slugify

slugify is a bash command that converts filenames and directories to a web friendly format.

> slugify

usage: slugify [-acdhintuxv] source_file ...
   -a: remove spaces immediately adjacent to dashes
   -c: consolidate consecutive spaces into single space
   -d: replace spaces with dashes (instead of default underscores)
   -h: help
   -i: ignore case
   -n: dry run
   -t: treat existing dashes as spaces
   -u: treat existing underscores as spaces (useful with -a, -c, or -d)
   -x: remove special characters: ',()[]
   -v: verbose

Why?

MacOS is not case-sensitive, meaning File.txt and file.txt are the same file. However some servers are case sensitive so problems can arise if the file is used for a website.

So, always avoid having filenames differentiated only by capitalisation.

Regarding spaces, they are not allowed in a URL and should also be avoided.

Install

git clone https://github.com/thomd/slugify.git
cd slugify
git submodule init
git submodule update
make test
make install

You may set an alias for your preferred configuration, e.g.:

alias slug="slugify -xca $@"

Usage

Rename files:

slugify My\ \ file.txt                               # my__file.txt
slugify "My  file.txt"                               # my__file.txt
slugify *.txt
slugify "first file.txt" "second file.txt"

Rename directories:

slugify "My Directory"                               # my_directory

Dry run with -n option:

slugify -n *
slugify -n "Ghost File.txt"                          # ghost_file.txt

Consolidate multiple spaces into single space with -c option:

slugify -c "My    consolidated    file.txt"          # my_consolidated_file.txt

Replace spaces with dashes with -d option:

slugify -d "My dashed file.txt"                      # my-dashed-file.txt
slugify -d "My  dashed  file.txt"                    # my--dashed--file.txt
slugify -dc "My  dashed  file.txt"                   # my-dashed-file.txt

Ignore case with -i option:

slugify -i "UPPER CASE FILE.txt"                     # UPPER_CASE_FILE.txt

Remove special characters ', ,, (, ), [ or ] with -x option:

slugify -x "My Files (1).txt"                        # my_files_1.txt

Handle spaces adjacent to dashes with -a option:

slugify "Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"             # beatles_-_yellow_submarine.mp3
slugify -a "Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"          # beatles-yellow_submarine.mp3

slugify -a "Beatles  -  Yellow Submarine.mp3"        # beatles__-__yellow_submarine.mp3
slugify -ac "Beatles  -  Yellow Submarine.mp3"       # beatles-yellow_submarine.mp3

Convert underscores into dashes with -u option:

slugify -ud "Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt"      # spaces-dashes-and-underscores.txt

Convert dashes into underscores with -t option:

slugify -t "Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt"       # spaces_dashes_and_underscores.txt