Renamer - drop down list of recent entries

[graham1]

My request is for the renamer to have a drop down list of recent entries in the "text and variables" field.  

If you rename a group of images, then go on to rename another group, then find out you have missed one that should have been in the first group (which I do surprisingly often!), then you have to re-enter the entire earlier entry by hand (or copy and paste it from somewhere) into the renamer: particularly inconvenient if the name was something like a Latin name or a long foreign place name where it would be very easy to make a typo.

I would envisage that, when you click the yellow "text and variables" box to change the entry, and then double click on the text itself to change the rename text, as well as the current entry, there should be a downward selection arrow at the right of this field which, on being clicked, would show the last 6 entries in a drop down list, and if you then select one of these, the selected text populates the "text or variables" field and you can just click OK to select this.

I hope this is clear.  Certainly I would find this very useful.  Whether this should be another tab in the present box with the square root of x symbol, or a separate expose triangle accessing the drop down list at the right end of the text field is a further detail: my preference would be for a simple drop down expose triangle at the right end of the text box, as a part of the text field separate from the square root of x box, since this would be simpler to access quickly.

Thank you for considering.

Graham

[sinus]

If this is possible without using a lot of time, I would give them a +1 (hence I pushed Like).
For me personally this is not more often the case, that I would use it, but I can remember, when I created renamers, I would have been thankfully for something like this.

[Mario]

I don't quite understand why you have to change text and variables steps.
Usually these steps contain only a variable and some prefix / postifx to do some formatting. And these steps are set once and then never changed - or very rarely.

What kind of text do you write into this kind of steps?
Please show me an example so I can better understand what you do with the Renamer.

If this is text you have to change frequently, why not use a user-input of project code step (they remember their last value).

I have quite a number of Renamer presets (about 20) for a wide range of purposes. Most have text and variable steps, some of them have project code / user-input steps. But I'm quite sure I have not changed these presets for several years.

[graham1]

It is much more simple than that.  

Example: I take a series of pictures of birds in my garden.  Most of them are woodpeckers, but there are some magpies.  I select all the woodpeckers and run the renamer to rename them to "woodpecker" (plus whatever variables/number regime I have set, so that the file is renamed to "woodpecker0001" etc.).  I then rename the next batch to "magpie", so that I get "magpie001" etc. in that selection of images.  Then I find that I had missed out a couple of woodpeckers from my initial selection, so I have to type "woodpecker" again in the renamer to rename them "woodpeckerNNNN" 

What I would like to see is a drop down list which would give me one click access to the text "woodpecker" again, since it was one of the recent text entries I had used for renaming, without having to type the text in again.  This would only be applicable to the text set up via the top yellow box (at least it is yellow in my setup) called "text and variables".  Nothing would change in the boxes below these, which in my setup are blue "Digits of filename" and purple "Unique number".  I am suggesting only a drop down list for text recall when you click in the top yellow box to change its contents.

Obviously this is a trivial example, but I hope it illustrates the point.  In fact, as I was typing "woodpecker" again in paragraph above, I misspelled it and had to correct it - the very thing I would like not to have to do if I were using the renamer!

As I said in my FR, if the previous text was particularly prone to spelling errors, such as a Latin name or long foreign place name, this would be especially useful.  But it would also be useful for simple words, just to avoid retyping.

Graham

[Mario]

Thanks for the explanation.
To repeat my question: Do you use a project code or user input step?
Or do you actually modify the template every time you switch from woodpecker to magpie?
See Project Code

[graham1]

No, I do not use project code or user input. I have a template that just works perfectly for the output name format I want, with the only variable being the text I put in for the base file name each time I select a group of images ("woodpecker" or "magpie" in my example). Happy to send screen shots if this would help.

I have had a quick look at the link you kindly supplied, with the use of variables etc.  I have to confess it seems fearfully complicated to me and I doubt I have the skills to implement this.  A simple drop down list populated with the most recent text entries would be plenty for my simple needs!

Graham

[graham1]

I have tried the project code and user input variables. Yes, they remember the last entry made (as my current template achieves), but not previous entries.  In my examples, having done "woodpecker" last, this is remembered and offered again.  But having done "magpie" next, there is no way I can see of "woodpecker", now the penultimate entry, being offered. If if find another woodpecker, I have to type that in the text field again, I cannot just recall it from some form of history drop down. 

