Windows Scripts for Adding & Removing Spaces in Filenames?

[Baby Naruto]

Does anyone know where I can download scripts for "Windows XP" that can add and remove spaces in filenames?

Note: I do not want scripts that replaces spaces with underscores, periods etc, I just want scripts that can add spaces to file names, and also remove them.

[Freedom Kira]

You're gonna have to be more specific. I would assume that you want one that replaces spaces with underscores or vice versa. Your note kinda throws that out the window without really specifying exactly what it is that you're looking for.

In case you're looking for a script that pads spaces on the end of a filename, you can't do that. AFAIK filenames are trimmed of those spaces automatically.

[Baby Naruto]

You're gonna have to be more specific. I would assume that you want one that replaces spaces with underscores or vice versa. Your note kinda throws that out the window without really specifying exactly what it is that you're looking for.

In case you're looking for a script that pads spaces on the end of a filename, you can't do that. AFAIK filenames are trimmed of those spaces automatically.

To put it simply......

I want Naruto Rocks.jpg to become NarutoRocks.jpg, without me having to manually remove the space between Naruto and Rocks, etc.

[billlanam]

You're gonna have to be more specific. I would assume that you want one that replaces spaces with underscores or vice versa. Your note kinda throws that out the window without really specifying exactly what it is that you're looking for.

In case you're looking for a script that pads spaces on the end of a filename, you can't do that. AFAIK filenames are trimmed of those spaces automatically.

To put it simply......

I want Naruto Rocks.jpg to become NarutoRocks.jpg, without me having to manually remove the space between Naruto and Rocks, etc.

Removing spaces is easy, adding will only work if you have a consistent way to determine where they go, which is very unlikely, easier to make a hard link of the file name without spaces in another folder, then you still have the original names.

[ph4zr]

Does the script have to run without any additional installations? It would be trivial in perl, although like the others said, you would need to have a consistent way to determine where to add spaces back in. Something like "after before every capital letter" would work fairly well.
Until you hit abbreviations.

Of course, there's still the issue of name clashes: since a rename is essentially a move, some files might "magically" disappear on you if you rename "A B C" to "ABC" when "ABC" already exists. <<Had similar happen.

Is there a specific reason you don't want underscore replacement? It's fully reversible, and the names wouldn't be escaped in URLs/etc. because of it. Obviously if it's personal preference there's nothing for it, but I was wondering if maybe the concern was something that could be alternately addressed.

[Teaparty]

Do you want this script for learning reasons? If you just want file names modified, you can find many batch-rename softwares online.

[kureshii]

Bulk Rename Utility. A little more involved than a script, but you should be able to do plenty more with it.

[Baby Naruto]

Honestly, I have files with too many spaces after I remove the underscores and replace them with spaces.

Like I have this file Aren't_You___A_Cutey.jpg

After I use my vbs script that replaces underscores with spaces, it becomes Aren't You   A Cutey.jpg

I want a script that can remove all of those extra spaces between You and A, but it leaves one space in/alone.

(I have 900 other pictures/images that are in the exact same situation as that one)

[Duki3003]

Bulk Rename Utility. A little more involved than a script, but you should be able to do plenty more with it.

^ this. It can do what you want and more...

[Baby Naruto]

Thanks for the help everyone , problem solved .

[ph4zr]

I want a script that can remove all of those extra spaces between You and A, but it leaves one space in/alone.

Makes sense. Grats on solving the problem. But, one last thought: you could also just collapse multiple spaces/underscores into a single one, this way you don't lose the meaning of such word breaks.

[bork]

I know the original question was for a Windows script but if anyone is interested in a Unix/Linux flavor:

(click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

This script does the directory names, change the test command to file names and off you go.


#! /usr/local/bin/bash
#
# Removes space characters and replaces them with an underscore
# in the directories names in the directory you are currently in.
#
#  The script as is, does not do anything but prints out
#  the the changes that would have happened if the mv command
#  was uncommented.  This is a safe guard to prevent a major
#  screw-up.  Make sure it is functioning correctly before
#  you trash your file names.
#

ls |
 while read name
 do
   if test -d "$name"
   then
     new_name="`echo $name | sed 's/ \{1,\}/_/g'`"
     if [ "$name" != "$new_name" ]
     then
#       mv "$name" "$new_name"
       echo "$name"    +++    "$new_name "
     fi
   fi
 done

[rkruger]

I know the original question was for a Windows script but if anyone is interested in a Unix/Linux flavor:

(click to show/hide)

Code: [Select]

This script does the directory names, change the test command to file names and off you go.


#! /usr/local/bin/bash
#
# Removes space characters and replaces them with an underscore
# in the directories names in the directory you are currently in.
#
#  The script as is, does not do anything but prints out
#  the the changes that would have happened if the mv command
#  was uncommented.  This is a safe guard to prevent a major
#  screw-up.  Make sure it is functioning correctly before
#  you trash your file names.
#

ls |
 while read name
 do
   if test -d "$name"
   then
     new_name="`echo $name | sed 's/ \{1,\}/_/g'`"
     if [ "$name" != "$new_name" ]
     then
#       mv "$name" "$new_name"
       echo "$name"    +++    "$new_name "
     fi
   fi
 done

For people wanting to learn more, let me complement that with a bash one-liner that performs the same task:

Code: [Select]

shopt -s extglob; for i in *; do mv -i "$i" "${i//+( )/ }"; done

[Pants]

GET THIS!

I love this thing, have used it for years, and nothing I could ever say could embody how awesome it is. No installs - it just runs and works. Sure, it isn't very pretty, but it's a hell of a workhorse.

[bork]

shopt -s extglob; for i in *; do ln -i "$i" "${i//+( )/ }"; done

Have the best of both now.