RL Vision Knowledge Base
Support questions and answers for software by RL Vision.
Note: This is an archived discussion. Any bug, problem or suggestion mentioned here is likely to have been fixed since it was written.
Subject: Re: Support requested for use of Flash Renamer software
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:14:54 +0200Hi,
Your problem contains a few things that Flash Renamer is not really built to do, but I will give some tips:
A possible solution would be to put the folders you want to move in the root of your new harddrive, to make sure that the path is as short as possible.
I'm glad that you found the tip in the manual, but the problem is that it will only work for the length of the filenames, and not the path + filenames. The only way to get the length of the path+filename is to build a custom script. Fortunately this is pretty easy, so I made one for you (attached to this letter). Put it in the script folder.
Now, this does not completely solve your problem, since you would need to do something about the files. It is possible to move the files from Flash Renamer by right clicking and selecting manage, but this will only move the files and not preserve the original path.
// Dan
JSC wrote:
> Hello RLV
>
> Could you help me please with what should be a fairly simple task I want to undertake, for which your program Flash Renamer looks like it should do the job? I first saw you software recommended in ComputerActive magazine in 2005 and made a note of it for when I might need to use it. I downloaded the latest version, 6.2, today.
>
> TASK
> I have a copy of data on an external HDD which I would like to restore onto a laptop. There is plenty of space on the laptop HDD.
>
> PROBLEM
> Using Windows Explorer ( in Vista Business OS on a 6 month old Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop ) when I tried to copy the data, about 98% of it went through OK, but there were over 1000 files for which I got an error message saying the file name ( or 'file path' it probably means, which is I think correct ) is too long. The path is too long either in the source, or more likely the target, HDD. The path is probably too long because many of the files are old, some have been duplicated, and the file system needs to be reviewed and sorted, which I plan to do. However I want to make sure no files are 'lost' in the copy onto the laptop, hence want to ensure all those with path too long will still be copied, which probably means renaming them or shortening the path.
>
> DESIRED SOLUTION
> To save me having to find and then go through each file ( > 1000!! ) individually, to rename it or shorten the path, could Flash Renamer do the job for me?
> In short, what I would like to do is:
> 1/ identify all those files in the source HDD with 99 characters or more in the 'file path'
> 2/ rename all those files identified as in 1/ above, or better, put them all in a new ( root or near root ) folder, in order to reduce total number of charaters in the path to below 99, to allow them to be copied using Windows Explorer in Vista
>
> INFORMATION FROM Flash Renamer HELP
> From your 'Tips and Tricks' I found the following:
>
> " How long are my filenames?
>
> You can figure out how long your filenames are by using the Remove function. This can be useful if you have a limit on how long they can be, for example when burning Cd's. Set the function to remove 999 chars at pos NN from The beginning of the filename, where NN is the number of letters you have set as maximum. Make sure that both "process filename" and "process extension" are enabled. Now look at the preview column. Any file being listed there is longer than NN! "
>
>
> MY OWN ATTEMPT, SO FAR
> I have tried using Remove as above, setting NN as 99, and a list of about 3200 files ( well, some look like folder names not files, maybe because I ticked options to include files, folders and subfolders? ) comes up. In the list it shows columns Name, Preview and Path, but only Name and Path have anything in them. Oddly, as I would have thought the list I see would be those files with file path of over 99 characters, if you add the characters in the path and those in the filename, they do not come anywhere near 99 characters.
>
>
>
> Can you tell me how I can do the required task using Flash Renamer?
>
> Looking forward to your reply
>
> JSC ( Scott )
> 16th June 2009
language=vbscript
description=This example is a good start when creating a new script! Press the edit button to see the script source together with instructions on how to continue!
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' - EXAMPLE BASE SCRIPT -------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'
' This script does not do anything, but it includes a basic
' structure and example code that is a good start when
' creating a new Flash Renamer script.
'
' The first thing you want to do is to save this file as a new
' filename in the same folder. Make sure that it gets an ".frs"
' file extension (since Notepad tends to add .txt to files...)
'
' This script is written in the VB Script programming language.
'
' If you create a useful script, send it to me and I might include
' it in the next version of Flash Renamer!
'
' Flash Renamer exposes parameters and functions though the read-only
' object "FlashRenamer". The following are available at the moment:
'
' FlashRenamer.Filename - This is the string that Flash Renamer wants you to process. Note that it depends on the "Process Name" and "Process Extension" settings in Flash Renamer.
' FlashRenamer.FullFilename - This always contains the full filename, including extension, in contrast to the above. Use it for reference.
' FlashRenamer.Path - This is simply the path where the file is located.
' FlashRenamer.Args - The arguments you can enter when you run a script in Flash Renamer are delivered through this variable.
' FlashRenamer.FormatTags(myTags) - This is a function you can call to "render" a format string, just like format strings in Flash Renamer. For example, FlashRenamer.FormatTags("") will return the size of the file!
' FlashRenamer.Preview - This is a boolean value (true or false) that tells you if your script is being run to generate the preview or if it is the "real deal".
' FlashRenamer.DiskName - When runing presets, multiple functions process the filename before writing it to disk. Since the filename may have been changed previous to entering your script, you should use .DiskName if you want to access the file on disk.
' FlashRenamer.NumItems - This always contains to total amount of files that are destined to be renamed
' FlashRenamer.ItemOrder - This contains a zero padded id repressenting the order in which this item is located, relative to the rest of the items.
' FlashRenamer.BrowserPath - This contains the path that is currently loaded in the file browser in Flash Renamer. If using free select mode, this is empty.
'
' Now, let the coding begin :-)
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Global variables -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Init function --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Init() 'The Init function runs first of all, before anything else.
