Command: ren

  REN renames a file/directory or files/directories.

Syntax:

  REN [drive][path][directoryname1 | filename1]
      [directoryname2 | filename2]
      drive           The drive letter, e.g. C:
      path            The directory, e.g. \example\ , complete: 
                      "C:\example\"
      directoryname1  The name of the old subdirectory, e.g. \dir_old , 
                      complete: "C:\example\dir_old"
      directoryname2  The name of the new subdirectory, e.g. dir_new ,
                      complete: "dir_new"
      filename1       The old filename, e.g. \old_file.txt
                      complete: "C:\example\old_file.txt"
      filename2       The new filename, e.g. new_file.txt
                      complete: "new_file.txt"

Options:

  - none -

Comments:

  You can also use RENAME instead of REN.
  Note that you cannot specify a new drive or path for your destination.
  Use the MOVE command for that purpose.
  You can use wildcards (* and ?) to specify a set of files. If you use 
  wildcards in filename1, you must use wildcards in the same position 
  in filename2.
  In pure DOS the directory name must not be longer than 8 letters.
  Filenames use 8.3 means: 8 letters for the name, 3 letters for 
  ending, e.g. example1.txt.
  REN is a command internal to command.com and needs no other file
  in order to work.

Examples:

  ren C:\example\dir_old dir_new
  ren C:\example\old_file.txt new_file.txt

See also:

  move
  rename

  Copyright © 1998 Jim Hall, updated 2007 by W. Spiegl.

  This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
  See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.