rename-files/README.md

rename-files

A CLI application that takes a regex patten for search and replace and then recursively renames files according to the regex pattern.

Uses clap to define and parse command-line arguments:

• -s or --search: The regex pattern to search for
• -r or --replace: The replacement pattern
• -d or --directory: The starting directory (optional, defaults to current directory)
• --dry-run: Option to preview changes without actually renaming files

Recursively walks through the directory structure using walkdir.

Applies the regex pattern to each file name and performs the replacement if there's a match.

Provides a dry-run option to preview changes before making them.

# Replace "old" with "new" in all file names
cargo run -- --search "old" --replace "new"

# Replace numbers with "X" in all file names, starting from a specific directory
cargo run -- --search "[0-9]" --replace "X" --directory "/path/to/dir"

# Preview changes without actually renaming (dry run)
cargo run -- --search "test_" --replace "" --dry-run

The program will:

• Only rename files (not directories)
• Show you what changes it's making
• Handle errors gracefully
• Allow you to preview changes with --dry-run before making actual changes

Safety features:

• Checks if the new filename would be different before attempting to rename
• Uses proper error handling throughout
• Provides feedback about what's being renamed
• Allows preview of changes before making them

Remember that regex patterns are powerful and should be used carefully, especially when batch renaming files. It's recommended to always use the --dry-run option first to preview the changes before actually renaming files.