Is there a way to make mv create the directory to be moved to if it doesn"t exist?

Matheus Mello
Matheus Mello
September 2, 2023
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πŸ“ Creating Directories with mv: Easy Solutions πŸ’‘

Have you ever wanted to move a file to a specific directory but found yourself dealing with the hassle of manually creating the necessary directories? 😫 Fear not, because in this guide we will explore how to make the mv command automatically create directories if they don't exist. πŸ“‚πŸš€

The Challenge πŸ”

Imagine you're in your home directory and want to move a file called foo.c to ~/bar/baz/foo.c. However, the problem is that the bar and baz directories don't exist yet. 😬 You could manually create them using mkdir, but why not find a more convenient solution? πŸ€”

Possible Solution: Bash Script πŸ“œπŸ’»

One way to tackle this issue is by creating a bash script that checks for the existence of the required directories and creates them if necessary. Let's walk through the steps: πŸšΆβ€β™€οΈ

  1. Open your favorite text editor and create a new file. Let's call it mvcd for "move with directory creation". πŸ“

  2. Add the following lines of code to your mvcd file:

    #!/bin/bash target=$2 dirname=$(dirname "$target") if [ ! -d "$dirname" ]; then mkdir -p "$dirname" fi mv "$1" "$2"

    This script retrieves the target directory from the command-line arguments, checks if it exists, creates it if not, and then proceeds to execute the mv command to move the file.

  3. Save and exit the file. βœ…

  4. Make the script executable by running the following command in your terminal: πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

    chmod +x mvcd

    This command grants the necessary permissions to execute the script.

  5. Finally, you can use your new script by invoking it instead of the regular mv command. Simply type: πŸ“₯

    ./mvcd foo.c ~/bar/baz/foo.c

    The script will create the required directories and move the file seamlessly! πŸŽ‰

Calling All Command-Line Enthusiasts! πŸ“£πŸ‘‹

As technology enthusiasts, we love finding creative solutions to everyday problems. πŸ’ͺ Now that you have this handy bash script, why not test it out and see how it simplifies your file moving experience? ✨

Remember, with this script, you don't need to worry about manually creating directories anymore. Just use mvcd as you would use mv, and watch the magic happen! πŸͺ„πŸ’«

Wrap Up 🎁

In a world where command-line operations can be both powerful and complex, it's essential to uncover clever solutions that simplify our workflows. 🀩 We hope this guide was helpful in addressing your file-moving challenges and that our bash script has become a useful addition to your arsenal of command-line tools. πŸ› πŸ’»

If you have any other ingenious command-line tips or tricks, feel free to share them in the comments below! Let's continue exploring the vast world of technology together! πŸŒπŸš€

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