End Function
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Rename function ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Rename() 'Flash Renamer will call the Rename function for each file to rename.
rename = len(FlashRenamer.Path) + len(FlashRenamer.FullFilename)
End Function
Length of path+filename.frs
Your problem contains a few things that Flash Renamer is not really built to do, but I will give some tips:
A possible solution would be to put the folders you want to move in the root of your new harddrive, to make sure that the path is as short as possible.
I'm glad that you found the tip in the manual, but the problem is that it will only work for the length of the filenames, and not the path + filenames. The only way to get the length of the path+filename is to build a custom script. Fortunately this is pretty easy, so I made one for you (attached to this letter). Put it in the script folder.
Now, this does not completely solve your problem, since you would need to do something about the files. It is possible to move the files from Flash Renamer by right clicking and selecting manage, but this will only move the files and not preserve the original path.
// Dan
JSC wrote:
> Hello RLV
>
> Could you help me please with what should be a fairly simple task I want to undertake, for which your program Flash Renamer looks like it should do the job? I first saw you software recommended in ComputerActive magazine in 2005 and made a note of it for when I might need to use it. I downloaded the latest version, 6.2, today.
>
> TASK
> I have a copy of data on an external HDD which I would like to restore onto a laptop. There is plenty of space on the laptop HDD.
>
> PROBLEM
> Using Windows Explorer ( in Vista Business OS on a 6 month old Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop ) when I tried to copy the data, about 98% of it went through OK, but there were over 1000 files for which I got an error message saying the file name ( or 'file path' it probably means, which is I think correct ) is too long. The path is too long either in the source, or more likely the target, HDD. The path is probably too long because many of the files are old, some have been duplicated, and the file system needs to be reviewed and sorted, which I plan to do. However I want to make sure no files are 'lost' in the copy onto the laptop, hence want to ensure all those with path too long will still be copied, which probably means renaming them or shortening the path.
>
> DESIRED SOLUTION
> To save me having to find and then go through each file ( > 1000!! ) individually, to rename it or shorten the path, could Flash Renamer do the job for me?
> In short, what I would like to do is:
> 1/ identify all those files in the source HDD with 99 characters or more in the 'file path'
> 2/ rename all those files identified as in 1/ above, or better, put them all in a new ( root or near root ) folder, in order to reduce total number of charaters in the path to below 99, to allow them to be copied using Windows Explorer in Vista
>
> INFORMATION FROM Flash Renamer HELP
> From your 'Tips and Tricks' I found the following:
>
> " How long are my filenames?
>
> You can figure out how long your filenames are by using the Remove function. This can be useful if you have a limit on how long they can be, for example when burning Cd's. Set the function to remove 999 chars at pos NN from The beginning of the filename, where NN is the number of letters you have set as maximum. Make sure that both "process filename" and "process extension" are enabled. Now look at the preview column. Any file being listed there is longer than NN! "
>
>
> MY OWN ATTEMPT, SO FAR
> I have tried using Remove as above, setting NN as 99, and a list of about 3200 files ( well, some look like folder names not files, maybe because I ticked options to include files, folders and subfolders? ) comes up. In the list it shows columns Name, Preview and Path, but only Name and Path have anything in them. Oddly, as I would have thought the list I see would be those files with file path of over 99 characters, if you add the characters in the path and those in the filename, they do not come anywhere near 99 characters.
>
>
>
> Can you tell me how I can do the required task using Flash Renamer?
>
> Looking forward to your reply
>
> JSC ( Scott )
> 16th June 2009
language=vbscript
description=This example is a good start when creating a new script! Press the edit button to see the script source together with instructions on how to continue!
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' - EXAMPLE BASE SCRIPT -------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'
' This script does not do anything, but it includes a basic
' structure and example code that is a good start when
' creating a new Flash Renamer script.
'
' The first thing you want to do is to save this file as a new
' filename in the same folder. Make sure that it gets an ".frs"
' file extension (since Notepad tends to add .txt to files...)
'
' This script is written in the VB Script programming language.
'
' If you create a useful script, send it to me and I might include
' it in the next version of Flash Renamer!
'
' Flash Renamer exposes parameters and functions though the read-only
' object "FlashRenamer". The following are available at the moment:
'
' FlashRenamer.Filename - This is the string that Flash Renamer wants you to process. Note that it depends on the "Process Name" and "Process Extension" settings in Flash Renamer.
' FlashRenamer.FullFilename - This always contains the full filename, including extension, in contrast to the above. Use it for reference.
' FlashRenamer.Path - This is simply the path where the file is located.
' FlashRenamer.Args - The arguments you can enter when you run a script in Flash Renamer are delivered through this variable.
' FlashRenamer.FormatTags(myTags) - This is a function you can call to "render" a format string, just like format strings in Flash Renamer. For example, FlashRenamer.FormatTags("
' FlashRenamer.Preview - This is a boolean value (true or false) that tells you if your script is being run to generate the preview or if it is the "real deal".
' FlashRenamer.DiskName - When runing presets, multiple functions process the filename before writing it to disk. Since the filename may have been changed previous to entering your script, you should use .DiskName if you want to access the file on disk.
' FlashRenamer.NumItems - This always contains to total amount of files that are destined to be renamed
' FlashRenamer.ItemOrder - This contains a zero padded id repressenting the order in which this item is located, relative to the rest of the items.
' FlashRenamer.BrowserPath - This contains the path that is currently loaded in the file browser in Flash Renamer. If using free select mode, this is empty.
'
' Now, let the coding begin :-)
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Global variables -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Init function --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Init() 'The Init function runs first of all, before anything else.
End Function
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'- Rename function ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function Rename() 'Flash Renamer will call the Rename function for each file to rename.
rename = len(FlashRenamer.Path) + len(FlashRenamer.FullFilename)
End Function
Length of path+filename.frs
