Help with bash script to rename multiple files

zookman · 05-09-2011, 03:17 AM

Hi, can anyone help me with a bash script to give sensible names to a large number of photos. I hope to be able to run a script with an argument which will become the filename followed by a number beginning at 1. I'm hoping for something that works along the lines of

Code:

./file_rename.sh Summer2009_

Summer2009_0001
Summer2009_0002
Summer2009_0003

I'm new to Linux and have so far managed to write the following script which doesn't quite produce the result I'm looking for.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
#file_rename.sh

FILE_LIST=`ls`
a="1"

for i in $FILE_LIST; do
  mv $i $1_$a.JPG
  a=$[$a+1]
done

exit 0

The problem with this is that the files are then listed in the following order:

Summer2009_1
Summer2009_10
Summer2009_2

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

colucix · 05-09-2011, 03:23 AM

You need some utility which is able to print out zero padded numbers. For example using printf you can try something like this:

Code:

for i in $FILE_LIST
do
  echo mv $i $(printf "%s_%03d.jpg" $1 $a)
  ((a++))
done

Hope this helps.