VBScript Find and Replace in File Names – fnfindandreplace.vbs

I have found, lately, that updating file names for large numbers of files to be tedious and time consuming. Lots of times I’ll find myself going through hundreds of files changing the underscore character to space, or removing some tag.

Finding this really annoying and time consuming, I decided to write and share another script with you guys.

I packaged this all up nicely so that you can test what you’re doing before you decide to commit your changes, check for case sensitivity and some other nice features.

I took some functions from from previous articles I wrote and wrapped it all up into one nice script.

Here is the output from the -? switch:

This script must be run with cscript.exe.
Syntax: cscript.exe fnfindandreplace.vbs [options] <StringToFind> <StringToRepla
ce>
Options:
-v = Verbose
-cs = Case Sensitive
-x = Commit
-r = Recursive
-q = Quiet
-? = Displays This Message

As always, questions and comments are welcome!

'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located
'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not
'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent
'of NateRice.com

Dim bVerbose, bCaseSensitive, vReplaceCount, bCommit, vFileCount
Dim bRecursive, bQuiet, sFind, sReplace, bError

Set oArgs = Wscript.Arguments

Dim aArgs()
ReDim aArgs(oArgs.Count)
x = 0
Do Until x = oArgs.Count
  aArgs(x) = oArgs(x)
  x=x+1
Loop

bError = False

bCaseSensitive = False
bVerbose = False
bCommit = False
bRecursive = False
bQuiet = False

For Each sOption In aArgs

  If Left(sOption, 1) = "-" OR Left(sOption, 1) = "/" Then
    ' Options
    ' -v = Verbose
    ' -cs = Case Sensitive
    ' -x = Commit
    ' -r = Recursive
    ' -q = Quiet

    If sOption = "-v" Then
      bVerbose = True
    ElseIf sOption = "-cs" Then
      bCaseSensitive = True
    ElseIf sOption = "-x" Then
      bCommit = True
    ElseIf sOption = "-r" Then
      bRecursive = True
    ElseIf sOption = "-q" Then
      bQuiet = True
    ElseIf sOption = "-?" Then
      ErrorHandler 2, ""
      bError = True
    End If
  Else
    If len(sFind) = 0 Then
      sFind = sOption
    ElseIf len(sOption) > 0 And len(sFind) > 0 And len(sReplace) = 0 Then
      sReplace = sOption
    End If
  End If
Next

If (len(sFind) = 0 Or len(sReplace) = 0) And Not bError Then
  ErrorHandler 3, ""
  bError = True
End If


vFileCount = 0
vReplaceCount = 0


If CheckInterpreter And Not bError Then
  If Not bQuiet OR bVerbose Then
    Wscript.Echo "Find: " & sFind
    Wscript.Echo "Replace: " & sReplace
    Wscript.Echo ""
  End If

  FileFindAndReplace sFind, sReplace, "", bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive

  If Not bQuiet OR bVerbose Then
    Wscript.Echo "Matches: " & vReplaceCount & " of " & vFileCount
    Wscript.Echo "Commit: " & bCommit
    Wscript.Echo "CaseSensitive: " & bCaseSensitive
    Wscript.Echo "Recursive: " & bRecursive
  End If
ElseIf Not bError Then
  ErrorHandler 2, ""
End If

Sub FileFindAndReplace(sFind, sReplace, sFolder, bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive)
  'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located
  'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not
  'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent
  'of NateRice.com

  If bCaseSensitive Then
    bCS = 0
  Else
    bCS = 1
  End If

  Set oFARShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")
  sCurrentDirectory = oFARShell.CurrentDirectory & "\"
  Set oFARShell = Nothing
  
  If len(sFolder) = 0 Then
    sFolder = sCurrentDirectory  
  End If
  
  Set oFARFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
  
  If Not oFARFSO.FolderExists(sFolder) Then
    ErrorHandler 1, sFolder
    Exit Sub
  End If
  
  Set oFARWorkingFolder = oFARFSO.GetFolder(sFolder)
  Set oFARFiles = oFARWorkingFolder.Files
  
