find and rename files / folders.. need some assistance.

Springs · 04-07-2013, 09:52 AM

Hi all,

managed to get a command working for my needs but i can't get one part to work.

Code:

find /path/to/folder/ -name '*_W*' -exec bash -c 'mv $0 ${0/_W}' {} \;

so this is removing a character from the files found. but i need it to move the file to a new folder is possible.

can any one assist where i need to put the new folder path as where i would normally put it for other find / move commands it doesn't work..

colucix · 04-07-2013, 12:04 PM

You may try the -execdir action: the command will be executed inside the directory where the file is located, therefore you can simply add the directory name to the destination argument, e.g.

Code:

find /path/to/folder/ -name '*_W*' -execdir bash -c 'echo mv $0 /path/to/destination/${0/_W}' {} \;

Maybe you already have a method for testing, but I always suggest to put an echo in front of the command under -exec or -execdir, especially when executing mv or rm. Hope this helps.

Springs · 04-07-2013, 02:13 PM

Hi,

Thanks for that. The execdir seems to solve the initial issue of it moving it to the new directory but i know get the following where when the command is ran it is adding an additions "." in the path.

Code:

find /path/to/folder/ -name '*_W*' -execdir bash -c 'echo mv $0 /path/to/destination/${0/_W}' {} \;

Code:

mv ./path/to/folder/folder name_W /path/to/folder/./folder name

colucix · 04-07-2013, 06:13 PM

Yes, I'm aware of that. Using -execdir the matching path name is relative to the current directory and the find command always shows a path (unless you customize the output using -printf, but this would be an alternative or an addition to -execdir). The good new is that the shortcuts . and .. are allowed in paths and you can safely use the single dot with no effect: in other words the path

Code:

/path/to/destination/./file

is equivalent to

Code:

/path/to/destination/file

A little addition (sorry, I didn't think about that before): if by chance there are files with blank spaces in their name, you have to put double quotes around the arguments of the mv command:

Code:

find /path/to/folder/ -name '*_W*' -execdir bash -c 'echo mv "$0" "/path/to/destination/${0/_W}"' {} \;

Springs · 04-08-2013, 08:18 AM

Thanks,

It does actually work when i take the echo out.

Thanks again.