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App-perlmv-0.601
River stage one • 3 direct dependents • 3 total dependents
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/ perlmv

NAME

perlmv - Rename/move files using Perl code

VERSION

This document describes version 0.601 of perlmv (from Perl distribution App-perlmv), released on 2020-08-03.

SYNOPSIS

Usage:

 # Show help
 perlmv -h

 # Execute a single scriptlet
 perlmv [options] <scriptlet> <file...>

 # Execute code from command line
 perlmv [options] -e <code> <file...>

 # Execute multiple scriptlets/command-line codes
 perlmv [options] [ -x <scriptlet> | -e <code> ]+ <file...>

 # Create a new scriptlet
 perlmv -e <code> -w <name>

 # List available scriptlets
 perlmv -l

 # Show source code of a scriptlet
 perlmv -s <name>

 # Delete scriptlet
 perlmv -d <name>

Usage examples

 $ ls -1
 A.txt
 B1
 c2.txt
 D3.pl
 D4.pl

Rename files with prewritten scriptlet (remove-common-prefix) and show (-v) each file as it is being renamed.

 $ perlmv -v remove-common-prefix file1.jpg file2.zip files.txt
 `file1.jpg` -> `1.jpg`
 `file2.zip` -> `2.zip`
 `files.txt` -> `s.txt`

Specify script in command line (-e) but do not actually move files (-d, dry-run mode):

 $ perlmv -de 's/\d+//g' *
 DRYRUN: `B1` -> `B`
 DRYRUN: `c2.txt` -> `c.txt`
 DRYRUN: `D3.pl` -> `D.pl`
 DRYRUN: `D4.pl` -> `D.pl.1`

Really rename the files this time:

 $ perlmv -e 's/\d+//g' *

Execute multiple scriptlets and/or command-line code:

 $ ls -1
 a.txt
 b.html
 c.ini

 $ perlmv -vx to-number-ext -e '"file$_"' *
 `a.txt` -> `1.txt` -> `file1.txt`
 `b.html` -> `2.html` -> `file2.html`
 `c.ini` -> `3.ini` -> `file3.ini`

Save Perl code as scriptlet (in ~/.perlmv/scriptlets/):

 $ perlmv -e 's/\d+//g' -w remove-digits

List all scriptlets (add -v to also show their contents):

 $ perlmv -l
 lc
 uc
 remove-digits

Show (-s) source code of scriptlet:

 $ perlmv -s remove-digits
 s/\d+//g

Remove (-D) scriptlet:

 $ perlmv -D remove-digits

More examples

From my real-world usage.

Rename .flv partial files from my Firefox browser cache into ordered names (part01.flv, part02.flv, and so on):

 $ ls --sort=t -r *01 | xargs perlmv -Tdx to-number-ext -e '"part$_.flv"'
 DRYRUN: `15D9F85Ad01` -> `01` -> `part01.flv`
 DRYRUN: `FF8EB240d01` -> `02` -> `part02.flv`
 DRYRUN: `9031E9A8d01` -> `03` -> `part03.flv`
 ...

DESCRIPTION

Perlmv lets you rename/move files using Perl code. All the Perl code needs to do is modify the filename in $_ (or just return a value) and perlmv will do the rest (actual renaming, recursive renaming, handling filename conflicts, dry-run mode, etc.).

New filename will be taken from the new value of $_ (if it is modified) or the last expression. So '$_ = lc' and 'lc' are equivalent.

The following variables are also available to the Perl code:

  • $FILES (arrayref)

    The list of items to be processed. The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

  • $FILE (string)

    The filename of item (without path). The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

  • $FILENUM (int)

    The index of $FILES currently being processed (starting from 0). The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

  • $DIR (string)

    The directory of item (absolute path). The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

  • $PARENT (string)

    The name of parent (containing) directory of the item (without path). The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

  • $ARGS (hashref)

    This are arguments specified by user via the -a (--arg option), e.g. -a foo=1 -a bar=2 will cause this variable to have the value of {foo=>1, bar=>2}.

    The Perl code is not supposed to modify this value.

Perl code will first be run (eval-ed) once at the beginning for testing, with -TEST as the filename in $_ (and $TESTING will be set to true). Perl code is not run under strict/warnings. Perl code is run under App::perlmv::code namespace.

When using the App::perlmv library, there is also the the so-called cleaning phase (in which Perl code will be run with $CLEANING set to true) that can be used for cleaning purposes in between runs. This is however irrelevant to perlmv command as there is only a single run.

Perl code can be specified directly from the command line (using -e), or (in order of precedence from the highest) by name in ~/.perlmv/scriptlets/NAME, or in /usr/share/perlmv/scriptlets/, or in %scriptlets in App::perlmv::scriptlets, or in %scriptlets in App::perlmv::scriptlets::std, or in $SCRIPTLET in App::perlmv::scriptlet::* (for examples see App::perlmv::scriptlet::rename_common_prefix and App::perlmv::scriptlet::rename_common_suffix).

BUGS/TODOS

  • Patches for Windows welcome.

  • Scriptlet should be able to receive arguments.

OPTIONS

 -c  (--compile) Only test compile code, do not run it on the arguments
 -D <NAME> (--delete) Delete scriptlet
 -d  (--dry-run) Dry-run (implies -v)
 -e <CODE> (--execute) Specify Perl code to rename file (\$_). Can be specified
     multiple times.
 -f  (--files) Only process files, do not process directories
 -h  (--help) Show this help
 -l  (--list) list all scriptlets
 -M <MODE> (--mode) Specify mode, default is 'rename' (or 'r'). Use 'copy' or
     'c' to copy instead of rename, 'symlink' or 's' to create a symbolic link,
     and 'link' or 'l' to create a (hard) link.
 -o  (--overwrite) Overwrite (by default, ".1", ".2", and so on will be appended
     to avoid overwriting existing files)
 -p  (--parents) Create intermediate directories
 -R  (--recursive) Recursive
 -r  (--reverse) reverse order of processing (by default asciibetically)
 -S  (--no-symlinks) Do not process symlinks
 -s <NAME> (--show) Show source code for scriptlet
 -T  (--no-sort) do not sort files (default is sort ascibetically)
 -V  (--version) Print version and exit
 -v  (--verbose) Verbose
 -w <NAME> (--write) Write code specified in -e as scriptlet
 -x <NAME> Execute a scriptlet. Can be specified multiple times. -x is optional
     if there is only one scriptlet to execute, and scriptlet name is specified
     as the first argument, and there is no -e specified.

FAQ

How is perlmv different from other similar solutions?

Compared to rename from File::Rename, perlmv offers scriptlets, recursive mode, automatic renaming in case of conflicts. Instead of rename, you can also link, symlink, or copy.

pmv from File::PerlMove also allows linking/symlinking instead of rename, but it does not have recursive mode or scriptlets.

HOMEPAGE

Please visit the project's homepage at https://metacpan.org/release/App-perlmv.

SOURCE

Source repository is at https://github.com/perlancar/perl-App-perlmv.

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests on the bugtracker website https://rt.cpan.org/Public/Dist/Display.html?Name=App-perlmv

When submitting a bug or request, please include a test-file or a patch to an existing test-file that illustrates the bug or desired feature.

SEE ALSO

rename from (File::Rename

pmv from File::PerlMove

Other binaries in this distribution: perlrename, perlcp, perlln, perlln_s.

AUTHOR

perlancar <perlancar@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2020, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 by perlancar@cpan.org.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.