  If bVerbose Then Wscript.Echo "Folder: " & sFolder & " - NumFiles: " & oFARFiles.Count
  
  For Each oFARFile In oFARFiles
    sFARFileName = oFARFile.Name
  
    If InStr(1, sFARFileName, sFind, bCS) > 0 Then
      If bVerbose Then Wscript.Echo " - " & sFARFileName & " -> " & Replace(sFARFileName, sFind, sReplace, 1, -1, bCS)
      
      vReplaceCount = vReplaceCount + 1
      
      If bCommit Then
        oFARFile.Name = Replace(sFARFileName, sFind, sReplace, 1, -1, bCS)
      End If
    End If
    
    vFileCount = vFileCount + 1
  Next
  
  If bRecursive Then
    For Each oFARSubFolder In oFARWorkingFolder.SubFolders
      FileFindAndReplace sFind, sReplace, oFARSubFolder.Path, bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive
  
    Next
  End If
End Sub

Function CheckInterpreter
  'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located
  'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not
  'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent
  'of NateRice.com
  'Checks to see if we should display error messages.
  'If running under cscript echoing errors to shell is ok.
  'If running under wscript echoing is NOT ok because
  'echoing errors will pause execution of the script.

  sScriptHost = LCase(Wscript.FullName)

  If Right(sScriptHost, 11) = "wscript.exe" Then
    CheckInterpreter = False
  Else
    CheckInterpreter = True
  End If
End Function

Sub ErrorHandler(vErrorNumber, sDescription)
  Select Case vErrorNumber
    Case 1
      Wscript.Echo "The file or folder passed was not found: " & sDescription
    Case 2
      Wscript.Echo "This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located" & vbCRLF & _
      "at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not" & vbCRLF & _
      "be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent" & vbCRLF & _
      "of NateRice.com" & vbCRLF & _
      "" & vbCRLF & _
      "This script must be run with cscript.exe." & vbCRLF & _
      "Syntax: cscript.exe fnfindandreplace.vbs [options] <StringToFind> <StringToReplace>" & vbCRLF & _
      "Options: " & vbCRLF & _
      "         -v = Verbose" & vbCRLF & _
      "         -cs = Case Sensitive" & vbCRLF & _
      "         -x = Commit" & vbCRLF & _
      "         -r = Recursive" & vbCRLF & _
      "         -q = Quiet" & vbCRLF & _
      "         -? = Displays This Message"
    Case 3
      Wscript.Echo "The arguements for find and replace were not found." & vbCRLF & _
      "   Find: " & sFind & vbCRLF & _
      "   Replace: " & sReplace
  End Select
End Sub

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'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located

'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not

'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent

'of NateRice.com

Dim bVerbose, bCaseSensitive, vReplaceCount, bCommit, vFileCount

Dim bRecursive, bQuiet, sFind, sReplace, bError

Set oArgs = Wscript.Arguments

Dim aArgs()

ReDim aArgs(oArgs.Count)

x = 0

Do Until x = oArgs.Count

aArgs(x) = oArgs(x)

x=x+1

Loop

bError = False

bCaseSensitive = False

bVerbose = False

bCommit = False

bRecursive = False

bQuiet = False

For Each sOption In aArgs

If Left(sOption, 1) = "-" OR Left(sOption, 1) = "/" Then

' Options

' -v = Verbose

' -cs = Case Sensitive

' -x = Commit

' -r = Recursive

' -q = Quiet

If sOption = "-v" Then

bVerbose = True

ElseIf sOption = "-cs" Then

bCaseSensitive = True

ElseIf sOption = "-x" Then

bCommit = True

ElseIf sOption = "-r" Then

bRecursive = True

ElseIf sOption = "-q" Then

bQuiet = True

ElseIf sOption = "-?" Then

ErrorHandler 2, ""

bError = True

End If

Else

If len(sFind) = 0 Then

sFind = sOption

ElseIf len(sOption) > 0 And len(sFind) > 0 And len(sReplace) = 0 Then

sReplace = sOption

End If

If (len(sFind) = 0 Or len(sReplace) = 0) And Not bError Then

ErrorHandler 3, ""

bError = True

End If

vFileCount = 0

vReplaceCount = 0

If CheckInterpreter And Not bError Then

If Not bQuiet OR bVerbose Then

Wscript.Echo "Find: " & sFind

Wscript.Echo "Replace: " & sReplace

Wscript.Echo ""

