How to replace string in files and file and folder names recursively with PowerShell?

Question

With PowerShell (although other suggestions are welcome), how does one recursively loop a directory/folder and

1. replace text A with B in all files,
2. rename all files so that A is replaced by B, and last
3. rename all folders also so that A is replaced by B?

Solution 1

With a few requirements refinements, I ended up with this script:

$match = "MyAssembly" 
$replacement = Read-Host "Please enter a solution name"

$files = Get-ChildItem $(get-location) -filter *MyAssembly* -Recurse

$files |
    Sort-Object -Descending -Property { $_.FullName } |
    Rename-Item -newname { $_.name -replace $match, $replacement } -force



$files = Get-ChildItem $(get-location) -include *.cs, *.csproj, *.sln -Recurse 

foreach($file in $files) 
{ 
    ((Get-Content $file.fullname) -creplace $match, $replacement) | set-content $file.fullname 
}

read-host -prompt "Done! Press any key to close."

Solution 2

I would go with something like this:

Get-ChildItem $directory -Recurse |
    Sort-Object -Descending -Property { $_.FullName } |
    ForEach-Object {
        if (!$_.PsIsContainer) {
            ($_|Get-Content) -replace 'A', 'B' | Set-Content $_.FullName
        }
        $_
    } |
    Rename-Item { $_.name -replace 'A', 'B' }

The Sort-Object is there to ensure that first children (subdirs, files) are listed and then directories after them. (12345)

Comments

[Scott Keck-Warren]

So you want one command/function that will replace A with B in file contents, file names, and folder names or are A and B separate in each of those cases?

[Martin R-L]

"one command/function that will replace A with B in file contents, file names, and folder names" is the case.

[JasonMArcher]

I can tell that is untested, there is no way that would run. :)

[Emiliano Poggi]

It's little complex, so I would test it as a script.

[stej]

And the question is: why? :) As somebody 'around computers' you might know, that "It doesn't work" is as worthy as if you say nothing. Error message is helpful. Otherwise, no need to say "It doesn't work". :)

[Noah Heldman]

This is awesome. When people realize what this script will allow you to do, you'll get a lot more upvotes... thanks.

[Jim Wolff]

I had some folders and namespaces in code files giving me an issue names like NameSpace.TestConsole (folder) and same goes for some of my namespaces, this script then made a lot of empty files called those names instead, so somehow it also creates new files. is there some way to ensure it only replaces and not creates?

[Antony]

@BrokenHeart Any reason you want to change my edit?

[Code Lღver]

@Antony No reason just to make it much better.