Edit Filenames

This chapter turns a Maksym listing into an editable filename projection, prepares several renames and relative moves as ordinary text, and cancels the projection to prove that preparation alone does not change the filesystem.

Before You Begin

If you enter this chapter directly, first complete Prepare the User Guide Exercises.

Complete Browse Directory Listings. From the guide terminal session, create one disposable directory below the tutorial Project:

"$HOME/odra-guide/kit/bin/odra-guide" reset forecast-engine
mkdir -p ~/odra-guide/work/projects/forecast-engine/maksym-practice/archive
printf 'first practice file\n' \
  > ~/odra-guide/work/projects/forecast-engine/maksym-practice/alpha.txt
printf 'second practice file\n' \
  > ~/odra-guide/work/projects/forecast-engine/maksym-practice/beta.txt

Open ~/odra-guide/work/projects/forecast-engine/maksym-practice with C-x d. The detailed listing shows archive/, alpha.txt, and beta.txt.

Enter Filename Editing

Press C-x C-q. Maksym reports that filename editing is enabled. Metadata columns and structural separators remain visible but protected; ordinary text commands operate only inside the filename fields.

Use C-n or Down and C-p or Up to move among editable filename rows. The active point follows the selected row without turning metadata into editable buffer content.

Press C-x C-q again without making a change to leave filename editing. Enter it once more for the exercise. After a name changes, the same command refuses to leave until the prepared changes are applied or cancelled.

Prepare Two Renames

Move to alpha.txt and use ordinary character, word, deletion, and insertion commands to replace the field with first.txt. Move to beta.txt and replace it with second.txt.

At this point the Maksym text shows both proposed names, but the filesystem still contains alpha.txt and beta.txt. Ordinary undo and redo can reverse or restore these uncommitted filename edits.

Do not press C-c C-c yet. That command validates and applies the current projection in the delivered direct workflow.

Prepare a Relative Move

Change second.txt to archive/second.txt. A relative path prepares a move below the directory represented by this Maksym buffer. The destination parent must already exist and remain inside that directory.

Absolute destinations, empty path segments, . or .. segments, cross-device moves, recursive moves, duplicate destinations, and collisions are invalid editable projections. Maksym does not infer or create a missing destination directory from edited text.

Preserve Directory Semantics

Directory rows end in /. Keep that suffix when changing a directory name. Removing an entire directory field is invalid because recursive directory deletion is outside the delivered editable-listing workflow.

An empty regular-file field has a different meaning: it prepares permanent deletion. The next chapter introduces that destructive operation with an explicit disposable file.

Cancel the Prepared Projection

Press C-c C-k or C-c C-[. Maksym discards every edited filename, closes the editable projection, and refreshes the directory from filesystem truth.

The listing again shows alpha.txt and beta.txt; neither rename nor the relative move occurred. Cancellation does not need to reverse filesystem effects because preparation never published them.

Recover from Invalid Editing

• If Maksym reports Editable Maksym text is invalid, restore the protected row structure, a valid filename, and every directory suffix.
• If a destination would collide, choose a distinct relative name before application.
• If a destination parent is missing, cancel, create or select the directory through a filesystem workflow, refresh, and prepare the move again.
• If the directory changed externally, cancel and press g before preparing a new projection from the refreshed generation.
• Use ordinary undo only before filesystem application; it changes projection text, not canonical resources.

Previous: Browse Directory Listings · Files, Projects, and Workspaces · Next: Apply Filesystem Changes