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App-perlmv-0.43
River stage one • 3 direct dependents • 3 total dependents
++
/ perlmv

NAME

perlmv

VERSION

version 0.43

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 rename 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 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.

  • $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.

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 (call to rename()). This is however irrelevant to perlmv command as perlmv only calls rename() once.

Perl code can be specified directly from the command line (using -e), or 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.

NAME

perlmv - Rename files using Perl code

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 order is 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

Why should I use perlmv? There is prename (File::Rename) already?

Yes, there is a very similar script called prename (also accessible via rename in Debian) which comes with Perl. This script reinvents prename and offers more features, e.g.: automatic renaming in case of conflicts, recursive mode, and saving and loading scriptlets.

And there is also pmv (File::PerlMove)!

Okay, you got me. I didn't do my homework. The "rename files using Perl code/expression" is pretty obvious and has surely come up on other CPAN authors' minds. To be honest, this is a script which I wrote years ago (at least in 2003, or earlier) and have been using for years, personally. Admittedly I uploaded this script to CPAN without careful checking of existing solutions on CPAN. But then, lots of other CPAN modules are also overlapping in functionality with one another.

Anyway, I plan to improve perlmv as I see fit, mainly for my own needs. I plan to borrow some features from prename/pmv, and welcome them borrowing features from perlmv. I welcome patches. And I am willing to submit patches to prename/pmv after some discussions with the respective authors. And lastly, I am also open to the idea of merging perlmv to either pername/pmv, if I can get all the features I love in perlmv into those projects.

BUGS/TODOS

  • Patches for Windows welcome.

  • Scriptlet should be able to receive arguments.

SEE ALSO

prename (File::Rename)

pm (File::PerlMove)

AUTHOR

Steven Haryanto <stevenharyanto@gmail.com>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2012 by Steven Haryanto.

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