[PowerRename] improved enumeration / incremental counter

[wigster]

Summary of the new feature/enhancement

• Some way of automatically renaming with an increasing counter but located in a user-defined location and initial value.

Example: imported images from a camera are named

      IMG_3156 -> IMG_3259

in sequential order.

And I would like to rename them

     RomanticFailure_040_TopSecret -> RomanticFailure_143_TopSecret

Right now (0.18) there doesn't seem to be a way to do this (unless it is possible by massaging RegEx sufficiently, but I am too unfamiliar, in which case some documentation would be v helpful). There is the enumerate items option, but it just seems to always add a sequential counter starting from 1 and appended as (#)

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

I guess it would be good if there were some sort of variable, e.g. $COUNTER, which would contain the number of the file being process and that could be inserted in an arbitrary place in the Replace with field.

It would be helpful if simple mathematical operation could be applied to it, e.g.

(2*$counter+5)

would actually produce a sequence of files named 5, 7,9,11,13.

I suppose some way to specify padded zeros, or a number format would be good, so that we would get 05, 07, 11, 13.

Crutkas: this should able to be included not just at the end, but anywhere in the string

[PaulCoddington]

Even a simple counter that is applied optionally as a suffix or prefix based on the current name sort order would be handy (although a datetime ordering option would also be useful).

My current workaround is to select all files in File Explorer, rename the first file with an arbitrary placeholder name, such as "item", then use PowerRename in two passes to clean up the mess.

So, renaming all selected files as "item" in File Explorer results in files being renamed as "item (1)", "item (2), "item (3)", etc, (in the same order as they were alphabetically sorted, which is handy if they were previously numerically sequenced then culled and you want to renumber them to eliminate gaps).

PowerRename is then used in a first pass to replace "item (" with "", then in a second pass to replace ")" with "", so that the files end up being named "1", "2", "3", etc. Or to build a sequence based on a date, where instead of "item" I would use, say "20200501_", but then there is still the problem of having to manually add leading zeros to some filenames if you want all to be the same length.

You have to take care because PowerRename will rename files with leading or trailing spaces if you mistake a space character for "" in the dialog! This leads to other applications being upset (File Explorer has trouble renaming them).

[enricogior]

from #5833 (comment)

It is essential to be able to use incrementing numbers for file renaming.
You already have the Enumerate Item option, but it is limited and sometimes not suitable.
For example what if i wanted my counter start at 15, or i don't want the encapsulating round brackets.

Please consider implementing the Regular Expression Counter Operations:
https://www.funduc.com/regexp.htm#Regular%20Expression%20Counters
http://searchandreplace.helpmax.net/en/regular-expressions/regular-expression-counters/

It is in the format %1>15> (which substitutes $1) and means: use the first match in the expression and increment each match starting with number 15.
If no starting value is given %1>> would use the starting value of the first match found.

[htcfreek]

from #7402 (comment)

In addition a feature like on linux where I can create filenames with counted nunbers and character would be great.

Example

Terminal command
touch Image{A..C}{0..9}.jpg

Created Files

ImageA0.jpg, ImageA1.jpg, ..., ImageA9.jpg, ImageB0.jpg, ..., ImageB9.jpg, ..., ImageC9.jpg