BATCH(1) General Commands Manual BATCH(1)

batch — A tool for batch processing using your favorite text editor.

batch [switches] [--] [arguments]

batch is a tool that takes a list of items, lets you edit the list in your favorite text editor, then generates a shell script to batch process unchanged items, renamed items, and deleted items. You can edit the script to add your own logic for how to process each kind of item, and then run it.

By default, the batch utility reads a list of items from standard input and writes unchanged items, renamed items, and deleted items to standard output.

In addition to interactive use, you can supply shell script fragments to automate the editing and batch processing stages.

Run the following in your terminal.

batch *

The above is equivalent to:

ls | batch

This command opens the directory contents in an external editor.

Alternatively, enter batch in your terminal, paste the following text and hit ‘Control+D’.

Star Platinum.png
Magician's Red.png
Hermit Purple.png
Hierophant Green.png
Silver Chariot.png
The Fool.png

You can also create these files with the ‘batch -E -p touch’ command.

After you edit and save the file, it will generate a shell script which does the specified actions according to the changes you did in the file.

Edited file:

star-platinum.png

hermit-purple.png

silver-chariot.png

Generated shell script:

# This file will be executed when you close the editor.
# Please double-check everything, clear the file to abort.

# Action on unchanged items.
pick() {
  echo "$1"
}

# Action on modified items.
map() {
  echo "$1" "$2"
}
map 'Star Platinum.png' 'star-platinum.png'
map 'Hermit Purple.png' 'hermit-purple.png'
map 'Silver Chariot.png' 'silver-chariot.png'

# Action on deleted items.
drop() {
  echo "$1"
}
drop 'Magician'"'"'s Red.png'
drop 'Hierophant Green.png'
drop 'The Fool.png'

This shell script is opened in an editor for you to review. After you close it, it will be executed.

By default, batch uses whatever you’ve set as your default text editor via one of the VISUAL or EDITOR environment variables, or else falls back to the vi(1) editor to process items.

To change that default to something else, you can use the --editor option:

batch -e vim

Now, no matter what is set as your default shell editor, batch will fire up vim(1) to process items.

batch lets you apply external filters—such as tr(1), sed(1) or awk(1)—before invoking the editor:

batch -f 'sed "s/ /-/g"'

This option can be used to ease your editing.

Combined with the --no-edit flag, batch can be fully automated:

batch -f 'sed "s/ /-/g"' -E -m 'echo mv -vi --'

Finally, you might want to specify a shell script for your actions:

batch -M 'mkdir -vp -- "$(dirname -- "$2")" && mv -vi -- "$1" "$2"'

This command allows you to automatically create the destination directory when renaming files.

Depending on my situation here are the tools I use:

Since batch does not try to load config files from a specific folder at startup, the best way to emulate this is by creating an alias in your shell profile.

Here is my personal configuration:

# interactive mv
imv() {
  batch -e 'kak' -f 'iconv -f "UTF-8" -t "ASCII//TRANSLIT//IGNORE"' -f 'tr "A-Z" "a-z"' -f 'tr -s " '"'"'" "-"' -f 'tr -d "!,?"' -p ':' -M 'mkdir -vp -- "$(dirname -- "$2")" && mv -vi -- "$1" "$2"' -d 'rm -vi --' "$@"
}

# graphical mv
xmv() {
  nnn -p - | imv "$@"
}

Process files in the current working directory.

batch *

Process files from ‘argv’.

batch *.png

Process files from stdin.

find . -type f | batch

The options are as follows:

command, --pick-command=command
Specifies the command to run on unchanged items.

Default is echo(1).

command, --map-command=command
Specifies the command to run on modified items.

Default is echo(1).

command, --drop-command=command
Specifies the command to run on deleted items.

Default is echo(1).

command, --pick-shell-script=command
Specifies the shell script to run on unchanged items.
command, --map-shell-script=command
Specifies the shell script to run on modified items.
command, --drop-shell-script=command
Specifies the shell script to run on deleted items.
command, --editor=command
Specifies the editor to use.

The order of preference is the VISUAL environment variable, then the EDITOR environment variable, and then the default chosen at compile time, which is usually vi(1).

command, --filter=command
Adds a filter (repeatable).
, --no-edit
Do not open editor.
Do not pick items.
Do not map items.
Do not drop items.
-
Read items from stdin.
, --help
Show this help.
, --version
Show version.

The following environment variables have an effect on batch.

, EDITOR
Configures the default text editor.

Report bugs on the
issue tracker,
ask questions on the
IRC channel,
send patches on the
mailing list.

Mathieu Ablasou <taupiqueur.kanto@gmail.com>

March 26, 2022