IDEA: Uniform names batch filename string replacement by list: Old Name;New Name

[tmpusr]

I have files and folder all over my drives that have variations of a name which I'd like to turn into a single one.

I would create a text file:

Old Name 1 Variant 1;New Name 1
Old Name 1 Variant 2;New Name 1
Old Name 1 Variant 3;New Name 1
Old Name 2 Variant 1;New Name 2
Old Name 2 Variant 2;New Name 2
Old Name 2 Variant 3;New Name 2

The file might be long; performance could become an issue with tens of thousands of files.
I would run it on all my drives once to get uniform naming, and then only on new stuff.
Perhaps a different text file for folders names.

[mouser]

sounds like a very good idea.. it would be important for it to first make a pass and show you which files would be renamed and to what, and then let you confirm before running.

ideally the results would be in the form of a checkboxlist so you could choose what to rename.
ideally you could specify not just full names but patterns to match and replace.

BUT.. surely one of the many excellent free renamers can do this?

[tmpusr]

Sure, renamers can do this, but know any that can be configured this easy? I want to create a list of before and after, run the thing globally and be done with it.

I was specifically thinking of substring replacement; whether it's  "OTHER TEXT Text Correct OTHER TEXT" or "OTHER TEXT Corrupt, Text OTHER TEXT" change to "OTHER TEXT Correct Text OTHER TEXT".

You could also remove text you never want to see in your file or folder names. And you could share the files, so it would act like an adblocker list. Run it scheduled and all your file and folder names are clean of the internets detritus forever.

_; <-there's a space there
and fix some common errors
- - ;- <-also a space there
--;-

You could optionally specify the filetype.
Not this text;But instead this text;pdf

An all-wrong-spelling-and-typo-cases-covered corrector for file and folder names.

[tmpusr]

Do you know any renamers that can be configured as easily for string substitution and scheduled? If not, this "one job, one app" or "there's an app, not a feature, for it" seems like a good idea.