Numeric zero padding file rename

ls *.jpg | awk -F'.' '{ printf "%s %04d.%s\n", $0, $1, $2; }' | xargs -n2 mv

rename file name with fixed length nomeric format pattern

Sample Output

mv 10.jpg 0010.jpg
mv 11.jpg 0011.jpg
mv 12.jpg 0012.jpg
mv 13.jpg 0013.jpg
mv 14.jpg 0014.jpg
mv 15.jpg 0015.jpg
mv 16.jpg 0016.jpg
mv 17.jpg 0017.jpg
mv 18.jpg 0018.jpg
mv 19.jpg 0019.jpg
mv 1.jpg 0001.jpg
mv 20.jpg 0020.jpg
mv 21.jpg 0021.jpg
mv 22.jpg 0022.jpg
mv 23.jpg 0023.jpg
mv 24.jpg 0024.jpg
mv 25.jpg 0025.jpg
mv 2.jpg 0002.jpg
mv 3.jpg 0003.jpg
mv 4.jpg 0004.jpg
mv 5.jpg 0005.jpg
mv 6.jpg 0006.jpg
mv 7.jpg 0007.jpg
mv 8.jpg 0008.jpg
mv 9.jpg 0009.jpg

By: hute37

2011-05-01 13:32:58

awk ls printf xargs awk mv xargs

2 Alternatives + Submit Alt

Numeric zero padding file rename

This uses Perl's rename utility (you may have to call it as prename on your box) and won't choke on spaces or other characters in filenames. It will also zero pad a number even in filenames like "vacation-4.jpg".
This is sample output - yours may be different.
12

rename 's/\d+/sprintf("%04d",$&)/e' *.jpg

eightmillion · 2011-05-01 20:50:36 11
Numeric zero padding file rename
This is sample output - yours may be different.
0

for i in $(seq -w 0 100) ; do mv prefix$(( 10#$i )).jpg prefix${i}.jpg ; done

madmike · 2013-02-03 23:23:01 5

What Others Think

Using 'ls' output for manipulating your data is WRONG and dangerous. See this http://mywiki.wooledge.org/ParsingLs

RanyAlbeg · 709 weeks and 4 days ago

using xargs without cleansing the input is also wrong. Look what happens when you try this test data cd $(mktemp -d); touch "alpha.jpg" "beta beta.jpg" Run the above command, and you get "mv: no such file 'beta' "

Mozai · 709 weeks and 4 days ago

rahimhh21 · 118 weeks and 6 days ago

Perfecthomepugs · 109 weeks and 4 days ago

pugpuppies95 · 71 weeks and 5 days ago

Thank you for this thought-provoking article. Your ability to present a balanced view is commendable. Articulate and informative throughout! Pearls

onenaturalpearl · 54 weeks ago

yeneba6574 · 25 weeks and 3 days ago

What do you think?

Any thoughts on this command? Does it work on your machine? Can you do the same thing with only 14 characters?

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