Slugify is a bash command that converts filenames and directories to a web friendly format.
Simply enter the slugify command without any arguments or with the -h option to view the usage help.
$ slugify
usage: slugify [-acdhintuv] source_file ...
-a: remove spaces immediately adjacent to dashes
-c: consolidate consecutive spaces into single space
-d: replace spaces with dashes (instead of default underscores)
-h: help
-i: ignore case
-n: dry run
-t: treat existing dashes as spaces
-u: treat existing underscores as spaces (useful with -a, -c, or -d)
-v: verbose
Note, most examples below are run in verbose mode (-v) to help illustrate the results.
Verbose mode is unnecessary in real world scenarios.
$ slugify -v My\ \ file.txt
rename: My file.txt -> my__file.txt
$ slugify -v "My file.txt"
rename: My file.txt -> my__file.txt
$ slugify -v *.txt
rename: My file.txt -> my_file.txt
ignore: my_web_friendly_filename.txt
$ slugify -v "My first file.txt" "My second file.txt"
rename: My first file.txt -> my_first_file.txt
rename: My second file.txt -> my_second_file.txt
$ slugify -v "My Directory"
rename: My Directory -> my_directory
$ slugify -vc "My consolidated file.txt"
rename: My consolidated file.txt -> my_consolidated_file.txt
$ slugify -vd "My dashed file.txt"
rename: My dashed file.txt -> my-dashed-file.txt
The -d option replaces each space with a dash.
$ slugify -vd "My dashed file.txt"
rename: My dashed file.txt -> my--dashed--file.txt
Combine -d with -c (consolidate spaces) for a single dash between each word.
$ slugify -vdc "My dashed file.txt"
rename: My dashed file.txt -> my-dashed-file.txt
$ slugify -vi "UPPER CASE FILE.txt"
rename: UPPER CASE FILE.txt -> UPPER_CASE_FILE.txt
Dry run mode does not alter the filesystem in any way.
$ slugify -n *
--- Begin dry run mode.
rename: My file.txt -> my_file.txt
ignore: web_friendly_filename.txt
--- End dry run mode.
Dry run mode also allows you to test filenames that don't exist. Great for testing!
$ slugify -n "Ghost File.txt"
--- Begin dry run mode.
not found: Ghost File.txt
rename: Ghost File.txt -> ghost_file.txt
--- End dry run mode.
Dry run mode automatically enables verbose mode so there is no need to include the -v option with -n.
In this example, without -a the dashes end up surrounded by underscores.
$ slugify -v "The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"
rename: The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3 -> the_beatles_-_yellow_submarine.mp3
But with -a the adjacent spaces are removed.
$ slugify -va "The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"
rename: The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3 -> the_beatles-yellow_submarine.mp3
The -a only removes spaces immediately adjacent to a dash, which may not be the desired effect (below three spaces on either side of the dash get converted into two underscores because of -a).
$ slugify -va "The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"
rename: The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3 -> the_beatles__-__yellow_submarine.mp3
But -c consolidates spaces into a single space and then -a will remove the left over adjacent single spaces.
$ slugify -vac "The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3"
rename: The Beatles - Yellow Submarine.mp3 -> the_beatles-yellow_submarine.mp3
The -u treats underscores as spaces and -d converts spaces into dashes.
$ slugify -vud "Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt"
rename: Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt -> spaces-dashes-and-underscores.txt
$ slugify -vt "Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt"
rename: Spaces Dashes-And_Underscores.txt -> spaces_dashes_and_underscores.txt