Factorio Forums

1. Have a group like this but forget it exists: Then have a group with these values: Rename the group 2 to 3 and press control when renaming.

2. The group that was being modified (2) and its values is deleted and the combinator switches to the previously existing group and its values (3): 3. There are multiple things that I could expect to happen:

• A conflict error.
• Switching the combinator to the other existing group but not deleting the group and values being renamed and leaving them in the list of groups the save has. A long winded way to say the same behavior that happens when writing the name of a group without pressing control.
• Overwriting the previously existing group with the values defined in the group being renamed but I agree this is dangerous.

Renaming a group into something else and instead having it delete the group you were renaming is not something a rename operation should ever do

To confirm, you are renaming the whole group using Control+confirm, right?
(Simple renaming (without Control) renames the local reference without deleting the group itself - the listed option 2.)

To confirm, you are renaming the whole group using Control+confirm, right?

Rename the group 2 to 3 and press control when renaming.

Correct

I'm not sure merging one entire group into another was ever an intended use of the ctrl-click rename function. In that case it would make the most sense to provide a "group name already in use" error and do nothing.

Groups only exist as labeled entities so it's not possible to preserve the old group if all the entities get relabeled.

Doesn't it show you how many items use the new group name before you confirm the change?

robot256 wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2025 7:21 pm Groups only exist as labeled entities so it's not possible to preserve the old group if all the entities get relabeled.

A basic rename will preserve the group with 0 references.

Doesn't it show you how many items use the new group name before you confirm the change?

I don't think it does.
If the group list is long enough, autoscrolling (and highlighting when the names match) while typing the new name might improve UX in some cases (but that is out of scope of this thread - Default input on logistic group selection should be search).

Thanks for the report,

Deleting the group when renaming all was an intentional feature added after playtesting,
However it was mainly for the case of a small typo in the group and the old group was just a leftover

For the next release, it will only delete the old group if the new group doesn't already exist