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Reverting a Renaming Operation ​

F2 makes it straightforward to undo a renaming operation, ensuring that if mistakes were made, they can be easily corrected.

A backup file is automatically generated for each renaming task, allowing for a smooth reversion process. This backup is stored in a platform-specific directory and can be used to restore the original filenames.

Backup File Locations ​

After each renaming operation, a backup file is created in the following locations depending on the operating system:

  • Linux: ~/.local/share/f2/backups
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/f2/backups
  • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\f2\backups

The backup file is automatically named based on the directory where the operation was performed, ensuring it is easily identifiable.

Example Renaming Operation ​

This command below renames a series of image files with zero-padded numbers:

bash
f2 -f '.*' -r "unsplash-image-%03d" -e

Output:

text
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
| ORIGINAL                                          | RENAMED                | STATUS |
| *********************************************************************************** |
| kevin-wong-tt7aK2yV7xo-unsplash.jpg               | unsplash-image-001.jpg | ok     |
| nathan-anderson-7TGVEgcTKlY-unsplash.jpg          | unsplash-image-002.jpg | ok     |
| photo-1434907652076-85f8401482c3.jpg              | unsplash-image-003.jpg | ok     |
| photo-1510272839903-5112a2e44bc6.jpg              | unsplash-image-004.jpg | ok     |
| photo-1521579971123-1192931a1452.jpg              | unsplash-image-005.jpg | ok     |
| samuele-errico-piccarini-t4OxCpKie70-unsplash.jpg | unsplash-image-006.jpg | ok     |
| valentin-salja-VMroCCpP648-unsplash.jpg           | unsplash-image-007.jpg | ok     |
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Once this operation is performed, a backup file is automatically created:

bash
ls /tmp/f2/backups # On Linux

The backup file is an MD5 hash of the absolute path for the current working directory:

text
2b24e38a2a6ba0ee9023bc9b4c2efc19.json

This JSON backup file contains the mapping of the original filenames to their renamed versions, which allows the operation to be undone later.

Reverting the Renaming Operation ​

To revert the renaming operation, use the --undo or -u flag. Note that you must run the undo command in the same directory where the renaming took place.

You can perform a dry-run first to preview the changes before executing the actual reversion:

bash
f2 -u # dry-run

Output:

text
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
| ORIGINAL               | RENAMED                                           | STATUS |
| *********************************************************************************** |
| unsplash-image-007.jpg | valentin-salja-VMroCCpP648-unsplash.jpg           | ok     |
| unsplash-image-006.jpg | samuele-errico-piccarini-t4OxCpKie70-unsplash.jpg | ok     |
| unsplash-image-005.jpg | photo-1521579971123-1192931a1452.jpg              | ok     |
| unsplash-image-004.jpg | photo-1510272839903-5112a2e44bc6.jpg              | ok     |
| unsplash-image-003.jpg | photo-1434907652076-85f8401482c3.jpg              | ok     |
| unsplash-image-002.jpg | nathan-anderson-7TGVEgcTKlY-unsplash.jpg          | ok     |
| unsplash-image-001.jpg | kevin-wong-tt7aK2yV7xo-unsplash.jpg               | ok     |
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

To actually revert the renaming operation, use:

text
f2 -ux

This command will revert the changes and delete the backup file after a successful reversion.

Important Notes ​

  • The backup file is tied to the directory where the operation was executed. Each time you rename files in that directory, the backup is overwritten.

  • In the case of CSV files, the backup file is tied to the directory of the CSV file not the current working directory.

  • The backup file is automatically deleted after the reversion is successfully completed. If there's an error, the backup file will be retained.

  • If there are errors during the renaming process, a backup file is still created to assist in recovering from the failure. See recovering from failures for more details.

  • If any of the renamed files are altered by another program between the renaming and the reversion, F2 may be unable to revert those files and you will likely see a source not found conflict.

  • Any directories created during a renaming operation will remain intact after a reversion and must be remove manually. Undo does not support --clean at this time.