# tag-\>filename, is there a wildcard?
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [April 21, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903 "2005-04-21T15:06:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@krux](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/krux)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/1 "2005-04-21T15:06:35Z")
Hello-
I would like to switch first/last names of artist on the tag, which I have done (thank you areve) and replace them on the filename. The problem is that I have lots of filenames formatted slightly different (30,000+) due to varying degrees of info. So my question is can I convert:
tag-\>filename %artist%(everything else the same as it is)
it would save a bunch of time-otherwise I have to change the ones that are
%artist%-%title%
%artist%-%track%-%title%
%artist%-%album%-%track%-%title%, etc separately
and
Thank You for this great program
---
### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/2 "2005-04-21T16:29:51Z")
Hello!
If you want to import the artist from filenames all starting with Artist-... you can use the converter Filename - Tag with a formatstring like %artist%-%dummy%
Best regards,
~ Florian
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### Author:  [@krux](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/krux)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/3 "2005-04-21T17:00:41Z")
What about the other way, I have changed tags:
Louis Armstrong (to)
Armstrong, Louis
I would like to send that tag -\> filename w/o messing with the rest of the filename becuase I may have
Louis Armstrong - Blueberry Hill
Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han - Blueberry Hill
Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04
Louis Armstrong -Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04- Blueberry Hill (change to)
Armstrong, Louis - Blueberry Hill
Armstrong, Louis - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04
Armstrong, Louis - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04- Blueberry Hill
etc.
---
### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/4 "2005-04-21T17:16:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> What about the other way, I have changed tags:
> Louis Armstrong (to)
> Armstrong, Louis
> I would like to send that tag -\> filename w/o messing with the rest of the filename becuase I may have
> Louis Armstrong - Blueberry Hill
> Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han - Blueberry Hill
> Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04
> Louis Armstrong -Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04- Blueberry Hill (change to)
>
> Armstrong, Louis - Blueberry Hill
> Armstrong, Louis - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04
> Armstrong, Louis - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Han -04- Blueberry Hill
> etc.
>
> \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
I guess you can do that with a RegEx action...
Replace: (._) (._) - (.\*)
With: $2, $1 - $3
---
### Author:  [@krux](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/krux)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/5 "2005-04-21T17:53:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I guess you can do that with a RegEx action...
>
> Replace: (._) (._) - (.\*)
> With: $2, $1 - $3
>
> \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
That works if the filename is formatted that particular way, then you have to make a few different RegEx actions for different filename formats and apply them separately. I think maybe the best way for me is to:
change the tags
go filename -\> tag %artist% - %album% - %track% - %title%
then just remove any ' - -' or '- - -' with a new action so I can do 1000's at once
I guess-I just started using this thing yesterday
thanks for y'alls help
---
### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/6 "2005-04-21T17:55:25Z")
try ALT+1 with
%artist%$right(%\_filename%,$add($sub($len(%\_filename%),$len(%artist%)),1))
---
### Author:  [@krux](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/krux)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/7 "2005-04-21T19:20:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> try ALT+1 with
> %artist%$right(%\_filename%,$add($sub($len(%\_filename%),$len(%artist%)),1))
>
> \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
YES-that is what I needed, thank you very much!
I wonder if you could walk me through that string format in english
so I can see how it's formed, if it's not to much trouble...
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### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/8 "2005-04-22T05:47:17Z")
The functions are explained in the help file.
It just builds the new filename from your %artist% in the tag and from the old filename without the artist.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2025, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tag-filename-is-there-a-wildcard/1903/9 "2025-11-12T15:05:21Z")
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