rename files in folder using pbcc

[tom kroto]

I want to flip through a specific folder and generically rename all files within this folder (topic0001, topic0002, etc). Currently the files in folder have names that are hard to follow and control.

What do I need? sample program???

(no. not dialog box but direct change)

Thank you.

[Scott Slater]

See the NAME keyword for renaming. If you want to do a certain group of files then also see DIR$ since you could use a loop and DIR$ to rename multiple files that match a certain filespec.

[Michael Mattias]

Don't rename WITHIN a DO..LOOP! It screws up the DIR$ NEXT.

Make a list (array) of files in the folder, then NAME them one at a time after DIR$ CLOSE.

[Scott Slater]

Here's a crude example of what I am referring to. This has not been tested, as I am just writing it now.

' This does not check sFolder, but it should be done.
' This routine was written for demo purposes only.
' sFolder needs to end with a trailing \ backslash
Sub RenameAll(ByVal sFolder As String)
   
   Local dCount As Dword
   Local sFile  As String
   
   Do
      If dCount = 0 Then        ' Initialize Dir$
         sFile = Dir$(sFolder & "*.EXT")  ' use whatever extension here or use * with caution
      Else
         sFile = Dir$
      End If
      If Len(sFile) = 0 Then Exit Loop
      Incr dCount
      Name sFolder & sFile As sFolder & "topic" & Format$(dCount, "0000") & ".EXT"
      If Err Then Exit Loop
   Loop
    
End Sub

[Scott Slater]

Don't rename WITHIN a DO..LOOP! It screws up the DIR$ NEXT.

Make a list (array) of files in the folder, then NAME them one at a time after DIR$ CLOSE.

Interesting, did not know that, nor have I ever had to do this. Well in that case use:

Sub RenameAll(ByVal sFolder As String)
   
   Local dCount As Dword
   Local idx    As Dword
   Local sFile  As String
   
   Dim sFileList() As String
   
   Do
      If dCount = 0 Then        ' Initialize Dir$
         sFile = Dir$(sFolder & "*.EXT")  ' use whatever extension here or use * with caution
      Else
         sFile = Dir$
      End If
      If Len(sFile) = 0 Then Exit Loop
      Incr dCount
      ReDim Preserve sFileList(1 To dCount) As String
      sFileList(dCount) = sFolder & sFile
   Loop
   
   For idx = 1 To dCount
      Name sFileList(idx) As sFolder & "topic" & Format$(idx, "0000") & ".EXT"
      If Err Then Exit For
   Next idx
   
End Sub

[Mel Bishop]

Also, be aware that the NAME statement does NOT support wild cards. You have to (re)name a specific file name to another specific file name.

[Michael Mattias]

Actually, anything which affects the directory - rename a file, add a file - can mess up a DIR$ or FindFirstFile/FindNextFile loop. I can't remember if deleting a file will as well, but after getting burned by rename and add, I don't even bother to play with that fire anymore.

You can also do something like this...

  SPEC$ = "*.ext" 
  DO 
     S = DIR$(spec$)
     IF LEN (S) THEN 
         DIR$ CLOSE
         NAME S AS NewName 
     ELSE
        EXIT DO 
     END IF 
   LOOP

.. restarting the search after changing one of the names.

[tom kroto]

Thank you.

Thanks to all especially Scott and Michael for their help. I saw the dir$ close and read the warning. I remember working on AS400 and doing something that affected filenames (i think delete) and the program ran wild for hours continuing to re-read through a specific library. Maybe similar to rename/delete under DIR$.