Rename files in linux / bash using mv command without typing the full name two times

mv.sh

# Put this function to your .bashrc file.
# Usage: mv oldfilename
# If you call mv without the second parameter it will prompt you to edit the filename on command line.
# Original mv is called when it's called with more than one argument.
# It's useful when you want to change just a few letters in a long name.
#
# Also see:
# - imv from renameutils
# - Ctrl-W Ctrl-Y Ctrl-Y (cut last word, paste, paste)

function mv() {
  if [ "$#" -ne 1 ] || [ ! -e "$1" ]; then
    command mv "$@"
    return
  fi

  read -ei "$1" newfilename
  command mv -v -- "$1" "$newfilename"
}

There are even more flexible ways (in bash, at least), for example (here renaming .txt to .json):

$ touch config.txt
$ mv config.txt !#:1:s/txt/json

You can do it even shorter, all is for the flexible style of bash and similaires, that generally works in zsh too, repeating with your same example:

$ touch config.txt
$ mv !$ !#:1:s/txt/json

Yeah, many ways to do this but would argue readline's Ctrl-W Ctrl-Y Ctrl-Y is cleanest since it's useful to know anyway and available almost anywhere. :)

I also want to point out roamer, where you can launch roamer . and then use $EDITOR to bulk edit multiple filenames at once. https://github.com/abaldwin88/roamer

Just thinking that if you want to call the mv command again when pressing up, after using it to change the name of a file, it will use the original file name, forcing the user to adjust the name, for instance if you mv'd zoo to zoo2 it will say 'mv zoo' on up arrow (history up), which can't be used without adjusting it - maybe something could be done like storing the last filename and editing it when using 'mv' without arguments, for instance 'mv' will show 'zoo2' ready to be edited

Welcome to HackerNews front page #1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22859935

Since we seem to be jumping on the 'alternate solution' bandwagon, I'll point out that typing C-x C-e at a bash prompt will open the currently typed command in an $VISUAL or $EDITOR, and execute whatever is saved when the editor exits.

C-x C-e gives me -bash: emacs: command not found

you can use as well rename

C-x C-e gives me -bash: emacs: command not found

then you need to change $EDITOR to some editor that is installed on your system, I think?

Ctrl-W Ctrl-Y Ctrl-Y is good, I didn't know about that

https://gist.github.com/premek/6e70446cfc913d3c929d7cdbfe896fef#file-mv-sh-L18 will fail with files that start with a dash:

$ mv -lol
toto
mv: invalid option -- 'l'
Try 'mv --help' for more information.

L18 should read:

command mv -v -- "$1" "$newfilename"

And also: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22863551

@moviuro ok I updated it, thanks! And I removed the file call (I wanted to have nicer arror messages)

Looks like we keep reinventing this :)

I made this in 2018 (https://github.com/lgommans/vinamer) and recently discovered this was a reinvention of a 2017 project (https://github.com/thameera/vimv).

It looks like it's a reinvention of the much older (2006) vidir (works with any $EDITOR) ; packaged in debian, ubuntu or fedora in the package moreutils, along with other very useful tools:
https://joeyh.name/code/moreutils/

$ apropos rename
$ man rename

Fish shell equivalent:
~/.config/fish/functions/mv.fish

function mv --wraps mv
  if [ (count $argv) -ne 1 -o ! -f "$argv[1]" ]
    command mv $argv
    return
  end

  set newfilename (bash -c 'read -ei "$1" newfilename && echo "$newfilename"' '' "$argv[1]")
  command mv -v -- "$argv[1]" "$newfilename"
end

Just thinking that if you want to call the mv command again when pressing up, after using it to change the name of a file, it will use the original file name, forcing the user to adjust the name,

You think like this?
Anway, be aware that «history of arguments» are found by <ALT><.> (<ALT><Punctation>) so this:
~ $ touch zoo
~ $ mv <ALT><.><SPACE><ALT><.>

... will type out:
~ $ mv zoo zoo

... and by the way, continue <ALT><.> repeated times to get older «arguments»

@rohan-mo
-bash: emacs: command not found

Meaning you don't have emacs installed or the bin is not in your $PATH
Easiest way is to apt install emacs or brew install emacs

Other way will be to do something like that:
export EDITOR=vim if you have vim or replace vim with what you have installed

Firstly, thank you - this is nice™.

zsh equivalent:

function mv() {
  if [ "$#" -ne 1 ] || [ ! -f "$1" ]; then
    command mv "$@"
    return
  fi

  newfilename="$1"
  vared newfilename
  command mv -v -- "$1" "$newfilename"
}

Kudos to Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' for StackExchange answer.

BTW, fish also has vared, so this should probably work for fish, too, and be lighter-weight than Humandoodlebug's excellent bash subshell solution.

Yeah, many ways to do this but would argue readline's Ctrl-W Ctrl-Y Ctrl-Y is cleanest since it's useful to know anyway and available almost anywhere. :)

That is quite nice! Biggest fan of this since it's very little typing and applies in way more situations than the OP

@rileytg man readline (sorry for the terse answer but that's the library bash uses and where you will find, in long form, what options are available)

thank you! i didnt realize readline was so foundational to a lot of what i use every day

I like it, it's especially useful if you have spaces in the file (or directory) name (btw the bash cut last word would not work then). Probably I would also flip the conditional and add directory checking:

if [ "$#" -eq 1 ] && ( [ -f "$1" ] || [ -d "$1" ] ); then
  read -ei "$1" newfilename; command mv -v "${1}" "${newfilename}"; return $?
fi
command mv "$@"; return $?

You can also do Ctrl-W followed by Ctrl-Y after typing the path, if you are using readline style keybindings. Mainstream shells come with readline style bindings by default.

Ctrl-W deletes the previous word for me

@szkrd

[...] and add directory checking

-e was what I wanted, not -f. Thanks

In zsh you need compdef mv=ls, it seems, or the completion breaks.

@premek your snippet is great, short, concise and to the point. Thanks for sharing it.

Yeah, many ways to do this but would argue readline's Ctrl-W Ctrl-Y Ctrl-Y is cleanest since it's useful to know anyway and available almost anywhere. :)

Excellent.

There are even more flexible ways (in bash, at least), for example (here renaming .txt to .json):

$ touch config.txt
$ mv config.txt !#:1:s/txt/json

This one eludes me, care to explain how it works?

I would recommend adding --interactive to the mv commands in the script. As it is now, it is possible to overwrite existing files with no confirmation using this script.

With the fish shell, you can type Alt-E to edit any command line in your favorite editor where you likely already know shortcuts for copying, pasting and modifying. The great thing is that is a general solution that works for any command line edits.

In bash it is C-x C-e