How to Create a Bash Script to Automatically Organize Your Files

Ever found yourself drowning in a sea of unorganized files? Try this simple but powerful Bash function that automatically organizes files into appropriate folders based on their extensions. This blog post will guide you through setting up an organize_files function that will help keep your directories neat and tidy.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace

Just like in our previous scripts here, we’ll store this function in your bin directory. If you haven’t created one yet:

1.1. Open the terminal (cmd+space then type terminal).

1.2. Create a new folder named bin in your home directory:

mkdir ~/bin

Note

If you already have a bin folder from previous scripts, you can skip this step.

Step 2: Create the Script File

Navigate to your bin directory and create a new file named organize:

cd ~/bin
touch organize

Step 3: Add the Script Code

Open the file in your preferred text editor. You can use Nano for simplicity:

nano organize

Copy and paste the following code into the file:

#!/bin/bash

# Enable nullglob to avoid errors when no files match a pattern
shopt -s nullglob

# Check if directory exists
if [ ! -d "$1" ]; then
    echo "Error: Directory '$1' does not exist"
    exit 1
fi

target_dir="$1"
echo "Organizing files in: $target_dir"

# Create directories if they don't exist
mkdir -p "$target_dir"/{Images,Videos,Pdf,PowerPoint,Text,Archives,Excel,Others}

# Change to target directory
cd "$target_dir" || exit 1

# Function to move files and handle duplicates
move_file() {
    local file="$1"
    local target_folder="$2"
    local filename=$(basename "$file")
    
    if [ -e "$target_folder/$filename" ]; then
        # If file with the same name exists, add "-duplicate" before the extension
        local name="${filename%.*}"
        local extension="${filename##*.}"
        local duplicate_name="${name}-duplicate.${extension}"
        
        # Check again in case a duplicate already exists
        while [ -e "$target_folder/$duplicate_name" ]; do
            name="${name}-duplicate"
            duplicate_name="${name}.${extension}"
        done
        
        mv -v "$file" "$target_folder/$duplicate_name"
    else
        mv -v "$file" "$target_folder/"
    fi
}

# Move files based on their extensions

# Images
for file in *.{jpg,jpeg,png,gif,HEIC}; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Images"
done

# Videos
for file in *.{mp4,avi,mov}; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Videos"
done

# PDF
for file in *.pdf; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Pdf"
done

# PowerPoint
for file in *.pptx; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "PowerPoint"
done

# Text
for file in *.{docx,txt}; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Text"
done

# Archives
for file in *.{zip,rar}; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Archives"
done

# Excel
for file in *.{xlsx,csv}; do
    [ -e "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Excel"
done

# Others (any remaining files)
for file in *; do
    [ -f "$file" ] && move_file "$file" "Others"
done

echo "File organization complete in $target_dir!"

Save and close (cmd+x then Y then return) the file.

Tip

This script creates separate folders for different file types and moves files accordingly. It handles various common file formats including images, videos, documents, and more.

Step 4: Make the Script Executable

Make your script executable by running:

chmod +x ~/bin/organize

Step 5: Update Your Shell Configuration

If you haven’t already added your bin directory to your PATH (from previous scripts), you’ll need to do so. Open your shell configuration file:

For Zsh users:

nano ~/.zshrc

For Bash users:

nano ~/.bashrc

Add this line if it’s not already there:

export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"

Step 6: Apply the Changes

Source your configuration file to apply the changes:

For Zsh:

source ~/.zshrc

For Bash:

source ~/.bashrc

How to Use Your New Script

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

This script moves files automatically, which can be very powerful but also potentially dangerous if used incorrectly. Always: - Test it first in a non-critical directory - Make backups of important files before organizing them - Double-check the directory path you’re providing

Using the script is straightforward. Simply type organize followed by the path to the directory you want to organize. For example:

organize ~/Downloads

This will: 1. Create organized folders in your specified directory 2. Move files to their appropriate folders based on their extensions 3. Show you what files are being moved

The script will create the following folders: - Images (for jpg, jpeg, png, gif, HEIC files) - Videos (for mp4, avi, mov files) - Pdf (for pdf files) - PowerPoint (for pptx files) - Documents (for docx, txt files) - Archives (for zip, rar files) - Excel (for xlsx, csv files)

Customization

You can easily customize this script by: - Adding new folders for different file types - Including additional file extensions - Modifying the folder names to match your preferences

Simply edit the script and add or modify the relevant lines in the code.

That’s it! You now have a powerful tool to keep your directories organized. No more messy folders! If you have any questions or suggestions for improvements, feel free to leave a comment below.