End If

FileFindAndReplace sFind, sReplace, "", bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive

If Not bQuiet OR bVerbose Then

Wscript.Echo "Matches: " & vReplaceCount & " of " & vFileCount

Wscript.Echo "Commit: " & bCommit

Wscript.Echo "CaseSensitive: " & bCaseSensitive

Wscript.Echo "Recursive: " & bRecursive

End If

ElseIf Not bError Then

ErrorHandler 2, ""

End If

Sub FileFindAndReplace(sFind, sReplace, sFolder, bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive)

'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located

'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not

'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent

'of NateRice.com

If bCaseSensitive Then

bCS = 0

Else

bCS = 1

End If

Set oFARShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

sCurrentDirectory = oFARShell.CurrentDirectory & "\"

Set oFARShell = Nothing

If len(sFolder) = 0 Then

sFolder = sCurrentDirectory

End If

Set oFARFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

If Not oFARFSO.FolderExists(sFolder) Then

ErrorHandler 1, sFolder

Exit Sub

End If

Set oFARWorkingFolder = oFARFSO.GetFolder(sFolder)

Set oFARFiles = oFARWorkingFolder.Files

If bVerbose Then Wscript.Echo "Folder: " & sFolder & " - NumFiles: " & oFARFiles.Count

For Each oFARFile In oFARFiles

sFARFileName = oFARFile.Name

If InStr(1, sFARFileName, sFind, bCS) > 0 Then

If bVerbose Then Wscript.Echo " - " & sFARFileName & " -> " & Replace(sFARFileName, sFind, sReplace, 1, -1, bCS)

vReplaceCount = vReplaceCount + 1

If bCommit Then

oFARFile.Name = Replace(sFARFileName, sFind, sReplace, 1, -1, bCS)

End If

vFileCount = vFileCount + 1

If bRecursive Then

For Each oFARSubFolder In oFARWorkingFolder.SubFolders

FileFindAndReplace sFind, sReplace, oFARSubFolder.Path, bRecursive, bCommit, bCaseSensitive

End If

End Sub

Function CheckInterpreter

'This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located

'at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not

'be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent

'of NateRice.com

'Checks to see if we should display error messages.

'If running under cscript echoing errors to shell is ok.

'If running under wscript echoing is NOT ok because

'echoing errors will pause execution of the script.

sScriptHost = LCase(Wscript.FullName)

If Right(sScriptHost, 11) = "wscript.exe" Then

CheckInterpreter = False

Else

CheckInterpreter = True

End If

End Function

Sub ErrorHandler(vErrorNumber, sDescription)

Select Case vErrorNumber

Case 1

Wscript.Echo "The file or folder passed was not found: " & sDescription

Case 2

Wscript.Echo "This script is provided under the Creative Commons license located" & vbCRLF & _

"at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ . It may not" & vbCRLF & _

"be used for commercial purposes with out the expressed written consent" & vbCRLF & _

"of NateRice.com" & vbCRLF & _

"" & vbCRLF & _

"This script must be run with cscript.exe." & vbCRLF & _

"Syntax: cscript.exe fnfindandreplace.vbs [options] <StringToFind> <StringToReplace>" & vbCRLF & _

"Options: " & vbCRLF & _

" -v = Verbose" & vbCRLF & _

" -cs = Case Sensitive" & vbCRLF & _

" -x = Commit" & vbCRLF & _

" -r = Recursive" & vbCRLF & _

" -q = Quiet" & vbCRLF & _

" -? = Displays This Message"

Case 3

Wscript.Echo "The arguements for find and replace were not found." & vbCRLF & _

" Find: " & sFind & vbCRLF & _

" Replace: " & sReplace

End Select

End Sub

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