File Renaming Help

[Logain]

OK, I have small problem with renaming files. I have about 6000 files I need to rename and I would hope there's some utility out there (since I can't figure out how to do it with DOS wildcards) to make this easier.

The files are all named in the following format:

xxxxyyyyyy.zzz

where the number of ys changes from file to file. I simply want to remove the first four characters of each file (represented by the xs).

Anyone know an easy way?

[Death Mage]

Last time I had to do something like that, I basically had to use a program that made a macro, a series of keystrokes, and repeated it over and over and over. And even then, I could only do it in small blocks. :\ It's not fun to do.

[Antrax]

Okay, I feel really stupid. There is a way to do it with DOS for command, but I just can't figure it out. What's worse, I get the exact same problem every time I have to do a mass rename or something of the sort, I solve it every time, but I never seem to remember how I did it last time. Just type "help for" and "help set" at DOS prompt, you can probably figure it out. I'm too tired, apparently ~annoyed at self~
Antrax

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"Look, that's why there's rules, understand? So that you think before you break 'em" - Lu-Tze, Thief of Time

[HyToFry]

I'll look at it when I get to work. It is possilble.

[Chuck]

I'd write a short BASIC program the made a large batch file that renamed them one by one if I couldn't figure out how to do it with a DOS command.

[HyToFry]

Apparently you can't. You can strip off the right chars of a file name, but not the left ones...

weird.

http://www.shadowsource.org/keys/progs/renfile.htm

Try that.

You can also try this, but I couldn't get it to download.
http://www.simtel.iif.hu/pub/pd/61453.html

[MBA]

You can do it via an asp page on an IIS web server. Just use the FileSystemObject (read more about FSO at [url=http://www.aspfaqs.com).]http://www.aspfaqs.com).[/url] Read the filename into a variable and then use the LEFT, RIGHT and MID functions to rename the file as you desire.

[HyToFry]

Never mind this post. I was in the wrong thread or something.

[This message has been edited by HyToFry (edited 09-05-2003 12:16 PM).]

[mole]

Is there a shell command in BASIC to do the same thing as Chuck's idea? There's no reason to build a batch file and run that if you can run commands directly from BASIC.

[HyToFry]

here's something you could do.

[HyToFry]

Just make sure that you include the extension in that search and replace bit. Otherwise you'll end up with a batch file that renames yyyy.ext to yyyy.ext.

[HyToFry]

Or.. even better.

[Vinny]

Do what MBA said, Logain. Use ASP if you have either Windows 2000 or Windows XP and have the component "Internet Information Servicess (IIS)" installed.

If you do, just go to c:\inetpub\wwwroot\ and create a text file using notepad, with the extension .asp.

Let's name it test.asp for illustration purpose.

Open the text file, then copy and paste the following code into the file, and save.

code:

---

<%


Option Explicit





Dim filesys, demofolder, fil, filecoll, filist 


Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") 


Set demofolder = filesys.GetFolder("c:\temp\")  


Set filecoll = demofolder.Files 


For Each fil in filecoll


    filist = filist & fil.name  


    filist = filist & "<BR>"  


Next  





Response.Write filist 


%>

---

To run it, open a web browser, the go the url http://localhost/test.asp

Tell me if that works. If it does, it should list all the content of a c:\temp\ folder (if the folder exists). You can then modify the code to do all sort of neat stuff, like mass renaming.

Use http://www.devguru.com (Quick References -> VBScript) for reference. For more things you can do with the FileSystemObject, look at the Objects section of that site.

http://www.devguru.com/Technologies/vbscript/quickref/filesystemobject.html

[HyToFry]

my way is still easier.

[Logain]

Hey Hy, that seems like it will work great.

I'll have to first cut and paste the results in an Excel spreadsheet since the yyyy is different for each file, so deleting a column is easier there than a search/replace, then paste back into the .bat file. Thanks for the tip.

[Logain]

Sorry Vinny, just noticed your post after already replying. I had just tested Hy's method so I already know what I'm doing there and it worked just fine.

[HyToFry]

It's a damn shame that FOR can't handle two commands....

[extropalopakettle]

Can't you have the for loop call a bat file, and have that do the two commands?

[HyToFry]

Yup, but then you have to write a bat file... which is just as easy as what was already done... I think.

Too late now anyway.