Remove space from file name

[greg]

C:\>type  nospace.bat

Code: [Select]

@echo off
echo type oldname.txt
type oldname.txt
sed 's/ //g' oldname.txt > newname.txt
echo type newname.txt
type newname.txt
)
Output:

C:\>nospace.bat

type oldname.txt
good name
File 2 test .txt
File 3 test .txt
type newname.txt
goodname
File2test.txt
File3test.txt

C:\>

[Salmon Trout]

Wow, greg, you're a genius!

I am pleased to award you a...

[Geek-9pm]

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\BATCH>nospace
type oldname.txt
The system cannot find the file specified.
'sed' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
type newname.txt
D:\BATCH>

Does not work as advertised!

[BC_Programmer]

Does not work as advertised!

heh, I was just going to post that...

[greg]

Does not work as advertised!

Thanks for the correction. 
What will work? 
What will  remove the spaces from a file name?

What is correct batch command?

I appreciate the help offered by Geek.

[greg]

Does not work as advertised!

Modifying/Removing a File
Use the following procedure to rename and then modify a file with a space in its name:


Use the Batch RENAME command with a wildcard to replace the space with a legal filename character. For example:
     
rename test?car.txt test_car.txt
                  

This example replaces the space with the underscore character.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/65163

Thanks, for the help Geek. There is always only one correct solution.

[patio]

Thanks, for the help Geek. There is always only one correct solution.

I disagree...
There are always many solutions.

[ghostdog74]

What will  remove the spaces from a file name?

subtle differences between  your post title and what you are actually doing in your batch. you are removing spaces from the contents of the file, not the file name. 

[Salmon Trout]

There is always only one correct solution.

What a very stupid remark.

[Sidewinder]

Use the Batch RENAME command with a wildcard to replace the space with a legal filename character.

Using wildcards in a rename operation can have unintended consequences. There is also the condition where there is more than one space in a file name, not always in the same position.

Not sure why sed is being used. It's a download on XP machines and this can be done with native tools.

Code: [Select]

@echo off
pushd %cd%
cd /d c:\temp
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir /a-d /b') do (
  set inFile=%%a
  set newName=!inFile: =!
  ren "%%a" !newName!
)
popd

Feel free to change the directory name.

[ghostdog74]

Not sure why sed is being used. It's a download on XP machines and this can be done with native tools.

its just a tool to do the job and do it well indeed. having it in your toolbox is no harm, i don't know why downloading stuff is still frowned upon these days. Its just a one time download anyway. (and its just one executable which you can bring anywhere, same as any other resource kit tools from MS).

Code: [Select]

C:\test>dir /b /a-d *file*
another file with spaces.txt
file   with    spaces.txt

C:\test>dir /b /a-d | sed  -n "/ /{h;s/ //g;x;s/.*/mv '&' /;G;s/\n//;p}"
mv 'another file with spaces.txt' anotherfilewithspaces.txt
mv 'file   with    spaces.txt' filewithspaces.txt

C:\test>dir /b /a-d | sed  -n "/ /{h;s/ //g;x;s/.*/mv '&' /;G;s/\n//;p}" |cmd 

you could guess the above doesn't really work (we are dealing with cmd.exe after all, not *nix shell  

[Salmon Trout]

i don't know why downloading stuff is still frowned upon these days.

You do get a number of people on here who appear to be rather un-knowledgeable (or lazy) sysadmins or users in some kind of "corporate" environment who appear to be restricted to using whatever is already installed.

[greg]

Feel free to change the directory name.

Output  for sw post #9


C:\TEMP>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is F4A3-D6B3

 Directory of C:\TEMP

03/21/2010  11:21 AM    <DIR>          .
03/21/2010  11:21 AM    <DIR>          ..
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 another file with spaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:18 AM                 8 file   with    spaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File 2 test .txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File 3 test .txt
03/21/2010  11:21 AM                 8 good name.txt
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 Remove space from file name.txt
               6 File(s)             48 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  297,718,951,936 bytes free

C:\TEMP>cd ..

C:\>

Code: [Select]

type swspaces.bat
@echo off
pushd %cd%
cd /d c:\temp
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

for /f "tokens=*" %%a in ('dir /a-d /b') do (
  set inFile=%%a
  set newName=!inFile: =!
  copy "%%a" !newName!
)
popd
Output:
C:\>swspaces.bat
        1 file(s) copied.
        1 file(s) copied.
        1 file(s) copied.
        1 file(s) copied.
        1 file(s) copied.
        1 file(s) copied.
C:\TEMP>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is F4A3-D6B3

 Directory of C:\TEMP

03/21/2010  11:27 AM    <DIR>          .
03/21/2010  11:27 AM    <DIR>          ..
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 another file with spaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 anotherfilewithspaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:18 AM                 8 file   with    spaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File 2 test .txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File 3 test .txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File2test.txt
03/21/2010  11:20 AM                 8 File3test.txt
03/21/2010  11:18 AM                 8 filewithspaces.txt
03/21/2010  11:21 AM                 8 good name.txt
03/21/2010  11:21 AM                 8 goodname.txt
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 Remove space from file name.txt
03/21/2010  11:19 AM                 8 Removespacefromfilename.txt
              12 File(s)             96 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  297,718,951,936 bytes free

C:\TEMP>

[Helpmeh]

Output  for sw post #9

AND...?
You don't need to post the output of other people's codes if it works fine.

[greg]

You don't need to post the output of other people's code if it works fine.

It is very good idea to post output. 
Many readers of these posts do know how to test code.