vidir

Edit filenames in editor

$ vidir

$ vidir [*.txt]

$ vidir [path/to/directory/]

$ EDITOR=[vim] vidir

$ vidir -v

vidir [-v] [files|directory]

vidir edits filenames in a text editor. It opens file list for editing.
Each line shows a number and filename. Modify filenames to rename.
Deleting lines removes files. Empty lines are ignored.
Changing numbers reorders (if supported). Some versions support this.
Save and quit applies changes. All renames happen at once.
Useful for batch renaming. Editor features like search/replace available.

-v, --verbose

Verbose output.

Files to edit.

Directory to edit.

EDITOR - Editor to use
VISUAL - Visual editor

Editor shows:

$ 1 file1.txt
2 file2.txt
3 old_name.doc

$ 1 document1.txt
2 document2.txt
3 new_name.doc

Part of moreutils package. Careful with deletions. Test on copies first.

vidir is part of moreutils by Joey Hess. It provides intuitive file renaming using familiar editor interfaces.

qmv(1), rename(1), mmv(1)