1REN(1) General Commands Manual REN(1)
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6 ren - rename multiple files
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9 ren [ -d | -k | -a ] [ -v ] [path/]search replacement
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12 Ren renames each file in the current directory (or in the path direc‐
13 tory, if specified) that matches the search pattern; each matching
14 file's new name is given by the replacement pattern. The multiple
15 rename is performed safely, i.e. without any unexpected deletion of
16 files due to collisions of replacement names with existing names, or
17 with other replacement names. Also, all error checking is done prior
18 to doing any renames, so either all renames are done, or none.
19 The search pattern is a filename with embedded wildcards, i.e. * and ?,
21 which have their usual meanings of, respectively, matching any string
22 of characters, and matching any single character. The replacement pat‐
23 tern is another filename with embedded wildcard indexes, each of which
24 consists of the character # followed by a digit from 1 to 9. In the
25 new name of a matching file, the wildcard indexes are replaced by the
26 actual characters that matched the referenced wildcards in the original
27 filename. Thus, if the search pattern is "abc*.*.*" and the replace‐
28 ment pattern is "xyz#1.#3", then "abc.txt.doc" is renamed to "xyz.doc"
29 (since the first * matched "", the second matched "txt", and the third
30 matched "doc").
31 Note that the shell normally expands the wildcards * and ?, which in
33 the case of ren is undesirable. Thus, in most cases it is necessary to
34 enclose the search pattern in quotes, e.g. ren "*.a" #1.b. To strip
35 any of the characters *, ?, and # of their special meaning to ren, as
36 when the actual replacement name must contain the character #, precede
37 the special character with \ (and enclose the argument in qoutes
38 because of the shell).
39 Note that a path is not allowed in the replacement pattern. Ren does
41 not allow moving files between directories, which facilitates the
42 safety checks next described.
43 When any two matching files would have to be renamed to the same new
45 filename, ren detects the condition prior to doing any renames and
46 aborts with an error message. Ren also checks if any file deletes
47 would result from the rename, i.e. if some file1 would have to be
48 renamed to file2, and file2 already exists and is not itself being
49 renamed. (Here and below, "delete" really means "unlink".) In such a
50 case, ren asks you (by reading a line from standard input) if you
51 really wish file2 to be deleted. If your answer is negative, file1 is
52 not renamed.
53 Ren safely performs chain renames, i.e. when file1 is renamed to file2,
55 file2 to file3, file3 to file4, etc, by doing the renames in the proper
56 order. In the case that the chain is a cycle, i.e. filen is renamed
57 back to file1, ren breaks the cycle by using a temporary name.
58 Files beginning with . are not matched against the search pattern (and
60 thus not renamed) unless the search pattern explicitly begins with '.'.
61 In any case, "." and ".." are never matched.
62 Options:
64 -v (verbose): after each rename, the message "file1 -> file2 [(*)]"
66 appears on the standard output. The (*) appears in the case of
67 a deleting rename, i.e. when the old file2 is deleted.
68 -d, -k, -a: suppress interrogation with regard to deleting renames,
70 and:
71 -d (delete): perform all deleting renames silently.
73 -k (keep): perform no deleting renames.
75 -a (abort): if any deleting renames are detected, abort prior to
77 doing any renames.
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80 mv(1)
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83 Vladimir Lanin
84 lanin@csd2.nyu.edu
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87 If the search pattern is not quoted, the shell expands the wildcards.
88 Ren then complains that there are too many arguments (if indeed there
89 are), but can not determine that the lack of quotes is the cause.
904th Berkeley Distribution May 20, 1988 REN(1)