Is there a utility for editing lots of file names?

S

Susan B.

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer, file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
 
T

Timothy Daniels

Susan B. said:
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to
find out? Plugging through Explorer, file-by-file, doesn't cut it.
Click to expand...


PCWorld likes File Renamer - www.FileRenamer.net . It costs
$15. Otherwise, Google "rename files", and you'll get dozens of
hits on file re-name software. Lookout for spyware, though, :) .

*TimDaniels*
 
Z

z1z1z1

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D -
I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D -
II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to
find out? Plugging through Explorer, file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...

I like BRU (Bulk Rename Utility) - it takes a little bit of learning,
but is quite powerful in what it can do.

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk
 
Z

zachscrivena

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer,file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...

if you are comfortable with the command-line, i'd recommend checking
out "RenameWand" which is a freeware Java program I wrote myself,
available at http://renamewand.sourceforge.net/
it uses a simple syntax (much easier than regular expressions), and
you don't need to struggle with any clunky GUIs =)

Zach
 
Z

zachscrivena

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer,file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...

if you are comfortable with the command-line, i'd recommend checking
out "RenameWand" which is a freeware Java program I wrote myself,
available at http://renamewand.sourceforge.net/
it uses a simple syntax (much easier than regular expressions), and
you don't need to struggle with any clunky GUIs =)

Zach
 
Z

zachscrivena

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer,file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...

if you are comfortable with the command-line, i'd recommend checking
out "RenameWand" which is a freeware Java program I wrote myself,
available at http://renamewand.sourceforge.net/
it uses a simple syntax (much easier than regular expressions), and
you don't need to struggle with any clunky GUIs =)

Zach
 
Z

zachscrivena

Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer,file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...

if you are comfortable with the command-line, i'd recommend checking
out "RenameWand" which is a freeware Java program I wrote myself,
available at http://renamewand.sourceforge.net/
it uses a simple syntax (much easier than regular expressions), and
you don't need to struggle with any clunky GUIs =)

Zach
 
B

Bill Sharpe

Susan said:
Hi,
I have an extensive collection of music files, and want to bring some
consistency to the filenames. So, for example, I might have a folder
with files that look like
01. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - I
Allegretto.flac
02. Schubert - String Quartets 4, 6, 11 - String Quartet 4 in D - II
Andantino.flac

etc.

I would like something that lets me load in a group of files so that I
can make a mass changes such as getting "Schubert" out of every
filename, possibly correcting a consistent spelling error, changing
"01." to "01 - " or vice versa, etc.

Anyone know of such a utility, or what forums I might check with to find
out? Plugging through Explorer, file-by-file, doesn't cut it.

Many thanks in advance!
Regards,
Sue B
Click to expand...
I like Rename Master, a freeware program. Do a Google search.

Bill
 
S

Susan B.

Hi,
Just wanted to give some feedback to the community re the suggestions I
received on my initial post.

I strongly prefer BRN over the other suggestions. It was very, very easy
to learn (a few minutes). Its interface weaknesses include an overly
(IMHO) flat design, but ultimately it edges out lupasrename for shear
power. And I really like both of the aforementioned products for their
respect of users' systems.

Compupic Pro was totally useless for me. Perhaps it's okay for others,
'though I don't see how.

"File Rename" is another beast altogether: any commercial website, in
whatever language, that presents so many grammatical errors leaves me
very uncomfortable. Bloated chest-thumping hyperbole doesn't help. I
have not tried the product; from the scant info I can glean from its
website, it doesn't have the juice of lupasrename or BRN.

For more reasons than I should delve into here, I loathe MusicMatch
products. Would that they only designed and coded along the lines of
foobar, BRN and lupasrename.

And Zach -
Thanks for your (iterated <vbg>) response. I'm more than okay with
regular expressions (several dialects), and appreciate command-line
interfaces in many situations; this isn't one of them. I /am/ curious as
to why you chose Java over Python.

Sue B.
 
Z

zachscrivena

wow! i didn't expect such a thoughtful review from the OP.... thanks
Sue for the feedback!

to answer your question on why i chose Java over Python:
i chose Java because i am a lot more familiar with it... having said
that, Java has several advantages too: wider deployment, speed, better
data structures, among others. a Python version of the program would
probably be shorter but i'm not too sure what the design-performance
trade offs are like.

Zach

PS: i have no idea what caused my earlier *quadruple* posting... my
apologies... i hope it doesn't happen again now =)
 

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