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How best to remove certain characters from filenames and folders recursively

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting How best to remove certain characters from filenames and folders recursively
# 8  
Old 05-16-2012
You removed the [] from the find expression, which will break it. It needs to be a character range just like the bash one.

Why not try it, with the echo intact, to see what it does?
# 9  
Old 05-16-2012
Sorry about missing the brackets. This is why I can never be a coder.

I'm finally getting somewhere though!


When I ran the script, it seems like it's replacing more than I want it to. For instance, I ouput the results of the script to a file, and I'm seeing lots of entries like:

mv ./DESTIN LAB/Data/Collaborations/Daphna/619/PsychScience/Two Study/Destin_Oyserman_Feared_Selves.doc ./DESTIN LAB/Data/Collaborations/Daphna/619/PsychScience/Two Study/_estin_Oyserman_Feared__elves.doc

It's replacing the first D for some reason as well as added a double underscore at the end.

Here is the script so far:
Code:
#!/bin/bash

# Find all files or folders containing 'bad' characters.
find . -depth -name "*[~$*\/*?”<>|]*" |
# Read them line-by-line.
while read FILEDIR
do
       # Get the folder its inside
       DIR="${FILEDIR%/*}"
       # Get the plain name.
       FILE="${FILEDIR/*\/}"
       # Substitute _ for bad things.
       NEWFILE="${FILE//[\/~$*?”<>|]/_}"
       # Rename it.
       echo mv "$DIR/$FILE" "$DIR/$NEWFILE"
done

# 10  
Old 05-17-2012
I'm not sure but I think you might need to escape (prefix with \) the ~ and the $. Also, I'm quite sure you cannot have filenames with / in it.

Also, I'd go with the more thorough scrubbing. Replace the stuff inside both [...] with:
Code:
[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]

and in the find command, drop the "*" before the open bracket ([).
# 11  
Old 05-17-2012
Awesome!
Code:
[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]

worked terrific. If it's ok to leave the spaces in the name, what would I add or subtract out of that line to make it happen.

Thank you both again for your help!
# 12  
Old 05-17-2012
To tell it that spaces are okay, add a space to the expression before the ] .
# 13  
Old 05-17-2012
Is that in both lines? I tried it in both and it didn't work.


Code:
#!/bin/bash

# Find all files or folders containing 'bad' characters.
find . -depth -name "*[^a-zA-Z0-9._- ]*" |
# Read them line-by-line.
while read FILEDIR
do
       # Get the folder its inside
       DIR="${FILEDIR%/*}"
       # Get the plain name.
       FILE="${FILEDIR/*\/}"
       # Substitute _ for bad things.
       NEWFILE="${FILE//[^a-zA-Z0-9._- ]/_}"
       # Rename it.
       mv "$DIR/$FILE" "$DIR/$NEWFILE"
done

# 14  
Old 05-17-2012
- is a special character inside [ ]. If you mean it to match a literal -, give it \-
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