Rename once, every reference follows

What it is

Process names are the symbols of your workspace: .do Verify payment is a call and “Verify payment” is its definition. Runic treats a rename the way a code editor treats rename-symbol: one edit, every call site updated.

How it works

The document name in the top bar is click-to-edit; hover shows a dashed underline and the tooltip “Rename document”. Enter commits, Esc restores the old name, clicking away commits. Names are capped at 80 characters.

On commit Runic scans every process for .go <old name> and .do <old name> lines, case-insensitive and trimmed, and swaps in the new name. Indentation and the command stay as they were. Documents you can only view are skipped. Each changed document is saved by the normal autosave, so the rename reaches the server as ordinary text edits, and the badges, nesting and autocomplete reflect it at once.

Why it matters

Names drift as a process matures: “Approve request” becomes “Manager approval”, then “Line-manager approval”. Without propagation each rename is a search across every document and a chance to miss one. With it, the name is free to improve.

Limits

Propagation runs in the editor. A rename through the MCP server changes only the name, as its tool description says. A reference line carrying an arrow caption (.do Verify payment: same day) is not rewritten; check for an amber marker on such lines afterward. Sequence diagram names have no references to update.

How to use it

1. 1
   Click the name

   In the top bar, next to the Runic logo, click the current document name. It becomes an input holding the current name.
2. 2
   Type the new name

   Up to 80 characters. Spaces and punctuation are fine; matching is case-insensitive.
3. 3
   Press Enter

   The name commits. Every .go and .do line in your other processes that targeted the old name is rewritten to the new one. Esc cancels instead.
4. 4
   Check the sidebar

   The row shows its new name and keeps its reference badge; nested rows stay nested.
5. 5
   Verify a call site

   Click the reference badge to list callers and confirm the lines now read the new name.

Commands & shortcuts

Tips

• Open the References panel before renaming if you want to see exactly which lines will change.
• Renaming to a name that already exists is allowed; the first process with that name wins as the definition, so prefer unique names.
• The rewritten call sites are not on the undo stack, so ⌘Z will not put the old name back. To reverse a rename, rename the process back; the references follow again.
• Viewer-role team documents are left alone. Ask an editor to update those call sites.

Questions