Index: trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propedit.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propedit.c	(revision 37264)
+++ trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propedit.c	(revision 37265)
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
 extern rnd_layergrp_id_t pcb_actd_EditGroup_gid;
 
 static const char pcb_acts_propset[] = "propset([scope], name, value)";
-static const char pcb_acth_propset[] = "Change the named property of scope or all selected objects to/by value. Scope is documented at PropEdit().";
+static const char pcb_acth_propset[] = "Change the named property of scope or all selected objects to/by value. Scope is documented at PropEdit(). Existing attributes can be renamed to value by using a name rename/a/old_name, where old_name is the current name of the attribute.";
 fgw_error_t pcb_act_propset(fgw_arg_t *res, int argc, fgw_arg_t *argv)
 {
 	const char *first, *name, *val;
Index: trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.c	(revision 37264)
+++ trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.c	(revision 37265)
@@ -457,10 +457,17 @@
 	}
 
 	orig = pcb_attribute_get(list, key);
-	if ((orig != NULL) && (strcmp(orig, st->s) == 0))
-		return;
-
-	pcb_attribute_put(list, key, st->s);
+	if (st->arename) {
+		if (strcmp(st->s, key) == 0)
+			return;
+		pcb_attribute_put(list, st->s, orig);
+		pcb_attribute_remove(list, key);
+	}
+	else {
+		if ((orig != NULL) && (strcmp(orig, st->s) == 0))
+			return;
+		pcb_attribute_put(list, key, st->s);
+	}
 	st->set_cnt++;
 }
 
@@ -469,6 +476,9 @@
 	const char *key = st->name+2;
 	int side_effect, res;
 
+	if (st->arename && (strcmp(st->s, key) == 0))
+			return;
+
 	if (st->toggle) {
 		toggle_attr(st, &obj->Attributes, 1, obj);
 		return;
@@ -478,7 +488,20 @@
 
 	if (side_effect)
 		pcb_obj_pre(obj);
-	res = pcb_uchg_attr(st->pcb, obj, key, st->s);
+
+	if (st->arename) {
+		const char *orig = pcb_attribute_get(&obj->Attributes, key);
+		if (orig != NULL) {
+			res = pcb_uchg_attr(st->pcb, obj, st->s, orig);
+			if (res == 0)
+				res = pcb_uchg_attr(st->pcb, obj, key, NULL);
+		}
+		else
+			res = -1;
+	}
+	else
+		res = pcb_uchg_attr(st->pcb, obj, key, st->s);
+
 	if (side_effect) {
 		pcb_obj_update_bbox(st->pcb, obj);
 		pcb_obj_post(obj);
@@ -1086,10 +1109,15 @@
 
 int pcb_propsel_set_str(pcb_propedit_t *ctx, const char *prop, const char *value)
 {
-	pcb_propset_ctx_t sctx;
+	pcb_propset_ctx_t sctx = {0};
 	char *end;
 	const char *start;
 
+	if ((prop[0] == 'r') && (strncmp(prop, "rename/a/", 9)) == 0) {
+		sctx.arename = 1;
+		prop += 7;
+	}
+
 	/* sanity checks for invalid props */
 	if ((prop[1] != '/') || ((prop[0] != 'a') && (prop[0] != 'p'))) {
 		rnd_message(RND_MSG_ERROR, "Invalid property path: '%s':\n must start with p/ for property or a/ for attribute\n", prop);
@@ -1096,8 +1124,6 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	memset(&sctx, 0, sizeof(sctx));
-
 	if (value == NULL)
 		value = "";
 	sctx.s = value;
Index: trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.h
===================================================================
--- trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.h	(revision 37264)
+++ trunk/src_plugins/propedit/propsel.h	(revision 37265)
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 	rnd_bool c_absolute, d_absolute, c_valid, d_valid, clr_valid;
 	unsigned toggle:1;        /* when 1, ignore value and attempt to toggle */
 	unsigned toggle_create:1; /* when 1, create non-existing attribute on toggle, with value true */
+	unsigned arename:1;       /* when 1, attribute is renamed to s; must not be used for anything else but a/ */
 
 	/* private */
 	unsigned is_trace:1;