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Write a dry-run rename loop for your lab's photo folder

Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

Your research lab wants the plot photos renamed to lowercase with spaces turned into underscores, but the PI wants a dry run first: the loop must only print the commands, never move anything. Print each as mv -n -- "old" "new" (no overwriting), cover both .jpg and .JPG, and skip files whose name wouldn't change. Exactly 1 code block of at most 9 lines (bash 5), under 25 words of text.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Actually renaming. Asked to rename, the AI writes a loop that moves the files right away. Try: Say: "Dry run: only echo the mv commands; don't run them."
  • Risking overwrites. Plain mv silently replaces a file with the same name, like last spring. Try: Add: "Print mv -n -- \"old\" \"new\" with quotes."
  • Missing files or noise. The AI may only match .jpg, or print a no-op line for plot_12_oct4.jpg. Try: Add: "Cover .jpg and .JPG; skip names that wouldn't change."
  • A tutorial. The AI explains every line and suggests installing rename. Try: Add: "One code block, at most 9 lines, no text."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for a dry run
  • Rules out overwriting
  • Covers both extensions
  • Gives the naming rule
  • Skips unchanged names

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