Renaming Files and Folders in Python: A Guide to Mastering the Basics
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to rename multiple files or folders in one go? Maybe you needed to organize your photo collection or change the naming convention of all your music files.
Doing this manually could take hours, if not days. Luckily, Python has built-in functionality to automate the process of renaming files and folders.
In this article, we will explore various techniques for renaming files and folders in Python.
Renaming a File with Rename() Method
The simplest way to rename a file in Python is to use the rename() method from the os module. The syntax for the method is as follows:
os.rename(src, dst)
The method takes two arguments: the source file path and the destination file path.
The destination path should specify the new name of the file. Here is an example:
import os
os.rename(“old_file.txt”, “new_file.txt”)
This code will change the name of the file “old_file.txt” to “new_file.txt” in the current directory.
Renaming Files that Match a Pattern
Sometimes you want to rename only files that match a certain pattern. You can do this using the glob module.
The glob module provides a function that can be used to search for files that match a certain pattern. Here is an example:
import glob
import os
for file in glob.glob(“*.txt”):
file_name = os.path.splitext(file)[0]
new_name = file_name + “_new.txt”
os.rename(file, new_name)
This code renames all the files in the current directory with the extension “.txt” to a name that appends “_new” to their original filename.
Renaming all the Files in a Folder
To rename all the files in a folder, you can use the os.listdir() function to get a list of all the files in the folder. You can then loop through all the files and use the os.rename() method to rename each file individually.
Here is an example:
import os
folder_path = “path/to/folder”
for file_name in os.listdir(folder_path):
new_name = “new_” + file_name
os.rename(os.path.join(folder_path, file_name), os.path.join(folder_path, new_name))
This code renames all the files in the directory specified by folder_path by appending “new_” to their original filename.
Renaming only the Files in a List
If you only want to rename a specific set of files, you can create a list of filenames and loop through them to rename each one. Here is an example:
import os
file_list = [“file1.txt”, “file2.txt”, “file3.txt”]
for file_name in file_list:
new_name = “new_” + file_name
os.rename(file_name, new_name)
This code renames only the files specified in the file_list by appending “new_” to their original filename.
Renaming and Moving a File
Sometimes you need to not only rename a file but also move it to a different location. You can do this by providing the new filepath as the destination argument to the os.rename() method.
Here is an example:
import os
file_path = “path/to/file.txt”
new_path = “path/to/new/file.txt”
os.rename(file_path, new_path)
This code renames the file located at file_path and moves it to the new location specified by new_path.
Example Code for Renaming a File in Python
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to rename a file in Python:
import os
old_name = “file.txt”
new_name = “new_file.txt”
os.rename(old_name, new_name)
This code changes the name of the file “file.txt” to “new_file.txt” in the current directory. In conclusion, Python provides several ways to automate the process of renaming files and folders.
Whether you need to rename a file with a specific pattern, rename all the files in a folder, or rename only a list of files, Python has the tools to get the job done efficiently. With the examples provided in this article, you should be able to get started with file and folder renaming in Python.
3) Using os.rename()
The os.rename() method is a built-in function in Python that can be used to rename files or directories. It takes two arguments: the source file or directory name and the new name you want to give it.
Here is the syntax for the os.rename() method:
os.rename(src, dst)
The ‘src’ parameter specifies the name of the file or directory you want to rename, while the ‘dst’ parameter specifies the new name you want to give it. The ‘dst’ parameter can also specify a destination file path to move the file to a new location while renaming it.
You can also rename the directory by specifying the path to the directory as the ‘src’ parameter. For example:
import os
os.rename(“old_dir”, “new_dir”)
This code renames the directory “old_dir” to “new_dir”.
Raising Exceptions When Renaming a File
Sometimes when renaming files, unexpected errors may occur that can cause the operation to fail. To provide better error handling, you can use a try-except block to catch and handle any exceptions that may arise during the file renaming process.
