation by the following actions:

Invoke the function as noted above.

• To set the case of all selected files to lower case, press the Name button in the Data Panel to invoke the function and then press the button a second time while holding down the Ctrl key.

• To set the case of all selected files to upper case, press the Name button in the Data Panel to invoke the function and then press the button a second time while holding down the Shift key.