XYplorer Beta Club

I have a a few thousand files that need to be sorted into sub-directories by part of their file name.

e.g.
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob1.docx
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob3.docx
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob7.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill2.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill3.docx

Of course, this can be done in any number of ways.
However, I have used other renaming and media tools where in rename functions part of the rename rules may be a backslash. This creates a sub-directory, moves the files, and renames the files in one fell swoop.
It is a rather simple, elegant approach, but it seems to not exist in XY's renaming capabilities (if I have missed it, please point me towards it).

Proposal:
e.g. Search Replace: - /\
In this manner, all files would end up renamed as:

2022-03-02\Bob's Meeting - Bob1.docx
2022-03-02\Bob's Meeting - Bob3.docx
2022-03-02\Bob's Meeting - Bob7.docx
2021-02-05\Bob's Meeting - Jill2.docx
2021-02-05\Bob's Meeting - Jill3.docx

Which would create sub-directories of 2022-03-02 and 2021-02-05, then move the files "Bob's Meeting - Bob#.docx" into them.
Now all the files are sorted by their dates.

The same would work equally well with regex renames, and even media renames (e.g. move mp3's into sub-directories by their album)

\ is already taken by
Configuration | General | Sort and Rename | Rename | [x] Allow move on rename

So use a script / regex rename

I do this from the rename special window when I use the ColunnEdit script: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18752

Works great.

highend wrote: ↑04 May 2022 18:13 \ is already taken by
Configuration | General | Sort and Rename | Rename | [x] Allow move on rename

So use a script / regex rename

Thanks for pointing out that setting.
However, if I try a rename of: 2022/2022\ on the list below, nothing changes:

2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob3.docx
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob7.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill2.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill3.docx

Jeeves wrote: ↑04 May 2022 18:21

highend wrote: ↑04 May 2022 18:13 \ is already taken by
Configuration | General | Sort and Rename | Rename | [x] Allow move on rename

So use a script / regex rename

Thanks for pointing out that setting.
However, if I try a rename of: 2022/2022\ on the list below, nothing changes:

2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob3.docx
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob7.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill2.docx
2021-02-05 - Bob's Meeting - Jill3.docx

Just a bit of clarification; I'm looking at search and replace renames. I manually did this with "Edit Item Name" and it worked. Just trying to figure out what I'm missing to make the most of this feature. Thanks!

That \ or any variation ..\... isn't suited for searching / replacing. It's for moving

Again, use your text editor via my script that WirlyWirly mentioned or a script or a regex rename...

highend wrote: ↑04 May 2022 18:38 That \ or any variation ..\... isn't suited for searching / replacing. It's for moving

Again, use your text editor via my script that WirlyWirly mentioned or a script or a regex rename...

After enabling "Allow move on rename", why can't I replace one word with another worth that has a trailing slash (thus making a sub-directory)?
The solution of 'use a script' is very much undesired NOR needed. Regex rename is powerful but often isn't necessary to go that far.

After kicking this around, I found that I can do exactly what I want;
For anyone who might find this post the answer is simply to escape it using another slash; like so:

Search Replace Pattern: 2022/2022\\
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob1.docx
becomes
2022\-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob1.docx

Naturally some replacements do slightly undesired behavior when you're doing this mid-name:
Search Replace Pattern: meeting/meeting\\
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting - Bob1.docx
becomes
2022-03-02 - Bob's Meeting\ - Bob1.docx

Regardless, this is what I was after and works just fine.