Filename and Path Variables

Filename and path variables are essential when you want to reference elements of the original file's location during a renaming operation. These variables allow you to extract the filename, directory structure, and extension of each file or directory being processed.

1. The Original Filename — {f}

{f} refers to the original filename without its extension. This variable allows you to retain or modify the base name of the file while excluding the file type (extension).

Example: For a file named document.txt, {f} would output document.

2. The Original File Extension — {ext}

{ext} denotes the file extension, including the period. It is useful when you want to retain or alter the file type as part of the renaming operation. You can also use {2ext} to includes multiple levels in the extension (useful for files with compound extensions, like archives).

Examples:

• For document.txt, {ext} would output .txt.
• For document.tar.gz, {2ext} would output .tar.gz.

3. A Parent Directory — {p}

{p} represents a directory within the file's path. By default, {p} refers to the immediate parent directory of the file. You can prefix {p} with a number to access higher-level directories in the path.

Example: If the file path is /home/user/projects/docs/file.txt, {p} (or {1p}) would give docs, {2p} would give projects, and so on.

Special Considerations for Directories

Since directories do not have file extensions, {f} will correspond to the full directory name, and {ext} will always be an empty string, regardless of whether the directory name contains periods.

Example: For a directory named backup.folder, {f} would return backup.folder, and {ext} would return an empty string.

Usage Examples

1. Basic Renaming

To rename files by combining the parent directory, filename, and extension:

f2 -r "{p}_{f}{ext}"

This command will rename a file located at /home/user/docs/document.txt to:

docs_document.txt

2. Accessing Higher-Level Directories

If you want to incorporate the name of a directory two levels up in the file's path:

f2 -r "{2p}_{f}{ext}"

For a file located at /home/user/projects/docs/file.txt, this would produce:

projects_file.txt

3. Customizing File Extensions

You can change the file extension while preserving the original filename:

f2 -r "{f}.bak"

For document.txt, the output would be:

document.bak