Changes all or part of a file specification of an existing disk
file or disk directory.
Format
RENAME input-filespec[,...] output-filespec
1 – Parameters
input-filespec[,...]
Specifies the name of one or more files whose specifications
are to be changed. The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%)
wildcard characters are allowed in the directory specification,
file name, file type, or version number fields of the file
specification. When wildcard characters are used, all files whose
specifications satisfy the wildcard fields are renamed. If an
input file specification is a symbolic link, the symbolic link
itself is renamed. If the output file specification is a symbolic
link, the operation fails.
output-filespec
Provides the new file specification to be applied to the input
file. The RENAME command uses the device, directory, file name,
and file type of the input file as defaults for fields in the
output file that are either unspecified, or are indicated by
the asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters.
Wildcard characters in corresponding fields of the input and
output file specification result in multiple rename operations.
The RENAME command supplies output file version numbers in the
following ways:
o If the output file specification contains an explicit version
number, that version number is used.
o If the output file specification contains an asterisk (*) or
a percent sign (%) wildcard character as the version number,
the version number of the input file is used.
o If the input file specification contains an asterisk (*) or
a percent sign (%) wildcard character as the version number,
the version number of each input file names a corresponding
output file.
o If no file exists with the same file name and type as the
output file, the new file is assigned a version number of 1.
o If a file already exists with the same file name and type
as the output file, the next higher version number is used
(unless the /NONEWVERSION qualifier is specified).
2 – Qualifiers
2.1 /BACKUP
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the
/SINCE qualifier. The /BACKUP qualifier selects files according
to the dates of their most recent backups. This qualifier
is incompatible with the /CREATED, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED
qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according
to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time
qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.
2.2 /BEFORE
/BEFORE[=time]
Selects only those files dated prior to the specified time. You
can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of absolute
and delta times, or as one of the following keywords: BOOT,
LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY. Specify one of
the following qualifiers with the /BEFORE qualifier to indicate
the time attribute to be used as the basis for selection:
/BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.
For complete information on specifying time values, see the
OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.
2.3 /BY_OWNER
/BY_OWNER[=uic]
Selects only those files whose owner user identification code
(UIC) matches the specified owner UIC. The default UIC is that of
the current process.
Specify the UIC by using standard UIC format as described in the
VSI OpenVMS Guide to System Security.
2.4 /CONFIRM
/CONFIRM
/NOCONFIRM (default)
Controls whether a request is issued before each rename operation
to confirm that the operation should be performed on that file.
The following responses are valid:
YES NO QUIT
TRUE FALSE Ctrl/Z
1 0 ALL
<Return>
You can use any combination of uppercase and lowercase letters
for word responses. Word responses can be abbreviated to one or
more letters (for example, T, TR, or TRU for TRUE), but these
abbreviations must be unique. Affirmative answers are YES, TRUE,
and 1. Negative answers include: NO, FALSE, 0, and pressing
Return. Entering QUIT or pressing Ctrl/Z indicates that you want
to stop processing the command at that point. When you respond by
entering ALL, the command continues to process, but no further
prompts are given. If you type a response other than one of
those in the list, DCL issues an error message and redisplays
the prompt.
2.5 /CREATED
/CREATED (default)
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /CREATED qualifier selects files based on their
dates of creation. This qualifier is incompatible with the
/BACKUP, /EXPIRED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also allow
you to select files according to time attributes. If you specify
none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the /CREATED
qualifier.
2.6 /EXCLUDE
/EXCLUDE=(filespec[,...])
Excludes the specified files from the rename operation. You can
include a directory but not a device in the file specification.
The asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters
are allowed in the file specification; however, you cannot use
relative version numbers to exclude a specific version. If you
specify only one file, you can omit the parentheses.
2.7 /EXPIRED
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /EXPIRED qualifier selects files according to
their expiration dates. (The expiration date is set with the SET
FILE/EXPIRATION_DATE command.) This qualifier is incompatible
with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /MODIFIED qualifiers, which also
allow you to select files according to time attributes. If you
specify none of these four time qualifiers, the default is the
/CREATED qualifier.
2.8 /INHERIT_SECURITY
/INHERIT_SECURITY
/NOINHERIT_SECURITY (default)
Controls whether the security profile (UIC, protection code, and
ACL) of the renamed file is altered. If you specify /INHERIT_
SECURITY, a new security profile is generated, as if a new file
had been created with the new file and directory names. See the
VSI OpenVMS Guide to System Security or online help (Hints topic)
for a description of how a profile is assigned.
