Renaming XML Files in a Directory with Python

Discover how to easily rename multiple XML files in a directory using Python. Follow our structured guide to streamline your file management process!
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/69285278/ asked by the user 'John' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6410157/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/69285504/ provided by the user 'Sangeerththan Balachandran' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/9538584/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Rename all xml files within a given directory with Python

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Renaming XML Files in a Directory with Python: A Step-by-Step Guide

Managing files, especially in bulk, can be a tedious task, especially when it comes to renaming them. If you're working with XML files that have long, unwieldy names, you might be looking for a way to streamline the renaming process. In this guide, we'll explore a straightforward solution to rename XML files so that only the essential parts remain.

Understanding the Problem

Imagine you have multiple XML files with names like:

First_ExampleXML_Only_This_Should_Be_Name_20211234567+ 1234565.xml

Second_ExampleXML_OnlyThisShouldBeName_202156789+ 55684894.xml

Third_ExampleXML_Only_This_Should_Be_Name1_2021445678+ 6963696.xml

Fourth_ExampleXML_Only_This_Should_Be_Name2_20214567+ 696656.xml

Your goal is to rename these files to something much cleaner and more usable:

Only_This_Should_Be_Name.xml

OnlyThisShouldBeName.xml

Only_This_Should_Be_Name1.xml

Only_This_Should_Be_Name2.xml

The challenge here is to strip away unnecessary parts of the filename while retaining the core name that you want.

The Solution

To achieve this, you can leverage Python's file handling capabilities. Below, we provide a Python script that will help you rename your XML files effectively.

Here’s How to Do It:

Import the Required Libraries: First, you'll need to import the os module, which allows you to interact with the operating system and manipulate files.

List the Files in the Directory: Use the os.listdir() function to get a list of all the files in your current directory.

Loop Through the List: For each file, check if it ends with the .xml extension.

Split and Rename the Files:

Split the filename by underscores _.

Select the desired parts from the split list that you want to keep.

Rename the file using os.rename().

Sample Code

Here’s how your script will look:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Code

os.listdir('.'): Gets a list of all files in the current directory.

if fname.endswith('.xml'):: Filters to process only XML files.

fname.split("_")[2:-1]: Splits the filename by underscores and selects everything from the second until the second-to-last part of the list.

'_'.join(...): Joins the selected parts back into a single string, separated by underscores.

os.rename(fname, newName + ".xml"): Renames the file to the new name with the .xml extension.

Summary

By using this Python script, you can efficiently rename all your XML files in a specified directory, retaining only the essential parts of the filename. This process not only saves time but also ensures better organization of your files, making them easier to manage.

Whether you're a seasoned programmer or a beginner, Python makes file manipulation simple and efficient. Happy coding!