How can I batch rename files in powershell using the following code:
$nr=1;Get-ChildItem -Filter *.jpg |
Rename-Item -Newname {"PPPPPPP_{0:d3}.jpg" -f $global:nr++}
where PPPPPPP is the name of parent folder containing these files.
Expected Output :
PPPPPPP_001.jpg
PPPPPPP_002.jpg
PPPPPPP_003.jpg
Files are located in C:\USER\MAIN\BLABLABLA\PPPPPPP folder.
Get the parent directory's name via $_.Directory.Name
inside the script block.
Cast the $nr
variable to [ref]
so that you can modify its value directly in the caller's scope (via .Value
), which is preferable to using scope modifier $global:
- see below.
$nr = 1
Get-ChildItem -Filter *.jpg | Rename-Item -Newname {
'{0}_{1:d3}.jpg' -f $_.Directory.Name, ([ref] $nr).Value++
} -WhatIf
-WhatIf
previews the renaming operation; remove it, once you're confident that the command will perform as intended.
Optional reading: Modifying the caller's variables in a delay-bind script block or calculated property:
The reason you couldn't just use $nr++
in your script block in order to increment the sequence number directly is:
Delay-bind script blocks (such as the one passed to Rename-Item -NewName
) and script blocks in calculated properties run in a child scope.
- Contrast this with script blocks passed to
Where-Object
and ForEach-Object
, which run directly in the caller's scope.
It is unclear whether that difference in behavior is intentional.
Therefore, attempting to modify the caller's variables instead creates a block-local variable that goes out of scope in every iteration, so that the next iteration again sees the original value:
Using a calculated property as an example:
PS> $nr = 1; 1..2 | Select-Object { '#' + $nr++ }
'#' + $nr++
-------------
#1
#1 # !! the *caller's* $nr was NOT incremented
While you can use a scope modifier such as $global:
or $script:
to explicitly reference a variable in a parent scope, these are absolute scope references that may not work as intended: Case in point: if you move your code into a script, $global:nr
no longer refers to the variable created with $nr = 1
.
Quick aside: Creating global variables should generally be avoided, given that they linger in the current session, even after a script exits.
The robust approach is to use a Get-Variable -Scope 1
call to robustly refer to the immediate parent scope:
PS> $nr = 1; 1..2 | Select-Object { '#' + (Get-Variable -Scope 1 nr).Value++ }
'#' + (Get-Variable -Scope 1 nr).Value++
------------------------------------------
#1
#2 # OK - $nr in the caller's scope was incremented
While this technique is robust, it is also cumbersome and verbose.
But you could improve the efficiency as follows:
$nr = 1; $nrVar = Get-Variable nr; 1..2 | Select-Object { '#' + $nrVar.Value++ }
Using the [ref]
type offers a more concise alternative, though the solution is a bit obscure:
PS> $nr = 1; 1..2 | Select-Object { '#' + ([ref] $nr).Value++ }
'#' + ([ref] $nr).Value++
---------------------------
#1
#2 # OK - $nr in the caller's scope was incremented
Casting a variable to [ref]
returns an object whose .Value
property can access - and modify - that variable's value. Note that since $nr
isn't being assigned to at that point, it is indeed the caller's $nr
variable that is referenced.
EDIT: modified due to mklement0s hint.
To get the parent name, use .Directory.Name
as another parameter for the format operator
$nr=1
Get-ChildItem *.jpg -file|
Rename-Item -Newname {"{0}_{1:d3}.jpg" -f $_.Directory.Name,([ref]$nr).Value++} -whatIf
If the output looks OK remove the -WhatIf
This will only work while there are no overlapping ranges doing the rename, in that case you should probaply use a temporary extension.
Sample output on my German locale Windows
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\150.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_007.jpg".
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\151.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_008.jpg".
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\152.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_009.jpg".
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\153.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_010.jpg".
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\154.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_011.jpg".
WhatIf: Ausführen des Vorgangs "Datei umbenennen" für das Ziel "Element: A:\test\155.jpg Ziel: A:\test\test_012.jpg".
Another, slightly different way:
$nr=1;Get-ChildItem -Filter *.jpg |
Rename-Item -Newname {"$(split-path -leaf $_.Directory)_{0:d3}.jpg" -f
$global:nr++}