Re: TIP: semi-bulk changing the extension of file names in dired

On Sat, Mar 14, 2026 at 10:43 AM <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> 1. Two sources of documentation of Wdired in Emacs are:
>
>    (info "(emacs) Wdired")
>
> and
>
>    C-h P wdired
>
>
I wish I'd have used Emacs since the 80's too.
Unfortunately for various reasons that did not happen until 2018.
But I still find it difficult to search Emacs documentation when looking
for task-specific information within Emacs itself.   Perhaps it has to do
with. the way I learn, which in the past has been based on what I write.

Back in 2019 I decided to build documentation in tabular form in an attempt
to create a synthesis of what I was learning and make it quick to access.
I looked for various ways to do that and I ended up up using spreadsheets
published in PDF created to be used as quick sheets.
That was the only way I found to express various concepts concisely
enough.  I used hyperlinks, foreground and background colors, fonts,
and icons to express information.

I created various PDF tables for various concepts, starting with Emacs
main concepts first, and then creating tables for major modes and other
things.

I wish I'd found a concise enough markup language that would have
allowed me to create those with text.  I did not find one that could do
all I wanted.  So I ended up using the macOS Number spreadsheet.

I created a top left table that is an index; It holds links to other tables.
All tables are heavily hyperlinked within themselves but also to Emacs
on-line manuals and to various projects.

For renaming files,  I would think about files and directory and I'd look
for file management and Dired from the PEL Index PDF.
The Index PDF :
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pierre-rouleau/pel/master/doc/pdf/-index.pdf
The File Management PDF:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pierre-rouleau/pel/master/doc/pdf/file-mngt.pdf
The Dired PDF:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pierre-rouleau/pel/master/doc/pdf/mode-dired.pdf

Several PDF tables have a TOC list at the top left to various sections of
the PDF table.
The arrow at the top left is a link back to the Index PDF.

This works well when using a browser that can render PDF on screen without
downloading.

I use these often and also use Emacs built-in documentation.

Perhaps what I have can help others.

Regards,

-- 
/Pierre