Here is an example:
import os
old_name = “old_file.txt”
new_name = “new_file.txt”
try:
os.rename(old_name, new_name)
except OSError:
print(“Failed to rename file: ” + old_name)
In this example, the try block attempts to rename a file ‘old_file.txt’ to ‘new_file.txt’. If the renaming operation fails, an OSError exception is raised, which is caught by the except block.
The message, “Failed to rename file: ‘old_file.txt'”, is then printed to the console.
4) Renaming Multiple Files in Python
Renaming multiple files in Python is a common use case when you want to change the naming convention for a large number of files in a directory. Here are the steps to rename multiple files in a folder:
1.
Use the os.listdir() function to get the list of files in a directory. 2.
Use the os.rename() function to rename each file in the directory. 3.
Loop through the list of files and apply the renaming operation to each file. Here’s an example of how to rename all the files in a directory to lowercase:
import os
filepath = “/path/to/directory/”
# Get the list of files in the directory
files = os.listdir(filepath)
# Loop through each file and rename it to lowercase
for filename in files:
new_filename = filename.lower()
os.rename(filepath + filename, filepath + new_filename)
In this example, the list of files in the directory is obtained using the os.listdir() function. Then, a loop is created that iterates through each file in the list.
The filename is converted to lowercase using the lower() function, and the renamed file is created by passing the newly formatted filename to the os.rename() function.
Example Code for Renaming all Files in a Folder
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to rename all files in a folder:
import os
directory = “/path/to/folder/”
for filename in os.listdir(directory):
if filename.endswith(“.jpg”):
new_name = filename[:-4] + “_new.jpg”
os.rename(directory + filename, directory + new_name)
This code renames all the files with the extension ‘.jpg’ in the directory specified by the ‘directory’ variable and appends “_new” to their original filename.
Conclusion
Renaming files and folders in Python can be a time-consuming task, but with the built-in os.rename() function, you can easily automate the process. Whether you need to rename a single file, rename a directory, or rename multiple files, Python has the tools you need to get the job done.
With the examples provided in this article, you should now have a good understanding of how to use the os.rename() function to rename files and folders in Python.
5) Renaming only a list of files in a folder
Sometimes, you may want to rename only a set of files in a directory instead of renaming all the files. In this case, you can create a list of files that need to be renamed and loop through each file, applying the renaming operation.
Here are the steps to rename only a set of files in a folder:
1. Create a list of filenames that need to be renamed.
2. Loop through each file name in the list and apply the renaming operation.
3. Use the os.rename() function to rename each file in the directory.
Here’s an example of how to rename only a set of files in a directory:
import os
directory = “/path/to/directory/”
files_to_rename = [“file1.jpg”, “file2.jpg”, “file3.jpg”]
# Loop through each file name in the list and apply the renaming operation
for filename in files_to_rename:
new_name = “new_” + filename
os.rename(directory + filename, directory + new_name)
In this example, only the files specified in the ‘files_to_rename’ list will be renamed. The os.rename() function is used to rename each file by appending “_new” to its original filename.
Example Code for Renaming Only a List of Files in a Folder
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to rename only a set of files in a folder:
import os
folder_path = “/path/to/folder”
files_to_rename = [‘file1.txt’, ‘file2.txt’, ‘file3.txt’]
# Loop through each file name in the list and apply the renaming operation
for file_name in files_to_rename:
new_name = “new_” + file_name
os.rename(os.path.join(folder_path, file_name), os.path.join(folder_path, new_name))
This code renames only the files specified in the ‘files_to_rename’ list with the prefix “new_” to their original filename.
6) Renaming Files with a Timestamp
Adding a timestamp to a filename can help identify when a file was created or modified. This is particularly useful when working with large numbers of files that are generated or updated frequently.
Here are the steps to add a timestamp to a filename:
1. Get the current time using the datetime module in Python.
2. Format the timestamp in a specific way using the strftime() function.
3. Add the formatted timestamp to the filename using string concatenation.
4. Use the os.rename() function to rename the file.
Here’s an example of how to add a timestamp to a filename:
import os
import datetime
file_name = “file.txt”
# Get the current time
now = datetime.datetime.now()
# Format the timestamp
timestamp = now.strftime(“%Y%m%d_%H%M%S”)
# Add the timestamp to the filename
new_name = timestamp + “_” + file_name
# Rename the file
os.rename(file_name, new_name)
In this example, the current date and time are obtained using the datetime module. The timestamp is then formatted in the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second format.
