UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

SaLAam

What is the best way to change a word withing a files name. I know I'm not clear enough I will give example : -


I have in /test/test N number of files like this

1662_WAITING
1666_WAITING
1670_DONE
1678_DONE
1663_WAITING
1667_WAITING
1673_WAITING
1679_WAITING
1664_WAITING
1668_WAITING
1676_TAPE_ERROR
1683_DONE
1665_WAITING
1669_DONE
1677_TAPE_ERROR
1685_DONE

I want to change the word "####_WAITING" to "####_DONE" or for all the words after the _ at once if possiple. I tried foreach command and I mange to get something like "####_WAITING_DONE" but this is not what I want :-(.

thanks in advance

Abdulkarim

Hi Abdulkarim

Try this:

Code:

for i in `ls /test/test`
do
   echo $i | grep "WAITING" >/dev/null
   if [ $? -eq 0 ]
   then
      j=`echo $i | sed "s/WAITING/DONE/"`
      mv /test/test/$i /test/test/$j
   fi
done

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers
Helen

added code tags for readability --oombera

hi helen,

Thanks for your help, but when I tried your command it's not working saying do command not found!!

Maybe I forget to tell you I'm using unix sun 5.6.
and I don't not know what is "fi" for in ur script.I want to know if possiple why u direct the output to /dev/null ??? I'm still a very new unix user :-D.


thanks
Abdulkarim

Try with sed

man sed.

Regards. Hugo.

Hi Abdulkarim

I see, I'm using HP-UX 11.00 with a Korn Shell. I'm not sure how Sun 5.6 differs. What shell are you using?

I must admit I have not heard of the 'foreach' statement. Are you doing a shell script or using a programming language?

'fi' is the end of the 'if' statement. If statement syntax is as follows:

if <test>
then
<list of commants>
fi

I have redirected output to /dev/null because I don't want the result of the echo statement to appear on the screen. I just want to know the return value of the statement. If you don't already know, anything that goes to /dev/null 'disappears'. Its a bit like a waste bin.

Cheers
Helen

The foreach is in csh.

He is probably running the script the same way (which is why 'do' isn't found). Solaris differs greatly to HP but the shells should work pretty much the same.

Your script, Helen, does work on under Solaris 5.6 in ksh.