Command line

This text is intended to experienced users.

Siren is not a console application. Just some tasks have been automated.

Command line parameters allow the initialisation of some user interface elements and the execution of tasks like starting a renaming, a copy or quitting the program.

Each of them comes in short and long forms. Here is the list :

Short	Long	Description
`-v`	`--version`	print version information
`-h`	`--help`	show this help message
`-d`	`--dir`	the next parameter is the directory to load
`-f`	`--filter`	the next parameter is the loading filter
`-s`	`--select`	the next parameter is the selection filter
`-x`	`--listhidden`	list hidden directories and files
`-t`	`--subdir`	force the loading of sub directories
`-e`	`--expression`	the next parameter is the renaming expression
`-F`	`--favname`	the next parameter is the name of a favourite expression
`-r`	`--rename`	execute a rename operation
`-c`	`--copy`	execute a copy operation
`-q`	`--quit`	quit after rename/copy execution
`-l`	`--language`	the next parameter is the language (en, en_US, fr_FR ...)
`-p`	`--paramfile`	the next parameter is name of the configuration file
`-P`	`--nosaveparam`	don't save configuration parameters (directories, expressions, preferences ...)

All the others are considered as full file names to select.

A few reminders :

If a parameter contains characters like : space, ampersand ... it must be surrounded with quotation marks ('"')
If it contains quotation marks ('"'), it's necessary to put a backslash ('\') in front of them
Under Windows, in a batch program, the '%' have to be doubled

For example, the expression : %b("_"," ").%e
becomes for a "direct usage" : "%b(\"_\",\" \").%e"
and in a Windows batch program : "%%b(\"_\",\" \").%%e"

Run :

Under Windows, in a batch program, launch Siren with the command :
"start /wait"
If an error occurs, a message box is displayed
No specific exit code
No writing on standard output

Some advice :

When possible, limit "escaping" quotation marks (") by using quotes (')
For a complicated expression, use a favorite ("-F") rather than an expression ("-e")
Write the command line in stages : parameter after parameter ending with "-r" (or "-c") and "-q"
Use the file filter parameter ("-f") to limit the number of unnecessarily analysed files