unix mv --backup=numbered

Question

I'm trying in php to move a folder but keep both files in the dest folder if exist duplicate. i tried todo that in recursion but its too complicated so many things can go wrong for example file premissions and duplicate files\folders.

im trying to work with system() command and i cant figure out how to move files but keep backup if duplicate without destroying the extension

$last_line = system('mv --backup=t websites/test/ websites/test2/', $retval);

gives the following if file exist in both dirs:

ajax.html~
ajax.html~1
ajax.html~2

what im looking for is:

ajax~.html
ajax~1.html
ajax~2.html

or any other like (1), (2) ... but without ruining the extension of the file. any ideas? please.

p.s must use the system() command.

Answer 1

For this problem, I get sed to find and swap those extensions after the fact in this function below (passing my target directory as my argument):

swap_file_extension_and_backup_number ()
{
IFS=$'\n'
for y in $(ls $1)
do
    mv $1/`echo $y | sed 's/ /\\ /g'` $1/`echo "$y" | sed 's/\(\.[^~]\{3\}\)\(\.~[0-9]\{1,2\}~\)$/\2\1/g'`
done
}

The function assumes that your file extensions will be the normal 3 characters long, and this will find backups up to two digits long i.e. .~99~

Explanation:

This part $1/`echo $y | sed 's/ /\\ /g'` $1/`echo "$y" represents the first argument (the original file) of mv but protects you from space characters by adding an escape.

The last part $1/`echo "$y" | sed 's/\(\.[^~]\{3\}\)\(\.~[0-9]\{1,2\}~\)$/\2\1/g' is of course the target file where two parenthetic groups are swapped .i.e. /\2\1/