Rename file name

Question

Here is my code :

import os
def rename_file ():
    file_list = os.listdir (r"C:\Users\Sushant\Desktop\test")
    print (file_list)

    for file_name in file_list:
        os.rename(file_name, file_name.translate(None , "0123456789" ))

rename_file ()

result :

os.rename(file_name, file_name.translate(None , "0123456789" ))
TypeError: translate() takes exactly one argument (2 given)

Why do I keep getting this error ? I have just kept a file with some numbers and want to remove it .

You should read compiler errors more carefully, it is all written there: it complains that translate function takes exactly one argument, but you are trying to pass two `translate(None , "0123456789" )` — Viktor Chvátal, Jul 27 '17 at 07:33
Actually, `string.translate` can take two arguments, as stated here https://docs.python.org/2/library/string.html#string.translate. So, Viktor, your comment doesn't help. — Fejs, Jul 27 '17 at 07:53

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 27 '17 at 07:50

1

You are using the translate method wrong. The translate method needs a dict created by the maketrans method.

output = ("abcdefabc").translate(str.maketrans("abc", "123"))

Thre print will read out: 123def123

answered Jul 27 '17 at 07:50

Magnus Wang

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score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 27 '17 at 08:07

I guess You're using Python3, since this is valid syntax in Python2. For Python3, use following:

import os
def rename_file():
    file_list = os.listdir(r"C:\Users\Sushant\Desktop\test")
    print(file_list)

    for file_name in file_list:
        os.rename(file_name, file_name.translate(str.maketrans("", "", "0123456789")))

rename_file()

And here's the docs for maketrans function.

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 27 '17 at 08:18

When using translate() you have to pass in a table made by maketrans() as the first argument. This is the reason for getting a TypeError since you are passing in None.

With maketrans() you pass in the character you want to change in one string. The second argument is a string with the character you want to put in their place. This function returns a table, which you then pass into translate().

In your case something like this would work.

file_name.translate(str.maketrans("", "", "0123456789"))

Further reading on maketrans() and translate()

Rename file name

3 Answers3