Why aren't 'placeholders' functions instead?

General Discussion
1

Maybe a dumb question, but: Why are 'placeholders' not just functions?

In most scripting languages the placeholder variables would be function calls - $file_size(), $extension(), $bitrate(), for example.

This question occurred to me reading a recent thread about numbering files and getting the total number of files. There doesn't appear to be a 'placeholder' or a scripting function that would be helpful in creating a 'n of m' numbering for a file, and that total can only be entered manually when using the auto-numbering wizard.

May I suggest a function that could be used in scripts that counts the total number of files in the same folder?

Pass in the extension, or maybe use a windows wildcard.

$folder_filecount("flac")

or

$folder_filecount("*.flac")

For the most people this would be the total number of files in an album (or on a disc).

2

Yes, this is a good question. Me too, I think that functions will do work better and more flexible in all scripting jobs I can think of. The stiff and ready made 'placeholders' are relicts from elder times.
And ... as we see ... the placeholder area of %filename%, %filename_rel%, ..., to determine the current folder and the parent folder and so on is really unsure to use, functions would be the right choice and more safe.

DD.20080307.0822.CET