Replacing Filename characters with python

Question

I have some code which adds the word "_manual" onto the end of a load of filenames.. I need to change the script so that it deletes the last two letters of the filename (ES) and then replaces it with _ES_Manual for example: AC-5400ES.txt --> AC-5400_ES_manual.txt

How would i incorporate that function into this code?

folder = r"C:/Documents and Settings/DuffA/Bureaublad/test"
import os # glob is unnecessary
for root, dirs, filenames in os.walk(folder):
    for filename in filenames:
        fullpath = os.path.join(root, filename)
        filename_split = os.path.splitext(fullpath) # filename and extensionname (extension in [1])
        filename_zero, fileext = filename_split
        print fullpath, filename_zero + "_manual" + fileext
        os.rename(fullpath, filename_zero + "_manual" + fileext)

i meant ES sorry! There is no problem with the script - but i need to incorperate replacing the ES currently in the filename into it! sorry if that is confusing! — Alice Duff, Aug 23 '11 at 12:20
You should be able to get this on your own, so here is a hint. Use python's [slice notation](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/509211/good-primer-for-python-slice-notation). — Chris Pickett, Aug 23 '11 at 12:20
@Alice Duff I find your present code heavy: you don't need to define objects **fullpath** and **filename_split** and **filename_zero** and **fileext**: it spoils the readability — eyquem, Aug 23 '11 at 12:33
Sorry about the readability! Im too scared to delete anything incase it goes wrong.. — Alice Duff, Aug 23 '11 at 12:38
@Alice Duff You must not test such a program on real directories. You must create a special directory in which you'll do all the tests in order to preserve all other directories from a severe problem. If you write ``os.rename(os.path.join(root, filename) , ....)`` in which **root** is this special directory or one of its subdirectories, you can't delete files elsewhere than in the special dir. If you remain so shy, you won't go very far in programming — eyquem, Aug 23 '11 at 13:05
Ok thank you i will make sure to do that next time! Once i understand stuff a bit more i am sure i will become less shy with deleting stuff! — Alice Duff, Aug 23 '11 at 13:17

hughdbrown · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-23T17:10:19.120

21

Try this:

import os
pathiter = (os.path.join(root, filename)
    for root, _, filenames in os.walk(folder)
    for filename in filenames
)
for path in pathiter:
    newname =  path.replace('ES.txt', '_ES_manual.txt')
    if newname != path:
        os.rename(path,newname)

edited Aug 23 '11 at 17:10

answered Aug 23 '11 at 13:04

hughdbrown

47,733
20
85
108

@Alice Duff _hughdbrown_'s code applies only for filenames ending with 'ES.txt' . It is correct if you want to change only these filenames. My code is more generic, it changes all filenames at their 2 last letters before extension. It may happen that it's not what you want, so you could upvote _hughdbrown_. But you can also consider to add a condition in my code to select filenames to change, hence my code is more general and adaptable. You have to consider and to choose. – eyquem Aug 23 '11 at 13:25

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 25 '14 at 10:58

8

For a more generalized take on hughdbrown's answer. This code can be used to remove any particular character or set of characters.

import os

paths = (os.path.join(root, filename)
        for root, _, filenames in os.walk('C:\FolderName')
        for filename in filenames)

for path in paths:
    # the '#' in the example below will be replaced by the '-' in the filenames in the directory
    newname = path.replace('#', '-')
    if newname != path:
        os.rename(path, newname)

answered Jul 25 '14 at 10:58

nicholas

509
1
6
12

Thanks @nicholas. Quick noobie question but what is paths = (...)? what is it doing? i understand is some kind of iteration command but I am still confused. What is it called and can you point me to something that explains it? – dodohjk Oct 06 '21 at 10:39

score 3 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 23 '11 at 13:08

3

you could do:

for filename in filenames:
    print(filename) #should display AC-5400ES.txt
    filename = filename.replace("ES.txt","ES_manual.txt")
    print(filename) #should display AC-5400ES_manual.txt
    fullpath = os.path.join(root, filename)
    os.rename(fullpath, filename)

edited Aug 23 '11 at 13:08

hughdbrown

47,733
20
85
108

answered Aug 23 '11 at 12:18

JMax

26,109
12
69
88

But i need to keep the beginng part of the filename "AC-5400ES" - would this work for that? – Alice Duff Aug 23 '11 at 12:21
@Alice Duff: yes, this statement will take the filename string and replace every occurrence of "ES.txt" and replace it with "ES_manual.txt". This is the most basic way to handle what you described. If you need something more sophisticated, please tell us what you precisely want :) – JMax Aug 23 '11 at 12:29
hmm.. i tried this and everything just stays exactly the same! – Alice Duff Aug 23 '11 at 12:35
@Alice Duff: i edited my first answer to display my statement within your code. Do the statements `print` display the expected values? – JMax Aug 23 '11 at 12:40
You mean this: `filename = filename.replace("ES.txt","ES_manual.txt")` The version you offered has no side effects, as Alice's testing revealed. – hughdbrown Aug 23 '11 at 12:57
this just seems to print everything twice: the output was: ABC21ES.txt ABC21ES.txt – Alice Duff Aug 23 '11 at 13:04
@hughdbrown: thanks for the correction and +1 for your functional answer – JMax Aug 23 '11 at 19:23

score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 23 '11 at 12:59

3

for root, dirs, filenames in os.walk(folder):
    to_write = ['root == %s\n' % root]

    for filename in filenames:
        filename_zero, fileext = os.path.splitext(filename)
        newname = "%s_%s_manual%s" % (filename_zero[:-2],filename_zero[-2:],fileext)

        tu = (os.path.join(root, filename), os.path.join(root, newname))

        to_write.append('%s --> %s\n' % tu)
        os.rename(*tu)

    print '\n'.join(to_write)

answered Aug 23 '11 at 12:59

eyquem

26,771
7
38
46

@Alice Duff It's charming the snake ! By the way, I use the object **to_write** to delay the print in chunks, so that general execution is faster – eyquem Aug 23 '11 at 13:21

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 28 '21 at 03:34

Here is another alternative without using os.path.join or os.walk:

import os

fileLocation = "C:\\Documents and Settings\\DuffA\\Bureaublad\\test\\"
fileList = os.listdir(fileLocation)

for ii in fileList:
    newName = ii.replace('ES','_ES_Manual')
    if newName != ii:
        os.rename(fileLocation+ii,fileLocation+newName)

Replacing Filename characters with python

5 Answers5

Linked