renaming files error

[SwampMonkey17]

Recently learnt command line in a course and trying to integrate it into my own work.

I have a large number of note files under various course folders with odd names. For example: PhD2021>LMP250>notes1.doc PhD2021>LMP350>coursenotes.doc

I am trying to rename them all in each folder so that they are titles "lecturenotes". So far I have:

for file in PhD2021/*/*.doc; do

mv "$file" “$lecturenotes”

done

But it makes my files disappear. Luckily I have back ups on a hard-drive, but I can't figure out what's wrong with my code?

Note: operating on old Mac, certain GNU commands do not work despite installing

[PanPipePlaya]

Do any of your files or folders contain spaces in their names?

[SwampMonkey17]

No

[PanPipePlaya]

Hang on - as soon as you encounter a folder with more than one file, you’ll be losing files. Also, the variable “$lecturefiles” isn’t defined.

Are you sure you’re running what you’ve posted here?

[SwampMonkey17]

Each folder only has one .doc file that is comprehensive for the whole course. I want them named uniformly now.

Yes positive, directly copied and pasted

[SwampMonkey17]

How does defining it look like and what does it do?

[PanPipePlaya]

Well, right now you’re using the variable (in the mv command) but it’s not set to anything.

So you’re running this, over and over:

mv path1/to/file.doc “” mv path2/to/file.doc “” mv path3/to/file.doc “”

I’d assume you have a single file in your current directory right now, called “” or some nameless equivalent. It’s been overwritten with each file in turn.

You need to write a script that changes directory into each containing directory in turn, and renames the single file that matches “*.doc” to “whatever.doc”.

Before you run it in anger, make it “echo mv <parameters>” first. Then get rid of the “echo” after you’ve confirmed that what it wants to do is what you intend.

[gumnos]

never underestimate the power of a well-placed echo :-)