How to replace filename whitespace with underscore?

bobhurt · 05-06-2015, 01:14 AM

I have a routine need to replace filename whitespace (space, period, hyphen, etc.) with underscore. While scrounging, I found a comment online referring to a program and downloaded it. It worked perfectly. Now I have no clue about its location and name. I know. I should have given it a friendly name, stashed it where I could find it, and put its location in the path.

Can anyone tell me what program will do the job and where I can find it?

This time I'll stash it where I can find it.

Thanks

veerain · 05-06-2015, 10:52 AM

You can use shell script with sed to change them to '_'.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
mv "$1" `echo "$1" | sed -e 's@[ ]\+\|[.]\+\|[-]\+@_@g'`

And run this script with 'scrname filename'.

rtmistler · 05-07-2015, 06:48 AM

You can use the rename(1) command:

Code:

$ echo 1 > "ab cd.txt"
$ echo 2 > "for this.txt"
$ ls
ab cd.txt  for this.txt
$ man rename
$ rename s/\ //g *.txt
$ ls
abcd.txt  forthis.txt
$

schneidz · 05-07-2015, 07:07 AM

Code:

[schneidz@hyper test]$ ll
total 428
-rw-rw-r--. 1 schneidz schneidz 438176 May  6 10:43 admin.php
-rw-rw-r--. 1 schneidz schneidz      0 May  7 07:58 file name-1.txt
[schneidz@hyper test]$ for file in *; do  mv "$file" `echo $file | tr ' .-' '___'`; done
[schneidz@hyper test]$ ll
total 428
-rw-rw-r--. 1 schneidz schneidz 438176 May  6 10:43 admin_php
-rw-rw-r--. 1 schneidz schneidz      0 May  7 07:58 file_name_1_txt

TenTenths · 05-07-2015, 07:34 AM

http://centos.tips/fixing-troublesome-filenames/

John VV · 05-07-2015, 05:05 PM

you really do not want to rename " admin.php" to " admin_php"

schneidz · 05-07-2015, 06:46 PM

^ i thought it was weird too but that is what the op describes.