About the rename script

rename is a Perl script that lets you use Perl expression or code to rename files. It's convenient for mass-renaming. For example, to convert all filenames in the current directory to lowercase:

% rename -e '$_=lc' *

rename was written by Larry himself. It was released in 1989 as part of perl 3.0 as an example script put under eg/rename . Later, together with a bunch of other old Perl scripts that were not compiling cleanly under strict/-w, it was removed from the perl source tree prior to the release of Perl 5.8 in 2000. It was then republished on CPAN under File::Rename since 2005 by Robin Baker (RBAKER).

About the simulation (dry-run) mode

One of the useful things that rename provides is simulation ( -n ) mode. In this mode, the files are not actually renamed: rename only prints how it would rename them. For example:

% mkdir test-area % cd test-area % touch FOO Bar baz % rename -n -e '$_ = lc' * rename(Bar, bar) rename(FOO, foo)

rename was (and is) a very simple script, measuring at only about 130 lines of code. This simplicity shows in the simplistic simulation mode. As it shows the files as they are being renamed, rename does not keep track of the new filenames that would spring into existence (or old filenames that would disappear). For example:

% rm * % touch 1 2 3 % rename -n -e '$_ = 3' * 1 not renamed: 3 already exists 2 not renamed: 3 already exists

rename correctly refuse overwriting 3 because it already exists (unless when instructed via -f ). However:

% rename -n -e '$_ = 4' * rename(1, 4) rename(2, 4) rename(3, 4)

If you remove the -n option, rename would still behave correctly:

% rename -e '$_ = 4' * 2 not renamed: 4 already exists 3 not renamed: 4 already exists

But the simulation mode does not show you that.

An alternative simulation mode

Another script on CPAN, perlmv, is an alternative that offers a better simulation mode:

% perlmv -d -e'$_ = 4' * DRYRUN: move `1` -> `4` DRYRUN: move `2` -> `4.1` DRYRUN: move `3` -> `4.2`

Note that perlmv does automatic suffixing to avoid overwriting existing files.