The formatted timestamp is then concatenated with the original filename to form the new filename. Finally, the os.rename() function is used to rename the file with the new filename.
Example Code for Renaming Files with a Timestamp
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to add a timestamp to a filename:
import os
import datetime
directory = “/path/to/directory/”
for filename in os.listdir(directory):
if filename.endswith(“.txt”):
now = datetime.datetime.now()
timestamp = now.strftime(“%Y%m%d_%H%M%S”)
new_name = timestamp + “_” + filename
os.rename(os.path.join(directory, filename), os.path.join(directory, new_name))
This code adds a timestamp in the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second format to the filename for all the files with the extension ‘.txt’ in the directory specified by the directory variable.
Conclusion
Renaming files in Python can be a powerful tool for managing large numbers of files efficiently. Using the built-in os.rename() method, you can easily automate the process of renaming files and folders.
Whether you need to rename specific files, rename files with a timestamp, or rename all the files in a directory, Python provides a variety of tools to help you achieve your goal.
7) Renaming Files with a Pattern
Renaming files with a pattern is another common use case when you have a set of files that follow a specific naming convention that you need to adjust. In this case, you can use the glob module to match the files based on a specific pattern, and then loop through each file and apply the renaming operation.
Here are the steps to rename files with a pattern:
1. Use the glob module to match the files based on a specific pattern.
2. Loop through each matched file and apply the renaming operation.
3. Use the os.rename() function to rename each file in the directory.
Here’s an example of how to rename files following a specific pattern:
import glob
import os
folder_path = “/path/to/folder”
for file in glob.glob(folder_path + “/*.txt”):
new_name = “new_name.txt”
os.rename(file, new_name)
This code renames all the files with the extension ‘.txt’ in the directory specified by the ‘folder_path’ variable to “new_name.txt”.
Example Code for Renaming Files with a Pattern
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to rename files with a pattern:
import glob
import os
folder_path = “/path/to/folder/”
for file in glob.glob(folder_path + “/*_old.txt”):
new_name = file.replace(“_old”, “_new”)
os.rename(file, new_name)
This code renames all the files that end with ‘_old.txt’ in the directory specified by the ‘folder_path’ variable by replacing ‘_old’ with ‘_new’ in their name.
8) Renaming the Extension of the Files
Renaming only the extension of files can be helpful when you need to change the file type or format without altering the original file name. In this case, you can use the os.path.splitext() function to separate the file name and its extension, modify the extension, and then use the os.rename() function to rename the file.
Here are the steps to rename only the extension of files:
1. Use the os.path.splitext() function to separate the file name and its extension.
2. Add the new extension to the file name using string concatenation.
3. Use the os.rename() function to rename each file in the directory.
Here’s an example of how to rename the extension of files:
import os
file_name = “file.txt”
# Separate the file name and its extension
name, ext = os.path.splitext(file_name)
# Add a new extension to the file name
new_filename = name + “.jpg”
# Rename the file
os.rename(file_name, new_filename)
In this example, the file extension is changed from “.txt” to “.jpg”.
Example Code for Renaming the Extension of the Files
Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to rename the extension of files:
import os
folder_path = “/path/to/folder/”
for filename in os.listdir(folder_path):
if filename.endswith(“.txt”):
# Separate the file name and its extension
name, ext = os.path.splitext(filename)
# Add a new extension to the file name
new_filename = name + “.docx”
# Rename the file
os.rename(os.path.join(folder_path, filename), os.path.join(folder_path, new_filename))
This code renames all the files with the extension ‘.txt’ in the directory specified by the ‘folder_path’ variable to ‘.docx’ without changing the original file name.
Conclusion
Renaming files and modifying their extensions is a common task when working with large numbers of files. With the built-in tools in Python, you can easily automate the process of