Python Program to Rename a File

Introduction

Renaming a file is a common task in file management. Python provides a simple way to rename files using the os module, which contains functions to interact with the operating system. This tutorial will guide you through creating a Python program that renames a specified file.

Example:

• Original File Name: old_name.txt
• New File Name: new_name.txt
• Program Output:

  File 'old_name.txt' has been renamed to 'new_name.txt'.
  

  or

  The file 'old_name.txt' does not exist.
  

Problem Statement

Create a Python program that:

• Checks if a specified file exists.
• Renames the file to a new name.
• Displays a confirmation message after the file is renamed.
• Handles cases where the file does not exist or cannot be renamed.

Solution Steps

1. Import the os Module: The os module provides the necessary functions to interact with the operating system.
2. Specify the Old and New File Names: Provide the current name of the file and the new name to rename it to.
3. Check if the File Exists: Use the os.path.exists() function to check if the file exists.
4. Rename the File: Use the os.rename() function to rename the file if it exists.
5. Handle Exceptions: Use try-except blocks to handle errors, such as the file not existing or permission issues.

Python Program

# Python Program to Rename a File
# Author: https://www.rameshfadatare.com/

import os  # Step 1: Import the os module

# Step 2: Specify the old and new file names
old_file_name = "old_name.txt"
new_file_name = "new_name.txt"

# Step 3: Check if the old file exists
if os.path.exists(old_file_name):
    try:
        # Step 4: Rename the file
        os.rename(old_file_name, new_file_name)
        print(f"File '{old_file_name}' has been renamed to '{new_file_name}'.")
    except OSError as e:
        print(f"Error: {e.strerror}.")
else:
    # Step 5: Handle the case where the file does not exist
    print(f"The file '{old_file_name}' does not exist.")

Explanation

Step 1: Import the os Module

• The os module is imported to provide access to operating system-dependent functionality. In this case, it’s used for file operations such as renaming.

Step 2: Specify the Old and New File Names

• The variables old_file_name and new_file_name are assigned the current name of the file and the new name, respectively. Make sure the old file exists in the same directory as the Python script, or provide the full path to the file.

Step 3: Check if the Old File Exists

• The os.path.exists() function checks whether the specified file exists. It returns True if the file exists, and False otherwise.

Step 4: Rename the File

• If the file exists, the os.rename() function is used to rename the file. A confirmation message is printed after successful renaming.

Step 5: Handle Exceptions

• The program uses try-except blocks to handle potential errors, such as permission issues or other OSError exceptions that might occur during file renaming.
• If the file does not exist, a message is displayed informing the user.

Output Example

Example Output (File Exists and is Renamed):

File 'old_name.txt' has been renamed to 'new_name.txt'.

Example Output (File Does Not Exist):

The file 'old_name.txt' does not exist.

Example Output (File Exists but Cannot Be Renamed):

Error: Permission denied.

Additional Examples

Example 1: Attempting to Rename a File with Insufficient Permissions

# Attempting to rename a file with insufficient permissions
old_file_name = "protected_file.txt"
new_file_name = "new_protected_file.txt"

if os.path.exists(old_file_name):
    try:
        os.rename(old_file_name, new_file_name)
        print(f"File '{old_file_name}' has been renamed to '{new_file_name}'.")
    except OSError as e:
        print(f"Error: {e.strerror}.")
else:
    print(f"The file '{old_file_name}' does not exist.")

Output:

Error: Permission denied.

• This output occurs if the program tries to rename a file that the user doesn’t have permission to modify.

Example 2: Renaming Multiple Files

# Renaming multiple files in a list
files_to_rename = {
    "file1.txt": "new_file1.txt",
    "file2.txt": "new_file2.txt",
    "file3.txt": "new_file3.txt"
}

for old_name, new_name in files_to_rename.items():
    if os.path.exists(old_name):
        try:
            os.rename(old_name, new_name)
            print(f"File '{old_name}' has been renamed to '{new_name}'.")
        except OSError as e:
            print(f"Error: {e.strerror} while renaming '{old_name}'.")
    else:
        print(f"The file '{old_name}' does not exist.")

Output:

• The program attempts to rename each file in the dictionary, providing feedback on whether each file was renamed or if it did not exist.

Example 3: Renaming a File with a Full Path

# Renaming a file with a full path
old_file_name = "/path/to/your/file/old_name.txt"
new_file_name = "/path/to/your/file/new_name.txt"

if os.path.exists(old_file_name):
    try:
        os.rename(old_file_name, new_file_name)
        print(f"File '{old_file_name}' has been renamed to '{new_file_name}'.")
    except OSError as e:
        print(f"Error: {e.strerror}.")
else:
    print(f"The file '{old_file_name}' does not exist.")

Output:

File '/path/to/your/file/old_name.txt' has been renamed to '/path/to/your/file/new_name.txt'.

• This example demonstrates how to rename a file using its full path.

Conclusion

This Python program demonstrates how to rename a file using the os.rename() function, with exception handling to manage errors such as non-existent files or permission issues. Understanding how to rename files programmatically is essential for tasks involving file management, organizing data, or automating system maintenance tasks in Python.