# How can I insert a dash in a specific place?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 28, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199 "2010-03-28T11:56:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@scottyb](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/scottyb)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199/1 "2010-03-28T11:56:06Z")
Hello,
I have hundreds of mp3s where the title and filename begin with a 5-digit number.
How can I insert a dash and space in the seventh position from the left?
For example:
00001 Chapter 1
to
00001 - Chapter 1
I know I could replace "Chapter" with"- Chapter", but that won't work because the text after the serial numbers are all different (they don't all say "Chapter")
**Is there an action I can write to insert a charcter in an exact spot, a certain number of places from the left or right side?**
I haven't created an action yet (just used the quick actions), so a detailed explanation would be greatly appeciated. 🙂
TIA
Scott
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199/2 "2010-03-28T13:05:07Z")
> [@scottyb](#):
>
> For example:
> 00001 Chapter 1
> to
> 00001 - Chapter 1
Create an action: Press Alt-5, Press the "New" button in that dialog, enter a meaningful name for the action e.g. "Insert hyphen after number".
(this was the general how-to for actions, now comes the more specific part)
Create an action of the type "Replace with regular expression.
As field select \_Filename
as regular expression enter:
^(\d+ )
as replace pattern enter:
$1 -
(please note that there is a blank after the hyphen!)
Store the action by pressing a sequence of OK buttons.
Select a file for test-conversion, select the action from the toolbar-dropdown-action-list.
If the result is satisfactory let MP3tag do the work for you. 😉
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199/3 "2010-03-28T14:10:17Z")
> [@scottyb](#):
>
> ... How can I insert a dash and space in the seventh position from the left?
> For example:
> 00001 Chapter 1
> to
> 00001 - Chapter 1
> **Is there an action I can write to insert a charcter in an exact spot, a certain number of places from the left or right side?**
Beside some other ways you can go the way using action "Format value" and Mp3tag Scripting Language.
Field: TITLE
Formatstring: $left(%TITLE%,6)'- '$right(%TITLE%,$sub($len(%TITLE%),6))
From:
00001 Chapter 1
To:
00001 - Chapter 1
How to operate and use Mp3tag, that is your thing to find out.
DD.20100328.1810.CEST
---
### Author:  [@scottyb](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/scottyb)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199/4 "2010-04-01T09:46:19Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Beside some other ways you can go the way using action "Format value" and Mp3tag Scripting Language.
>
> Field: TITLE
> Formatstring: $left(%TITLE%,6)'- '$right(%TITLE%,$sub($len(%TITLE%),6))
>
> From:
> 00001 Chapter 1
> To:
> 00001 - Chapter 1
>
> How to operate and use Mp3tag, that is your thing to find out.
>
> DD.20100328.1810.CEST
Thanks ohrenkino and DetlevD
Both ways given worked
Ohrenkino's way worked (i think) because it followed a number
DetlevD's format string worked like a charm (wether it follows a number or not)
I'm trying to learn the scripting, but for someone completely new to it, it's a little hard to learn from the help file.
Thanks again
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2026, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/how-can-i-insert-a-dash-in-a-specific-place/10199/5 "2026-02-09T12:22:16Z")