Changing multiple file names at once in DOS

How do I add a 'p' to the end of all files within a
folder in DOS.

I also need to be able to remove the 'p' at a later date
with one command string.

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 13:59:44 -0500, "Tom"
scribbled some
thoughts:


How do I add a 'p' to the end of all files within a
folder in DOS.

I also need to be able to remove the 'p' at a later date
with one command string.


Be a whole lot easier if you said change the extension:

REN *.dat *.old

Then when done/after that time limit, assuming there are no
other files adversely affected:

REN **.old *.dat

--

Sincerely, | NOTE: Best viewed in a fixed pitch font
| (©) (©)
Andrew H. Carter | ------ooo--(_)--ooo------
d(-_-)b | /// \\\

If I was doing this I would create a small VB program. Note that you can't
strictly do what you are trying to do, as there is no way of knowing whether
a p at the end of a filename was placed there by the renaming (and should be
removed) or was there is the first place (and should not be removed).

If your file names have a limited range of lengths then you can create a
small batch file, one line for each length of filename, eg

ADD_P.BAT
REN ???????.* ???????p.*
REN ??????.* ??????p.*
etc

DEL_P.BAT
REN ???????p.* ???????.*
REN ??????p.* ??????.*
etc
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Tom" wrote in message
...
How do I add a 'p' to the end of all files within a
folder in DOS.

I also need to be able to remove the 'p' at a later date
with one command string.

Jeff,

I think it must be:

DEL_P.BAT

REN ?p.* ?.*
REN ??p.* ??.*
(etc)
REN ???????p.* ???????.*

i.e. the shorter names have to precede the longer ones (in contrast to
ADD_P.BAT).

If the names with the spaces are possible -- the double quotes are
needed in the both batches.
--
MM

-- Original message: --

Jeff Richards wrote:

If I was doing this I would create a small VB program. Note that you can't
strictly do what you are trying to do, as there is no way of knowing whether
a p at the end of a filename was placed there by the renaming (and should be
removed) or was there is the first place (and should not be removed).

If your file names have a limited range of lengths then you can create a
small batch file, one line for each length of filename, eg

ADD_P.BAT
REN ???????.* ???????p.*
REN ??????.* ??????p.*
etc

DEL_P.BAT
REN ???????p.* ???????.*
REN ??????p.* ??????.*
etc

The two processes have different effects, for sure, but that was partly my
point. It's a very primitive procedure, that needs to be specified in a lot
more detail. For instance, there's no way of telling whether ADD_P has been
run more than once, and therefore there's no way to decide which form of the
DEL_P should be used. And if long filenames could be involved then my
suggestion becomes unmanageable.

Some of these issues could be addressed by a custom-written application, but
it's still a kludge. Perhaps I should have said "If I was doing this I
wouldn't do it like this!"
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
MM wrote in message ...
Jeff,

I think it must be:

DEL_P.BAT

REN ?p.* ?.*
REN ??p.* ??.*
(etc)
REN ???????p.* ???????.*

i.e. the shorter names have to precede the longer ones (in contrast to
ADD_P.BAT).

If the names with the spaces are possible -- the double quotes are
needed in the both batches.
--
MM

-- Original message: --

Jeff Richards wrote:

If I was doing this I would create a small VB program. Note that you
can't
strictly do what you are trying to do, as there is no way of knowing
whether
a p at the end of a filename was placed there by the renaming (and should
be
removed) or was there is the first place (and should not be removed).

If your file names have a limited range of lengths then you can create a
small batch file, one line for each length of filename, eg

ADD_P.BAT
REN ???????.* ???????p.*
REN ??????.* ??????p.*
etc

DEL_P.BAT
REN ???????p.* ???????.*
REN ??????p.* ??????.*
etc

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 13:59:44 -0500, "Tom"
wrote:

How do I add a 'p' to the end of all files within a
folder in DOS.

rename *.* *p.*


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

You might be running an enhanced shell, because this command does not work
in a standard COMMAND.COM
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Steve Hayes" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 13:59:44 -0500, "Tom"
wrote:

snip
rename *.* *p.*

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 08:31:23 +1100, "Jeff Richards"
wrote:

You might be running an enhanced shell, because this command does not work
in a standard COMMAND.COM

OK, this is what I tried.

I created 2 files

test1.tmp
test2.tmp

I typed

rename test*.* test?p*.*

That worked.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Yes - but that's not quite what you suggested. The ? works as a single
character placeholder for a REN, but * doesn't work as a multi-character
placeholder.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Steve Hayes" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 08:31:23 +1100, "Jeff Richards"
wrote:

You might be running an enhanced shell, because this command does not work
in a standard COMMAND.COM

OK, this is what I tried.

I created 2 files

test1.tmp
test2.tmp

I typed

rename test*.* test?p*.*

That worked.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop
uk