Rename/replace

[Salmon Trout]

To further my understanding, what does the switch b do (/b)?

open a command window, and type

dir (ENTER)

and then

dir /b (ENTER) and you'll see the difference.

Type dir /? to see an explanation.

Now, just to be picky, I'd love to have certain [first] letters capitalized.

This is really beyond the capabilities of a batch file, you should be looking at a bulk file rename utility such as Bulk Rename Utility

http://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/Main_Intro.php

[Salmon Trout]

I never could resist a challenge...

Code: [Select]


@echo off
echo Ready to rename files
echo.
pause
echo.
echo Renaming files...
echo.
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /f "delims=" %%A in ( 'dir /b *.txt' ) do (
    set oldname=%%A
    set newname=!oldname:_= !
    set char1=!newname:~0,1!
    set rchars=!newname:~1!
    if "!char1!"=="a" set char1=A
    if "!char1!"=="b" set char1=B
    if "!char1!"=="c" set char1=C
    if "!char1!"=="d" set char1=D
    if "!char1!"=="e" set char1=E
    if "!char1!"=="f" set char1=F
    if "!char1!"=="g" set char1=G
    if "!char1!"=="h" set char1=H
    if "!char1!"=="i" set char1=I
    if "!char1!"=="j" set char1=J
    if "!char1!"=="k" set char1=K
    if "!char1!"=="l" set char1=L
    if "!char1!"=="m" set char1=M
    if "!char1!"=="n" set char1=N
    if "!char1!"=="o" set char1=O
    if "!char1!"=="p" set char1=P
    if "!char1!"=="q" set char1=Q
    if "!char1!"=="r" set char1=R
    if "!char1!"=="s" set char1=S
    if "!char1!"=="t" set char1=T
    if "!char1!"=="u" set char1=U
    if "!char1!"=="v" set char1=V
    if "!char1!"=="w" set char1=W
    if "!char1!"=="x" set char1=X
    if "!char1!"=="y" set char1=Y
    if "!char1!"=="z" set char1=Z
    set newname=!char1!!rchars!
    echo Renaming !oldname! to !newname!
    ren "!oldname!" "!newname!"
    )
echo.
echo All done
echo.
pause
   

[ghostdog74]

luckily the english alphabets only have 26 characters

[Salmon Trout]

luckily the english alphabets only have 26 characters

Indeed!

[one stupid guy]

I tried it with my example, and couldn't get it to work. It still deals with the underscore properly, and most of the coding made some sense to me (the IF statemetns are intuitive).

My example was:

If the files are currently as below:
file 1 - test one.txt
File 2 - test two.txt
file 3 - test three.txt

I would like:
File 1 - Test one.txt
File 1 - Test two.txt
File 1 - Test three.txt

And I don't get the results I wanted.


So that I 'get it', can you help me understand what these two lines mean:

    set char1=!newname:~0,1!
    set rchars=!newname:~1!

Specifically, what does the squiggle mean (~), and what does it mean to have the zero and one separated by a comma (~0,1)?
For that matter, what does "rchars" mean? I looked on the ComputerHoper glossary page and couldn't find it.

Thank you again,

[Salmon Trout]

Well, I named some files according to your description and got these results...

Before

Code: [Select]

S:\>dir /b *.txt
test_file_002.txt
test_file_003.txt
test_file_001.txt
Run batch

Code: [Select]

Ready to rename files

Press any key to continue . . .

Renaming files...

Renaming test_file_002.txt to Test file 002.txt
Renaming test_file_003.txt to Test file 003.txt
Renaming test_file_001.txt to Test file 001.txt

All done

Press any key to continue . . .
After

Code: [Select]

S:\>dir /b *.txt
Test file 002.txt
Test file 003.txt
Test file 001.txt

If the files are currently as below:
file 1 - test one.txt
File 2 - test two.txt
file 3 - test three.txt

I would like:
File 1 - Test one.txt
File 1 - Test two.txt
File 1 - Test three.txt

What's this "File 1" prefix? You never mentioned that before.

set char1=!newname:~0,1!

create a variable called char1 and make it equal to the first character (0 from the start) of newname

set rchars=!newname:~1!

create a variable called rchars and make it equal to the characters from the 2nd (1 from the start) to the end of newname

A colon and "squiggle" is used in string slicing in batch language

!apple:~0,3! means the first 3 characters of the variable named apple

rchars is just a name I made up for the variable.

[Geek-9pm]

Salmon Trout
It would;d be helpful is somebody would document where you find the definition for the batch file mid  string extraction function.
If you try to Google "DOS :~" you won't find it. Instead you are lead to a site about a beer called Dos Equis.

[BC_Programmer]

use "cmd string manipulation" as a search term. seems to bring up relevant results.

[Salmon Trout]

It is available from the command prompt by typing SET /? - it's immediately after the section explaining SET /P, but if folks prefer to read it in a browser, this is as good a place as any...

http://www.computerhope.com/sethlp.htm

[Geek-9pm]

Thank you both.
I have been using DOS for years and never saw that documented.
Just did not know where to find it.
The XX Beer commercial got me side tracked. 

[the_mad_joker]

I think It shld a bit long way
correct me if i am wrong

First make list of files by using :

1} dir PLACE UR DIRECTORY HERE\*.txt /b >list.txt

2}edit list.txt with notepad

3}replace "_" with "space" [without quotes]

4}add "ren" be4 every file's name and then the file

for ex
ren the_example.txt the example

save it as BATCH and apply it

 

[Geek-9pm]

the_mad_joker,
I like your method.
If you don't know the academic answer...
just use the pragmatic solution.

[BillRichardson]

the_mad_joker,
I like your method.
If you don't know the academic answer...
just use the pragmatic solution.

Sounds like a manual method.  Use Notepad?  This guy is a mad joker.

ST and Helpmeh used an automatic one liner.

[Helpmeh]

I think It shld a bit long way
correct me if i am wrong

First make list of files by using :

1} dir PLACE UR DIRECTORY HERE\*.txt /b >list.txt

2}edit list.txt with notepad

3}replace "_" with "space" [without quotes]

4}add "ren" be4 every file's name and then the file

for ex
ren the_example.txt the example

save it as BATCH and apply it

 

do you know how long that will take? Try doing it with hundreds of files. What about thousands?

[Salmon Trout]

do you know how long that will take? Try doing it with hundreds of files. What about thousands?

Many editors allow you to do search and replace. If you have column select, copy and paste then the above would take a few seconds.