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Rename multiple files, changing spacing
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In Windows XP I have several files in this format: text-### ###.ext
I want to change all of them to this format: text_###-###.ext
So, I need to replace all dashes in the file name with underscores, and replace all spaces with dashes.
I know there are apps for download that do this, but how hard is it to do it myself? Can someone advise if this can be done from the Command Line and, if so, advise how to go about it?
Thanks!
I want to change all of them to this format: text_###-###.ext
So, I need to replace all dashes in the file name with underscores, and replace all spaces with dashes.
I know there are apps for download that do this, but how hard is it to do it myself? Can someone advise if this can be done from the Command Line and, if so, advise how to go about it?
Thanks!
Last edited by Greatoutdoors; Jul 23rd, 2009 at 12:06 pm.
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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Do you have a useful scripting language installed on your machine (perl, python, ruby, etc)?
Do you have any experience in any of those languages?
> but how hard is it to do it myself?
Somewhere between trivial and impossible.
> Can someone advise if this can be done from the Command Line and, if so, advise how to go about it?
After nearly 30 years, M$ command shell syntax is still a sucking void. Doing anything remotely more interesting that "dir" is an exercise in pointless frustration.
Hence the comment about useful scripting languages....
Do you have any experience in any of those languages?
> but how hard is it to do it myself?
Somewhere between trivial and impossible.
> Can someone advise if this can be done from the Command Line and, if so, advise how to go about it?
After nearly 30 years, M$ command shell syntax is still a sucking void. Doing anything remotely more interesting that "dir" is an exercise in pointless frustration.
Hence the comment about useful scripting languages....
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Originally Posted by Salem 
Do you have a useful scripting language installed on your machine (perl, python, ruby, etc)?
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•
•
•
Do you have any experience in any of those languages?
•
•
•
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Somewhere between trivial and impossible.
•
•
•
•
After nearly 30 years, M$ command shell syntax is still a sucking void. Doing anything remotely more interesting that "dir" is an exercise in pointless frustration. Hence the comment about useful scripting languages....
•
•
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,850
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 749
Well you might be able to do it in Java, don't ask me how.
You'll need some kind of directory class to list the filenames, and maybe even rename them.
You'll also need some kind of string manipulation class to do the substitutions to get from the old filename to the new filename.
Personally, I'd use bash
But feel free to practice the Java approach - it's all good learning when it comes to solving actual problems (rather than bookwork).
You'll need some kind of directory class to list the filenames, and maybe even rename them.
You'll also need some kind of string manipulation class to do the substitutions to get from the old filename to the new filename.
Personally, I'd use bash
for i in text*.ext; do b=`echo $i | sed 's/-/_/g'` b=`echo $b | sed 's/ /-/g'` mv "$i" $b done
But feel free to practice the Java approach - it's all good learning when it comes to solving actual problems (rather than bookwork).
I doubt it can be done with the command-line, but it could be done with the WSH, which comes preinstalled.
Copy the above and paste it into a file with extension '.js', then change the variable dr to your directory's name without an ending backslash -- also remember to escape the backslashes. Then double-click the '.js' file.
var fso,a,s,d,f,t,t0,t1;
var dr;
dr='c:\\mydocu~1\\test';
fso=new ActiveXObject('scripting.filesystemobject');
d=fso.getfolder(dr);
f=new Enumerator(d.files);
t=[];
for(;!f.atEnd();f.moveNext())
{
t0=f.item().name;
if( t0.indexOf(' ')==-1 ) continue;
t1=t0.replace(/-/g,'_').replace(/ /g,'-');
if( t0!=t1 ) t.push([t0,t1]);
}
for(a=0;a<t.length;a++)
{
fso.movefile(dr+'\\'+t[a][0],dr+'\\'+t[a][1]);
}Copy the above and paste it into a file with extension '.js', then change the variable dr to your directory's name without an ending backslash -- also remember to escape the backslashes. Then double-click the '.js' file.
Last edited by prime1999; Jul 26th, 2009 at 10:36 am.
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