Check and rename files with illegal chars

renameillegalfiles.py

# -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-
#
# Author: Massimo Menichinelli
# Homepage: http://www.openp2pdesign.org
# License: MIT
#

import string
import os

# Adapted from: http://www.andrew-seaford.co.uk/generate-safe-filenames-using-python/
## Make a file name that only contains safe charaters  
# @param inputFilename A filename containing illegal characters  
# @return A filename containing only safe characters  
def makeSafeFilename(inputFilename):
    # Set here the valid chars
    safechars = string.letters + string.digits + "~ -_."
    try:
        return filter(lambda c: c in safechars, inputFilename)
    except:
        return ""
    pass  



# Set the path you want to check
path = "/Users/massimo/Documents/FabAcademy2015/europe"

# Check each file in subfolders
for root, dirs, files in os.walk(path):
    for name in files:
        checkname = makeSafeFilename(name)
        if name != checkname:
            print "In:",root
            print "There was an error with",name
            if os.name == "nt":
                os.rename(root+"\\"+name, root+"\\"+checkname)
            else:
                os.rename(root+"/"+name, root+"/"+checkname)
            print name,"has been renamed to", checkname