2.9 /LOG
/LOG
/NOLOG (default)
Displays the file specification of each file as it is renamed.
2.10 /MODIFIED
Modifies the time value specified with the /BEFORE or the /SINCE
qualifier. The /MODIFIED qualifier selects files according to
the dates on which they were last modified. This qualifier
is incompatible with the /BACKUP, /CREATED, and /EXPIRED
qualifiers, which also allow you to select files according
to time attributes. If you specify none of these four time
modifiers, the default is the /CREATED qualifier.
2.11 /NEW_VERSION
/NEW_VERSION (default)
/NONEW_VERSION
Assigns a new version number if an output file specification
is the same as that of an existing file. The /NONEW_VERSION
qualifier displays an error message if an output file
specification is the same as that of an existing file. The
asterisk (*) and the percent sign (%) wildcard characters
appearing in the version field of an input or output file
overrides these qualifiers.
2.12 /SINCE
/SINCE[=time]
Selects only those files dated on or after the specified time.
You can specify time as absolute time, as a combination of
absolute and delta times, or as one of the following keywords:
BOOT, JOB_LOGIN, LOGIN, TODAY (default), TOMORROW, or YESTERDAY.
Specify one of the following qualifiers with the /SINCE qualifier
to indicate the time attribute to be used as the basis for
selection: /BACKUP, /CREATED (default), /EXPIRED, or /MODIFIED.
For complete information on specifying time values, see the
OpenVMS User's Manual or the online help topic Date.
2.13 /STYLE
/STYLE=keyword
Specifies the file name format for display purposes.
The valid keywords for this qualifier are CONDENSED and EXPANDED.
Descriptions are as follows:
Keyword Explanation
CONDENSED Displays the file name representation of what is
(default) generated to fit into a 255-length character string.
This file name may contain a DID or FID abbreviation
in the file specification.
EXPANDED Displays the file name representation of what is
stored on disk. This file name does not contain any
DID or FID abbreviations.
The keywords CONDENSED and EXPANDED are mutually exclusive. This
qualifier specifies which file name format is displayed in the
output message, along with the confirmation if requested.
File errors are displayed with the CONDENSED file specification
unless the EXPANDED keyword is specified.
See the OpenVMS User's Manual for more information.
2.14 /SYMLINK
/SYMLINK=keyword
The valid keywords for this qualifier are [NO]WILDCARD and
[NO]ELLIPSIS. Descriptions are as follows:
Keyword Explanation
WILDCARD Indicates that symlinks are enabled during wildcard
searches.
NOWILDCARD Indicates that symlinks are disabled during directory
wildcard searches.
ELLIPSIS Equivalent to WILDCARD (included for command
symmetry).
NOELLIPSIS Indicates that symlinks are matched for all wildcard
fields except for ellipsis.
If the file named in the RENAME command is a symlink, the command
operates on the symlink itself.
3 – Examples
1.$ RENAME AVERAGE.OBJ OLDAVERAGE
The RENAME command in this example renames the highest existing
version of the file AVERAGE.OBJ to OLDAVERAGE.OBJ. If no file
named OLDAVERAGE.OBJ currently exists, the new file is assigned
a version number 1.
2.$ RENAME/NONEW_VERSION SCANLINE.OBJ;2 BACKUP.OBJ
The RENAME command in this example renames the file
SCANLINE.OBJ;2 to BACKUP.OBJ;2. The /NONEW_VERSION qualifier
ensures that, if BACKUP.OBJ;2 already exists, the RENAME
command does not rename the file, but instead reports the
error.
3.$ RENAME *.TXT;* *.OLD;*
The RENAME command in this example renames all versions of all
files with the file type TXT to have the file type OLD. The
file names and version numbers are not changed.
4.$ RENAME WATER.TXT [.MEMOS]
The RENAME command in this example changes the directory
name of WATER.TXT from your default directory to the MEMOS
subdirectory. (The RENAME command moves the file to another
directory.)
5.$ RENAME [BORDERS.TESTFILES]SAVE.DAT []TEST
The RENAME command in this example renames the file SAVE.DAT
in the directory BORDERS.TESTFILES to TEST.DAT. The new file is
moved to the current default directory.
6.$ RENAME COEISABLAST.TXT COEIsABlast.txt
The RENAME command in this example changes the case of
COEISABLAST.TXT to COEIsABlast.txt. You must be on an ODS-
5 disk and previously have used the SET PROCESS/CASE_
LOOKUP=SENSITIVE command for this RENAME command to work
properly.