PowerRename: Convert case / uppercase, lowercase, etc.

[ned-martin]

📝 PowerRename: Convert case / uppercase, lowercase, etc.

Add ability to convert case to uppercase/lowercase, etc.

The simplest solution I feel would be to use regex-style matching, with some special syntax to indicate case conversion:

For example:
Match: (.*) is a (.*)
Replace: $lowercase($1) is a $uppercase($2)

Match: "THIS is a test."
Result: "this is a TEST"

[Aaron-Junker]

Duplicate of #3335

[ned-martin]

This is not a duplicate.

#3335 refers to using keyboard manager - that is a totally different tool. This ticket refers to using Power Rename to allow a far more flexible method of changing case of filenames - potentially many at once. This is not something keyboard manager could do. This is something many other similar tools already do, but it would be good to have the convenience of doing so from Power Rename

[crutkas]

Can you provide clear scenario(s) where this style conversion would be used when renaming a file? I just want to be sure we understand the 'why'.

The what is clear now, just not the why this style renaming is critical

[ned-martin]

To be honest I find this to be a really unusual thing to say. Why does a user want to rename their files? Who knows? Who cares? Point is, they do? Is it critical that they can rename their files? I guess that is up to the user? Given that this software's entire purpose is for renaming files, I feel like renaming files is critical to this software!

Anyway, if you want some "clear scenario(s)" where this could be used, here's a few that I've had recently:

1

I have a folder full of files with machine-generated file names like "dd_response_type_surface_activation_report_0183. I want to convert all these files to a more human/manager friendly format, including proper letter casing - something that looks more professional, like "DD - Response Type - Surface - Activation report 0183".

2

I have a folder full of files with random file names. They are going to be used on a case-sensitive linux-based web application. I want to replace all spaces with -, & with "-and-", and make everything lowercase.

I could go on - there's heaps of reasons a user might want to change the case of filenames, and being able to do it using regex gives a lot of power to be able to do it in quite complex ways. I have other regex file renaming software installed which can do all of this (and far more), but for simple stuff, it would be easier and quicker to do it using PowerRenamer, so I think it would be a good feature for the software to have.

[crutkas]

Without understanding scenarios, we guess at what golden paths are for success. What is asked for and what we think you asked for could differ.

I always think of "The Homer" episode when Homer builds a car.

[swisszeni]

I just now have an occasion where this feature would be useful and came across this issue.
We need to rename some files with that have (along other info) the name of a month in the file name. The casing for the month is all over the place. Would have been handy if PowerToys would allow for modifiers in the replace field (like \L$1 ). Since I'm using RegEx for capturing, the same syntax seems suitable for the output.

[osirisgothra]

I realize there is the titlecase/uppercase/lowercase/etc buttons on the bottom, but, you cant get specific-er than that, plus its far more natural since most text editors that handle regex replacements would implement it this way. I think a $L and $U would be good since there is already $1 $2 etc (plus \ is a path separator in windows, so trying to avoid its use).

I second, third, and fourth that, I often need to correct casing in filenames, especially when Unix subsystem is involved, where files need to have the correct case so that when they are moved over, etc. Also, changing files to make them readable like when a file is named 'some_ugly_filename.txt' to 'Some Ugly Filename.txt' or when i end up with a bunch of THUMBS.DB, CONFIG.INI or CACHE.FILE and want them to be lowercase or proper case... it goes on and on (marketing rule of thumb: 1 person voices their opinion for every 100 that don't)

[orbit-loona]

Someone who knows how to code please do something about this. At least \u and \l ($u and $l?)