Hi, I need to write a script that changes the name of the filename. Let's say my script is named change_filename and I want to use it on a file named test1.txt. After running the script I want the filename renamed to test1_fails.txt

e.g.

$   ls

test1.txt   test2.txt   test3.txt

$   change_filename test1.txt
$   ls

test1_fails.txt   test2.txt   test3.txt

at command line: mv test1.txt test1_fails.txt

Hi,

Try this one,

#! /usr/bin/bash
base=$1
if [ -f ${base} ];
then
    mv ${base} ${base/./_fails.}
else
    echo "${base} file not found"
fi

Hi Rangarasan, thanks for your reply. However it is not working for me. I'm new to Unix programming so maybe it is something simple I have not spotted. I ran the following code:

#! /bin/csh

base=$1

if [ -f ${base} ]
then
   cp ${base} ${base././_fails.}
else
   echo "${base} file not found"
fi

$ change_filename test1.txt
base=test1.txt: Command not found
base: Undefined variable

There is an extra dot in the substitution part.
Use the below code

#! /bin/csh

base=$1

if [ -f ${base} ]
then
cp ${base} ${base/./_fails.}
else
echo "${base} file not found"
fi

That extra dot was actually a typo. I did not have that in my actual script.

Do I need to declare variables somewhere? I don't know why it thinks base is a command and not a variable. I've tried renaming base but I still get the same error.

The above script will work with bash. But you have used csh.