Rename your files in a text editor

Sometimes you want to rename a bunch of files. Using your typical file manager would be too slow. A better way is to hand the task off to your favorite text editor. A number of programs do exactly that. They work like this:

  1. You enter a directory.
  2. You run the command.
  3. You edit the filenames as text in your text editor.
  4. You exit the editor and the program renames the files.

This is simple, and simple is good! Really the only hitch is keeping straight all the software choices. So here's an opinionated list.

Ones I like

Ones I didn't try

A final word

Your files are important. Please read the documentation before using any of these. Some of the programs have limitations. Most of them give you the power to delete files. You don't want to make a mistake. Read the documentation.