Batch renaming

Common functions

• Find a string within the filename and replace it with another, or remove it.
• Setting the capitalization of the letters in the filenames.
• Extracting information from the files, such as Mp3 ID3 tags, and putting it in the filename.
• Add a number sequence to a list of files.
• Use a text file as a source for new file names.

Common uses

• Many digital cameras store images using a base filename, such as DCSN0001 or IMG0001. Using a batch renamer the photographer can easily give the pictures meaningful names.
• When downloading files from the Internet such as mp3 music, the files often have crude names. A batch renamer can be used to quickly change the filenames to a style that suits the person who downloaded them.
• When managing large amount of files, such as a picture database, a batch renamer is more or less essential for the task of maintaining filenames without too much manual labour.
• When authoring music files onto a CD/DVD or transferring the files to a digital audio player, a batch renamer can be used to listen to songs in desired order.
• When uploading files to a web server or transferring the files to an environment that does not support space or non-English characters in filenames, a batch renamer can be used to substitute such characters with acceptable ones.

  Problems

• Detecting that the target filename already exist.

file01 → file02

• Detecting that the target filename is already used.

file01 → file03

file02 → file03

• Detecting cycle renaming.

file01 → file02

file02 → file03

file03 → file01

Two-pass renaming

• First pass

file01 → file01_AAAAA

file02 → file02_AAAAB

file03 → file03_AAAAC

• Second pass

file01_AAAAA → file02

file02_AAAAB → file03

file03_AAAAC → file01

List of software

Footnotes