ren ☆
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Description:
Rename multiple files in a directory
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Productivity
Tags: cli file-management batch-processing regex utility
Install: brew install ren
About:
Ren is a command-line utility designed for batch renaming files within a directory using Perl-compatible regular expressions. It provides a safer alternative to shell loops by allowing users to preview changes before committing them. This tool is ideal for complex renaming tasks that require pattern matching and substitution.
Key Features:
  • Uses Perl-compatible regular expressions for powerful pattern matching
  • Provides a dry-run mode to preview changes before applying them
  • Handles recursive directory operations
  • Supports case-insensitive matching
Use Cases:
  • Standardizing photo filenames from a camera dump (e.g., IMG_001.jpg to 2023-vacation-001.jpg)
  • Batch removing specific text patterns from multiple log files
  • Converting file extensions for a set of documents (e.g., .txt to .md)
Alternatives:
  • rename – The standard macOS rename utility uses a simpler syntax, whereas ren uses Perl regex for more complex pattern matching.
  • mmv – mmv allows for wildcard-based moving and renaming, while ren focuses specifically on regex-based renaming.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 15, 2025 1:46pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 3a2a9bfb
Sep 16, 2024 1:20pm 0 VERSION_BUMP e9bbbb14
Sep 16, 2024 10:31am 0 VERSION_BUMP d246d4aa
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