Rename files with "illegal" characters. All illegal chars get replaced with either a "-", or removed.

clean_download_file_names.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import sys
import os

DEBUGGING = False
DRY_RUN = False

if (len(sys.argv) > 1):
    print(f"First arg is {sys.argv[1]}")
    target_path = sys.argv[1]
else:
    target_path = os.getcwd()
    print(f"First arg is blank.  Using {target_path}")


def debug(msg):
    if DEBUGGING:
        print(msg)


def should_be_renamed(f):
    extensionsToCheck = ['/', '\\', '?', ':', '*', '"', '<', '>', '|']
    return any(str in f for str in extensionsToCheck)


def rename_file(file_name, path):
    new_file_name = (
        file_name.replace('/', '-').replace('\\', '-').replace('?', '-').replace(':', '-').replace('*', '-').
        replace('"', '').replace('<', '-').replace('>', '-').replace('|', '-'))

    debug('')
    debug(f"{file_name=}")

    if file_name == new_file_name:
        print('name unchanged: ' + file_name)
    else:
        if DRY_RUN:
            print(f"DRYRUN: Would have renamed {os.path.join(path, file_name)} to {os.path.join(path, new_file_name)}")
        else:
            print(f"Renaming {os.path.join(path, file_name)} to {os.path.join(path, new_file_name)}")
            os.rename(os.path.join(path, file_name), os.path.join(path, new_file_name))


def clean_files(path):
    if (os.path.exists(path)):

        for root, dir_names, file_names in os.walk(path):
            for file_name in file_names:
                debug(f"{root=}, {file_name=}")
                debug(f"checking if file '{file_name}' should be renamed")
                if should_be_renamed(file_name):
                    debug(f"file '{file_name}' needs to be renamed")
                    rename_file(file_name, root)
            for dir_name in dir_names:
                debug(f"{root=}, {dir_name=}")
                debug(f"checking if dir '{dir_name}' should be renamed")
                if should_be_renamed(dir_name):
                    debug(f"dir '{dir_name}' needs to be renamed")
                    rename_file(dir_name, root)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    clean_files(os.path.expanduser(target_path))