Graham

[Mario]

Yes. But instead of changing the template all the time, you now only have to change the input when you are prompted.

I could probably spend a day or two adding a "history" of the project code / user input dialog and a (usually immediately requested) clear history option. But I want to know how many users have the same problem before I look into this. Let's see how many likes your request gets.

Tip: I would just use the IMatch Notepad to record the last inputs I did, and then do a quick copy & paste into the project code / user input dialog when needed. I think this would solve your problem, avoid typos etc.

[jmsantos]

I use ProjectCode to move files to folders. I've never quite understood the difference with UserInput, although I think I could use both interchangeably.

I've always found the Renamer application overly complicated and I'm sure I don't get as much out of it as I should. And I always found it very strange that the function to copy or move batches of files is integrated in the Renamer.

I really only have a few different terms, so the list wouldn't be very long. Still, I think Graham's request for a history of terms would be very useful.

[Mario]

And I always found it very strange that the function to copy or move batches of files is integrated in the Renamer.

This functionality has been added based on many user requests at the time (many years ago).
Quite a number of users employ the Renamer to distribute files into folders based on metadata (e.g. creating date-based folders and moving the files into them easily) - and do automatic backups of the original files on a secondary media at the same time.
Easy to setup and very convenient to run via a Favorite - or even automatically in IMatch 2023.

Including taxonomy names (as I think the OP is doing, based on his requirement) in the file name is not a very common thing to to (anymore). Creating overly complex file names with keywords, camera info or taxonomy info is not really a good practice (IMHO) - since this kind of data belongs into metadata stored in the file and not in the file name.

Storing lots of stuff in file names was a thing a decade ago.
When not many applications could deal with keywords, descriptions or other metadata.

Today, Windows Explorer, Linux, MacOs etc. can utilize metadata embedded in files for searching and sorting and display. Putting 'anything' into file names is not really a requirement or necessity anymore. Unless you have to handle special requirements by clients or libraries, simple and unique file name are usually best.

[graham1]

As well as taxonomic names, I always rename my files with their precise location.  As a 67 year old well traveled photographer with over 700,000 images created over several decades, this particular leopard (Panthera pardus) is not going to be changing his spots anytime soon. Whatever metadata can now do, 10 years is the mere blink of an eye to me. 

Graham

[sinus]

As well as taxonomic names, I always rename my files with their precise location.  As a 67 year old well traveled photographer with over 700,000 images created over several decades, this particular leopard (Panthera pardus) is not going to be changing his spots anytime soon. Whatever metadata can now do, 10 years is the mere blink of an eye to me. 

Graham

Wow, with 67 years old, 10 years for you are only a blink of an eye.
Hm, I have to think about this.

[HaWo]

Great, I am only 1,5 blinks of an eye older.

In South-Germany we say "Ich hab doch nur ä Späßle g'macht"

[Mario]

The Renamer now remembers the last 20 project codes / user inputs for each step and preset.
If you use two user inputs or maybe to project codes in a preset, each step remembers individual 20 recent entries.

This should do what was requested initially. This thread has accumulated quite a lot of noise from unrelated posts.

[graham1]

I am trying to find this (last 20 project codes) in IMatch 2023, but cannot do so.

I am in Renamer.  My selected preset comes up with the first field as a "Text and Variables" field.  I double click on this to bring up the "Enter text or variables" dialogue box. I was expecting this now, in the 2023 version, to let me choose any of the previous 20 entries made in this box, but it is operating exactly as it used to, with any text having to be entered manually, even if the same as a recent entry.

Am I missing something?  How do I get to the stored 20 previous entries to enter into this field?

Graham

[Mario]

I can see the last n project codes when the Renamer prompts me and select from them:



Does this look different for your IMatch 2023 installation?
Open the drop-down by clicking on the arrow on the left.

If you want to search, type the first one or two letters of your product code and press <Cursor Down>. This works like all standard combo boxes in Windows.

[graham1]

Thank you for your quick reply.  I thought that the yellow "Text and Variables" instruction would lead to the drop down list.  I have instead replaced this with the pink "Project Code" processing instruction, which then holds the drop down list of earlier entries.  That now works as I had hoped.  Thank you.

Graham