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Batch-rename files

batch-rename.Rmd

This vignette covers grp_batch_rename(), a function that gives you the ability to rename a folder of files in a standardized format.

Test files

Below we’ll create a folder of messy file names in a temporary folder.

tmp_files <- file.path(tempdir(), "filenames")
dir.create(tmp_files)
messy <- c(
  "JW7d^(2sl@deletethisandyourcareerisoverWx2.txt",
  "Joe's Filenames Use Space and Punctuation.xlsx",
  "fig 2.png",
  "figure 1.png",
  "myabstract.docx"
)
file.create(file.path(tmp_files, messy))
#> [1] TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE

Confirm this with gerp::grp_path()

gerp::grp_path(tmp_files, tree = TRUE)
#> /tmp/Rtmp85NEFu/filenames
#> ├── JW7d^(2sl@deletethisandyourcareerisoverWx2.txt
#> ├── Joe's Filenames Use Space and Punctuation.xlsx
#> ├── fig 2.png
#> ├── figure 1.png
#> └── myabstract.docx

grp_batch_rename()

The files in the temporary filenames/ folder are a mess, and I want to rename them using a standardized format. Renaming files manually can be time-consuming, so grp_batch_rename() will get you 90% there:

  • all file names are converted to lowercase words separated by hyphens (the same rules as grp_fname())

  • all punctuation and special characters are removed from file names

  • file names have a date prefix (the "modification" date, but other options include "birth", "access", or "change")

  • files that already have a date prefix are skipped

Preview the new names with dry_run = TRUE:

preview <- gerp::grp_batch_rename(tmp_files, dry_run = TRUE)
basename(preview$new)
#> [1] "2026-09-25_jw7d-2sl-deletethisandyourcareerisoverwx2.txt"
#> [2] "2026-09-25_joes-filenames-use-space-and-punctuation.xlsx"
#> [3] "2026-09-25_fig-2.png"                                    
#> [4] "2026-09-25_figure-1.png"                                 
#> [5] "2026-09-25_myabstract.docx"

Then rename the files:

gerp::grp_batch_rename(tmp_files)
#> ✔ Renamed 5 files in /tmp/Rtmp85NEFu/filenames

And confirm with gerp::grp_path()

gerp::grp_path(tmp_files, tree = TRUE)
#> /tmp/Rtmp85NEFu/filenames
#> ├── 2026-09-25_fig-2.png
#> ├── 2026-09-25_figure-1.png
#> ├── 2026-09-25_joes-filenames-use-space-and-punctuation.xlsx
#> ├── 2026-09-25_jw7d-2sl-deletethisandyourcareerisoverwx2.txt
#> └── 2026-09-25_myabstract.docx

NOTE: grp_batch_rename() can’t change the content of the files (and you wouldn’t want it to).