RM Prototype Window

Above is a prototype window for editing a JavaScript Step. This is a copy of the ArsClip window used for editing clips, so I can work on this code independently. This will create a ".rmsj" file that can be used in multiple Renaming Scripts (".rmscr" files).

For debugging this step, some input is required. First, the results of the previous Renaming Step is required. This is the input for the "main" function. Second, if RM_GetMetaValue() is used, a existing filename is required.

The "RM_" specific functions are simple and there's only five of them; only one is required. Two are used to display debug text. One is likely not used, but it will give you the filepath of the folder where the ".rmjs" files are stored. One retrieves the value of meta-variables, so you have access to all the data of a normal Renaming Script. Lastly, one is used to return the new name of the file (or the same name, if it is not changed).

What will this be used for? Mostly, this will be a "quick" way for me to respond to feedback. If RM doesn't support a renaming feature, like number math, I can create a script to do this on the fly. Advanced users can create their own custom Renaming Steps, to solve very specific problems that RM cannot do with the existing Renaming Steps. Maybe some users will be able to just copy and paste some string manipulation code.

RM Plans Changed

The next Public Beta release (Test 5) will be Release Candidate 1 for version 3.20. I'm postponing bigger changes until the next version, which will tentatively be 4.00. For Test 5, the loading times have been reduced by almost 50% for the program and for scripts on my slow system.

Version 4.00 currently has three changes scheduled. First, a new JavaScript Renaming Step will be added. Technically, you'll be to create your own custom Renaming Steps that can be re-used in all scripts. Lastly, two more performance improvement will be added. There are a few forms (aka windows), that do not need to be loaded at startup. These will be changed to loaded on demand and will decrease the loading time by at least 25%. Support for the really old ".RM-" scripts will be removed. This will have a small increase in the loading time of the program and the loading of scripts.

My plan is to have this be the only changes for the 4.00 version. There may be a version 3.21 to address any undiscovered issues. At least a week is reserved after an officially to address any issues, and this time will be spent putting my JS support ideas onto paper.

Another RM and AC Status Update

For ArsClip, I'm finishing the final testing. The next upload will be the first Release Candidate. I decided to extend the testing period because so much had changed and core features of the program were altered.

For Rename Master, I'm procrastinating. The big planned feature of adding JavaScript support won't be easy. It's also a feature that most users will not use. I'll first be doing research on ways to improve the loading of scripts. Generating controls at runtime is slow. A lot of events get triggered when dynamically updating a window. It's incredibly hard to debug and diagnose issues.

On a side note, I'm curious if anyone would want hashes (eg. SHA256) for the files in ZIP archives listed on the website. I don't user any mirror sites to host downloads, so anything retrieved from my website is obviously only from my website.

More QoL for Rename Master

Above shows the upcoming improvement for dealing with textboxes that can use wildcards and RegEx. When you click on one of these fields, a new button will appear next to the "Insert Meta-Variable" button. Textboxes that are used as a search field will have this feature and the Insert button will still have a different image to mark it.

By default, Wildcards will be disabled. So, when you insert a Meta-Variable, it will show using its friendly name instead of the raw code. When Wildcards are enabled, the background color of the textbox will darken. I don't think many people use the Windows filename style wildcards [*,?,?*], so it makes sense to have this option off by default.

The "Wildcards" submenu in the popup for the Insert button is replaced by the new feature.

RM and AC Status

RM is preparing for an official release. No new features are being added and the current Public Beta is a release candidate.

AC has most of the features implemented. Two of the "Future Ideas" in the Plans and Ideas sections will require much more research. I've a prototype for an editable HTML results area for testing a Permanent Clip, but this is very clunky and hard to use. This also is basically just a web browser with a control that is editable.

Since so much has changed in AC, I want to reserve a few days to re-test every new change and feature. I also want users to have a chance to review the changes and offer feedback.

Current Plans for RM and AC

I've started to update the "Plans and Ideas" sublink on this page again. I got really lazy and completely forgot about this section of the website for a while. I've been using "labels" in GMail for a very long time to keep track of user feedback. I, however, want a more transparent way for users to see what's planned.

Currently on Rename Master and ArsClip have new active entries. NewFileGo and MouseWrangler have no current plans, but are not closed for further development. All other programs are currently no longer being developed.

ArsClip and the New User

I've updated the Permanent Clips/Macro tab to try to make is a better first experience for new users.

Now, all the "Special Groups" are hidden by default and shown in bold when made visible. The idea is to show the most important information to the user and let them discover the other features when/if they need them (Progressive Disclosure).

I've also updated the help information section. It will update to show context sensitive information when clicking on different Permanent Groups. There's also a "links" section that will navigate to other locations to show more information. For example, the "_Clip Menu" group help information has a link to the Configuration window to show the Clip Menu section. It also has a link to the Help/About section for this group.

The Help/About has been updated with some more information, some links, and pages for the newer Special Groups.

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This is a first attempt, so I'm open to any feedback for improving this help information. I'm sure there's some missing category in the Help/About tab that I've not thought about. Also, I'm sure there's a lot more places where helpful navigation links can be placed.

Plans Changed

As you can tell, AC and RM updates didn't happen as planed. AC ended up being released first and then RM was just released today.

The planned change for adding HTML previews in AC wasn't delayed until next next version. I was able to test this on my system for long enough to feel confident about adding this change as a new feature. RM also had the planned change for selective RegEx text fields added in the current version instead of a future release.

A change has been made for the update process. Now, the new version and the previous version will be available as a precaution. Even though AC and RM have built in backup functions, I think it is better to still allow for all users to have access to revert. Donators, however, still have the option to have access to all previous archived versions.