If you are new to using the Bash shell, you may find yourself needing to remove the last characters from a file name. This could be because you want to rename multiple files at once or because you made a mistake when naming a file and want to correct it. Whatever the reason, there is a shorter way to remove the last characters from a file name using the Bash shell.
To remove the last characters from a file name, you can use the basename command along with the % operator. The basename command is used to strip directory and suffix from file names, and the % operator is used to remove a specified pattern from the end of a string.
Here is the syntax for removing the last characters from a file name using the Bash shell:
$ basename filename %pattern
Let's say you have a file named example.txt and you want to remove the last four characters from its name. You can use the following command:
$ basename example.txt %%.txt
The %%.txt pattern tells the basename command to remove the .txt suffix from the end of the file name. The resulting output will be example.
If you want to remove a different number of characters from the end of the file name, simply adjust the pattern accordingly. For example, if you want to remove the last three characters from a file name, you can use the following command:
$ basename example.txt %%.t
In this case, the output will be example..
It's important to note that the basename command only removes the specified pattern from the end of the file name. If the pattern is not found at the end of the file name, the original file name will be returned unchanged.
In conclusion, the basename command along with the % operator provides a shorter way to remove the last characters from a file name in the Bash shell. By specifying the pattern to remove, you can quickly and easily rename multiple files or correct any mistakes in file names. Remember to adjust the pattern based on the number of characters you want to remove, and be aware that the original file name will be returned unchanged if the pattern is not found at the end of the file name.
References
| Source | Link |
|---|---|
| Bash Documentation | https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/ |
| Linux Documentation Project | https://www.tldp.org/ |