NameDrop

A PySide6 application to help rename files and folders with non-standard ASCII characters, making them compatible across different operating systems and cloud services.

Features

• Drag and Drop Interface: Simply drag files or folders onto the window

• Visual Highlighting: Non-standard ASCII characters are highlighted in yellow for easy identification

• Multiple Rename Options:

  • Auto Rename: Replaces accented characters with unaccented equivalents and removes other non-ASCII characters
  • Remove bad characters: Strips all non-standard ASCII characters
  • Replace bad characters: Only replaces accented characters, keeps other characters
  • Edit Name: Manually edit the file name
  • Ignore File: Skip files you don't want to process

• Safety Features:

  • Optional backup creation before renaming
  • Preview dialog before renaming (can be disabled)
  • Validation to prevent overwriting existing files
  • Safe file operations to prevent data corruption

• Customization:

  • Configurable list of allowed special characters
  • Persistent settings (window position, screen, checkbox states)
  • Always-on-top window option

Installation

1. Install Python >=3.12.12,<3.13 (required for PySide6 6.7.3 compatibility)

   Install the latest 3.12.x patch version using uv:

   uv python install 3.12

   If you already have 3.12.x installed and want to upgrade to the newest patch:

   uv python upgrade 3.12

   To pin the project to use Python 3.12 (latest patch available):

   uv python pin 3.12

2. Install dependencies using uv:

uv sync

Usage

uv run namedrop

Or if installed:

namedrop

1. Drag a file or folder onto the window
2. Review highlighted non-standard ASCII characters
3. Choose a rename option or edit manually
4. Approve the rename (if prompts are enabled)

Settings

The application saves your preferences including:

• Window position and screen
• Checkbox states (prompt before rename, backup, ignore common chars)
• Custom allowed characters list

Settings are stored in your system's standard configuration location.

Platform Restrictions

For detailed information about filename restrictions across different operating systems and file systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Cloud Drives, FAT32), see platform-restrictions.md.

Author

Rich Lewis
GitHub: @RichLewis007