Python Code Conundrum: Resizing and Renaming Photos with a Twist

Are you tired of manually renaming and resizing your photos? Do you want to automate the process with a clever Python script? Well, you’re not alone! Many developers have attempted to tackle this challenge, but often encounter a peculiar issue. In this article, we’ll delve into the problem, explore the expected behavior, and provide a comprehensive solution to resize and rename photos using Python.

The Problem: Unexpected Renaming Pattern

Imagine you have a folder full of images, and you want to resize them to a specific dimension while renaming them with a unique identifier. A typical approach would be to use a base name followed by a sequence of characters, such as ‘a’, ‘b’, …, ‘z’, then ‘aa’, ‘ab’, …, ‘zz’, and so on. However, when using Python code to achieve this, some developers have reported an unexpected renaming pattern, such as ‘aa’, ‘ab’, ‘ac’, …, ‘az’, ‘ba’, ‘bb’, …, ‘bz’, and so on.

This issue can be frustrating, especially when you’re expecting a specific output. But fear not, dear reader, for we’re about to dive into the solution.

Understanding the Expected Behavior

To better comprehend the problem, let’s break down the expected behavior:

• The script should resize the images to a specified dimension.
• The script should rename the images using a base name followed by a sequence of characters.
• The sequence should start with ‘a’, ‘b’, …, ‘z’, then ‘aa’, ‘ab’, …, ‘zz’, and so on.

With these requirements in mind, let’s create a Python script that meets these expectations.

The Solution: A Python Script to Resize and Rename Photos

Here’s the complete Python script to resize and rename photos with the correct naming pattern:

import os
from PIL import Image

# Set the base name and resize dimensions
base_name = 'image'
width, height = 800, 600

# Create a dictionary to store the character sequence
sequence = {}
char_index = 1
while True:
    for char in 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz':
        sequence[char_index] = char
        char_index += 1
    for char1 in 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz':
        for char2 in 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz':
            sequence[char_index] = char1 + char2
            char_index += 1
    break

# Get the list of images in the directory
images = [f for f in os.listdir('.') if f.endswith('.jpg') or f.endswith('.jpeg') or f.endswith('.png')]

# Resize and rename the images
for i, image in enumerate(images):
    img = Image.open(image)
    img = img.resize((width, height))
    filename, file_extension = os.path.splitext(image)
    new_filename = f"{base_name}{sequence[i+1]}.{file_extension[1:]}"
    img.save(new_filename)

This script uses the Python Imaging Library (PIL) to resize the images and the `os` module to interact with the file system. The `sequence` dictionary stores the character sequence, which is generated using a clever combination of loops.

How the Script Works

Let’s break down the script’s functionality:

1. The script sets the base name and resize dimensions.
2. The script creates a dictionary to store the character sequence, which is generated using a combination of loops.
3. The script gets the list of images in the directory using the `os` module.
4. The script resizes each image using PIL and renames it using the base name and the corresponding sequence value.

By using this script, you can resize and rename your photos with the correct naming pattern.