How den4b ReNamer Handles Bulk File Renaming

Updated

ReNamer is den4b's bulk file renaming utility. It applies one or more rename rules to a whole selection of files in a single pass, so you can add prefixes or suffixes, replace text, change case, insert number sequences, and rename folders without touching each file by hand. It is the right tool when you need consistent names across many files and want to save that naming scheme for reuse. Advanced users can go further with regular expressions, Pascal Script, and metadata tags, and the program handles full Unicode names.

The core model: rules applied in sequence

ReNamer works on a rule stack. You add rules to a list, and each rule transforms the current name before the next rule sees it. The preview updates as you build the stack, so you can confirm the result before committing.

Basic rule types described on the site include:

  • Prefix — add text to the start of each name.
  • Suffix — add text to the end (before the extension).
  • Text replacement — swap one string for another.
  • Case changes — convert names to upper, lower, title case, and similar.
  • Number sequences — insert incrementing numbers for ordered naming.

Because rules chain, order matters. A replacement rule placed before a case-change rule produces a different result than the reverse. Build the stack in the order you want the transformations to happen and check the preview.

Advanced options

Beyond the basic rules, ReNamer supports:

  • Regular Expressions — pattern-based matching and replacement for names that follow a predictable structure.
  • Pascal Script — write custom rename logic when built-in rules can't express what you need.
  • Metadata tags — pull values such as file properties into the new name.
  • Folder renaming — apply the same rules to directories, not just files.
  • Full Unicode handling — names in non-Latin scripts are preserved and processed correctly.

These options are what separate ReNamer from simple batch renamers: you can encode a naming convention once and apply it reliably.

Saving and reusing rule sets

ReNamer lets you save rule sets, so a naming workflow you build once can be reloaded and run again on a new batch of files. This is the practical payoff for repeatable work — for example, a rule set that stamps a project prefix, a date sequence, and a consistent case on every incoming batch of files.

A worked example

Suppose you have a folder of exported images named inconsistently and want them to follow project_001, project_002, and so on:

  1. Add a Replace rule to strip the existing inconsistent text.
  2. Add a Prefix rule with project_.
  3. Add a Number sequence rule with three digits and a starting value of 1.
  4. Check the preview column to confirm every name matches the target pattern.
  5. Apply the rename, then save the rule set for the next batch.

If a name doesn't fit the pattern, the preview shows it before anything is changed, which is the main safeguard against a bad bulk rename.

When ReNamer fits — and when it doesn't

ReNamer is suited to renaming many files consistently in one pass, especially when the naming logic is repeatable and you want to save it. It is less useful for one-off renames of a single file, where a manual rename is faster than building a rule stack.

For checksum work rather than renaming, den4b's separate Hasher tool generates and verifies CRC32, MD5, SHA1, SHA256, SHA512 and other checksums simultaneously and can export results in SFV, MD5SUM, or SHA1SUM formats — a different job from ReNamer's. The two are separate products on the same site.

Practical notes

  • Always review the preview before applying; the rule stack is powerful enough to produce unintended names if rules are ordered wrongly.
  • Test a new rule set on a small copy of the files first.
  • Pricing and licensing details are handled on den4b's purchase and licensing pages; check those pages directly for current terms rather than assuming any edition is free.