Remaning files in a directory can be useful task when working with large number of files that have unclear and confusing names. Renaming files can be time-consuming and tedious, especially when working with a large number of files.
This article will discuss how to rename all files in a directory using Bash.
Rename All Files in Directory – Bash
The purpose of a renaming files in a directory is to make it easy to organize and manage lagre number of files, here are some ways to rename files in bash:
Method 1: Using rename Command
The rename command is a powerful command used for renaming files in Linux and to rename all files in a directory from $filename_h to $filename_half, we can use the following command:
rename 's/_h$/_half/' *
Here, the s flag indicates that we are performing a substitution, and the pattern _h$ matches the _h string at the end of the filename. The replacement string is _half, which replaces the matched string. The * at the end of the command specifies that the command should be applied to all files in the directory:
Method 2: Using for Loop With mv Command
Bash is a popular shell used in Linux systems, and it is excellent for renaming files and to rename all files in a directory using bash scripting:
for file in *h
do
mv "$file" "${file/_h/_half}"
done
The above script iterates through each file that ends with “h” in the current directory, and renames the file by replacing _h with _half:
Method 3: Using Perl Command
Perl is a powerful programming language used for various tasks, including file management. To rename all files in a directory from $filename_h to $filename_half using Perl, use the following code:
perl -e 'for(@ARGV){$new = $_; $new =~ s/_h$/_half/; rename($_, $new);}' *
The Perl command renames all files in the current directory that end with “_h” to end with “_half”. It uses a regular expression to replace the “_h” string at the end of the filename with “_half”. The for loop iterates through each file in @ARGV and renames it using the rename() function. The * at the end of the command specifies that the command should be applied to all files in the directory:
Conclusion
Renaming files in Linux can be a challenging task, but with the help of these methods, it can be done quickly and efficiently. The rename command, mv command, and Perl are all powerful tools that can be used for file management tasks in Linux. By using these methods, you can easily rename all files in a directory, improving the organization and consistency of your file.
