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[mark_h]

So I have an library expression [album location] that I want to use for creating filepaths when renaming files.  The expression is:

if(isequal([genre],Jazz),My Music\My Jazz Music,My Music)

This should have the effect of specifying the root for albums as:

drive:\My Music\

or

drive:\My Music\My Jazz Music\

But when using the Rename, Move & Copy Files tool, and using [album location] as the directory rule, the \ is changed to a _ which breaks the directory structure I am attempting to create 

I've tried escaping the backslash, but that hasn't helped.

Anybody??  ?

Thanks,

Mark

[mark_h]

Further to this I see that \ is not allowed in the Directories rule at all and yet it is allowed in the Filename rule...

Matt???

[JimH]

Try a double backslash.

[mark_h]

Jim, tried everything, but no go...  definitely an MC "issue"

[MrC]

I've verified this too.

The expression field in the library works fine, but it appears the Rename code, during field evaluation/expansion, changes potentially path-dangerous characters into underscores.  Adding additional escapes to the expression field in the library does not appear to provide a means for escaping this transliteration.

[mark_h]

Update - it's not allowed in the filename rule as part of an expression.

This needs to be "fixed" so that we can create directories using expression...  please 

[MrC]

Update - it's not allowed in the filename rule as part of an expression.

This needs to be "fixed" so that we can create directories using expression...  please 

It would be worth being clearer about this.  The Rename dialog *does* allow expressions.

The problem you are describing here occurs when a Library Field contains a desired *path* component, and that Field is then subsequently used in the Rename dialog to construct a directory or file name.  MC is protecting from, say, a ":" character being introduced into the new path name, which would fail as ":" is not allowed within a file or directory name.  It is managing all path-dangerous characters, which also includes "\".  Otherwise, how would MC differentiate between, say "AC\DC" and "\some\path"?

[marko]

MrC is correct in his statement above, so, try introducing a "replace()" function when using the rename tool.

replace([album location],_,\)

-marko

[mark_h]

Well it would of course be correctly tagged AC/DC, which wouldn't then be a problem

I get your point however, but in my library of 6000+ artists there are none with a \ in their name.  Doesn't mean they don't exist of course...

The Rename dialogue has a separate Directories and Filename section.  Perhaps only the directories section would allow the use of \ in expressions to create directories, which would help avoid the (non-IMO)problem?

[mark_h]

MrC is correct in his statement above, so, try introducing a "replace()" function when using the rename tool.

replace([album location],_,\)

-marko

Well, that's a solution I can work with.

As always, thanks Marko!

[MrC]

Well it would of course be correctly tagged AC/DC, which wouldn't then be a problem

I get your point however, but in my library of 6000+ artists there are none with a \ in their name.  Doesn't mean they don't exist of course...

Right, I know.  But I didn't feel like looking for a pedantically correct example.

Still, the problem with "AC/DC" remains when the file system is *nix-based NAS.  The "/" will need to be replaced because MC doesn't know what the underlying FS allows.