how to change spaces in filenames to underscores?

[Yossarian]

I have a directory full of file names that I need to take the spaces out of and replace with underscores. Is there some kind of batch file thing that can do this?

for example test file.prt needs to become test_file.prt

Anyone want to take a crack at it?

 

[Zim Hosein]

Del *.*

 

[sygyzy]

G6 Renamer
Better File Renamer

 

[dabuddha]

Very easy to do in linux.

 

[Anubis]

why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

 

[zebano]

PERL

 

[Otaking]

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

Me too. I used to take them out of filenames instead.

 

[Billzie7718]

extchanger.exe is Here

Nice drag and drop interface.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

because the awful software package I have to bring them into was written back in the UNIX days and doesn't even display files with spaces in the file open dialog. and it's supposedly "windows compliant". my ass!

 

[Billzie7718]

Originally posted by: Billzie7718
extchanger.exe is Here

Nice drag and drop interface.

Whooops! Nevermind .... I thought you wanted to put the underscore in the extension.

 

[skace]

Right now it only echoes. Put it in a batch file and test it out, if you like the output, delete the echo before the "ren" and run it again. Also, I should add that you run it from inside the directory with all the files. That could be changed by modifying the dir line, but I wanted to leave it generic. I use something similar at home, I throw the batch file in the directory, double click and go.

...where did the insert code button go......

#CODE HERE#
@echo off
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b /a-d') do call :start "%%i" "%%~fi"
goto :eof

:start
set "temp0rs=%~1"
set "temp0rs=%temp0rs: =_%"
echo ren "%~2" "%temp0rs%"
goto :eof
#END CODE#

 

[snoopdoug1]

write a c++ prog for it? That'd be easy too.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: skace
Right now it only echoes. Put it in a batch file and test it out, if you like the output, delete the echo before the "ren" and run it again. Also, I should add that you run it from inside the directory with all the files. That could be changed by modifying the dir line, but I wanted to leave it generic. I use something similar at home, I throw the batch file in the directory, double click and go.

...where did the insert code button go......

#CODE HERE#
@echo off
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b /a-d') do call :start "%%i" "%%~fi"
goto :eof

:start
set "temp0rs=%~1"
set "temp0rs=%temp0rs: =_%"
echo ren "%~2" "%temp0rs%"
goto :eof
#END CODE#

thanks dude! I appreciate it!

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: skace
Right now it only echoes. Put it in a batch file and test it out, if you like the output, delete the echo before the "ren" and run it again. Also, I should add that you run it from inside the directory with all the files. That could be changed by modifying the dir line, but I wanted to leave it generic. I use something similar at home, I throw the batch file in the directory, double click and go.

...where did the insert code button go......

#CODE HERE#
@echo off
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('dir /b /a-d') do call :start "%%i" "%%~fi"
goto :eof

:start
set "temp0rs=%~1"
set "temp0rs=%temp0rs: =_%"
echo ren "%~2" "%temp0rs%"
goto :eof
#END CODE#

Props for giving one of the most elegant and usable solutions.

 

[jimbob200521]

the only thing i could think of is if all the files will be named the same thing, with the only differance being a number at the end or something. (like if you had a bunch of pics that were of the same thing, but wanted to differentiate them by a number, you would select all the ones you want to rename, then either hit f2 or right click and go to rename, then type in the new name. windows will then rename all the files "new_name_01", "new_name_02", and so on.)

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

I thought you knew the whole world is out to piss you off.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

Congratulations. I absolutely hate when people use spaces, rather than underscores.

 

[Reel]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

Congratulations. I absolutely hate when people use spaces, rather than underscores.

It is such a pain in the ass to escape out the spaces with the backslash. I much prefer to see underscores. It also opens up a can of worms occasionally when it is a space. Spaces are annoying in file names.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: Reel

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: Anubis
why do you want to do that> i absoutly hate when people use underscores in file names

Congratulations. I absolutely hate when people use spaces, rather than underscores.

It is such a pain in the ass to escape out the spaces with the backslash. I much prefer to see underscores. It also opens up a can of worms occasionally when it is a space. Spaces are annoying in file names.

No kidding...