
Writing a data management plan: batch renaming of automatically generated files
Although all operating systems have in-built tools for managing files, there are software tools that can organise research data files and folders in a consistent and automated way through batch renaming (also known as mass file renaming, bulk renaming). Batch renaming software exists for most operating systems.
There are many situations where batch renaming may be useful, such as:
- where images from digital cameras are automatically assigned base filenames consisting of sequential numbers
- where proprietary software or instrumentation generate crude, default or multiple filenames
- where files are transferred from a system that supports spaces and/or non-English characters in filenames to one that doesn't (or vice versa). Batch renaming software can be used to substitute such characters with acceptable ones.