Sort files in folders based on extension

[Carroarmato0]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a script or application that can sort files and put them in different folders based on their extension.

These files are already in folders but mixed with other file types.

The goal is to go into every folder and move every file it encounters into a specified destination based on the extension.

Expl: all .jpeg .png and .gif should be move into the "Pictures" folder.

all .doc .txt should be in "Documents".

[Dixon Bainbridge]

That would be a sweet plug-in for nautilus/thunar/whatever you use.

Put my name on the want to know list. :)

[DJ_Peng]

As K-9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-9_%28Doctor_Who%29) would say, piece of cake, master. In Nautilus, View > Arrange Files > By Type. That should sort your files by the extension.

[Barrucadu]

Ok, this is just a very quick and simple solution I whipped together, but it works. It doesn't quite do what you wanted, but you could modify it, or move the sorted files by hand.

#!/bin/dash

mkdir "$1"

for file in *.$1; do
mv "$file" "$1"
done


Usage: /path/to/the/script.sh filetype
Note: Do not include a dot in the filetype! Just, for example, jpg .

[sisco311]

find /home/username/mixedfiles -type f \( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) -exec cp -i '{}' /home/username/Pictures \;find - command to find files

/home/username/mixedfiles - path to the folder where the mixed files are

-type f - search for files (omit directories)

\( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) - search for jpeg, png and gif files

-exec - execute a command

cp - copy files

-i - interactive (prompt before overwrite)

'{}' - will be replaced by the file name (with path) returned by the search

/home/username/Pictures - destination directory

\; - separate one cp command from the next

[Carroarmato0]

Ok, this is just a very quick and simple solution I whipped together, but it works. It doesn't quite do what you wanted, but you could modify it, or move the sorted files by hand.

#!/bin/dash

mkdir "$1"

for file in *.$1; do
mv "$file" "$1"
done


Usage: /path/to/the/script.sh filetype
Note: Do not include a dot in the filetype! Just, for example, jpg .



find /home/username/mixedfiles -type f \( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) -exec cp -i '{}' /home/username/Pictures \;find - command to find files

/home/username/mixedfiles - path to the folder where the mixed files are

-type f - search for files (omit directories)

\( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) - search for jpeg, png and gif files

-exec - execute a command

cp - copy files

-i - interactive (prompt before overwrite)

'{}' - will be replaced by the file name (with path) returned by the search

/home/username/Pictures - destination directory

\; - separate one cp command from the next


Wow thanks guys.... I'll evaluate which one I'll give a try!

[Carroarmato0]

Code:

find /home/username/mixedfiles -type f \( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) -exec cp -i '{}' /home/username/Pictures \;

find - command to find files

/home/username/mixedfiles - path to the folder where the mixed files are

-type f - search for files (omit directories)

\( -iname '*.jpeg' -o -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.gif' \) - search for jpeg, png and gif files

-exec - execute a command

cp - copy files

-i - interactive (prompt before overwrite)

'{}' - will be replaced by the file name (with path) returned by the search

/home/username/Pictures - destination directory

\; - separate one cp command from the next

Is there an option in FIND to also enter sub-directories? Because these mixed files are also in different folders....

[Carroarmato0]

As K-9 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-9_%28Doctor_Who%29) would say, piece of cake, master. In Nautilus, View > Arrange Files > By Type. That should sort your files by the extension.

Thanks, but I need something more advanced than that. :)

[sisco311]

Is there an option in FIND to also enter sub-directories? Because these mixed files are also in different folders....
find will search automatically in the sub-directories.

[Carroarmato0]

Thank you. As soon as Photorec has recovered my lost files from my other pc's hard drive I'm going to use this command to make life easier for me to reorganize stuff. :)

[sisco311]

Thank you. As soon as Photorec has recovered my lost files from my other pc's hard drive I'm going to use this command to make life easier for me to reorganize stuff. :)
NOTE: The command will copy the files(not move). If you want to move the files replace cp with mv. It's allways a good idea to backup your files.

[Carroarmato0]

NOTE: The command will copy the files(not move). If you want to move the files replace cp with mv. It's allways a good idea to backup your files.

The funny thing is, that the accident happened while making a backup. :D

I was making a backup through nfs and compressing the files as they came over to the other pc.... but because I thought it would take too much time I stopped the process. Little did I know that it was moving the files instead of copying them. And so here I am recovering my whole hard drive.

Note to myself: next time I install another distro I'd better make a separate Home partition to avoid recovering the whole drive! :)

[Akira Takano]

Sorry to post on a dead thread, but I just wanted to say if I had not found this thread, I would be out of the job, as I mistakingly formatted a clients drive in the process of reinstalling Ubuntu 11.04. ):P

[sisco311]

Necrobumping.

Thread closed.

@Akira Takano
You are welcome! ;)