How can I apply shell command on the selected files in netrw

Question

I want to apply a shell command on two selected files, my command is:

convert +append image1.png image2.png output.png

How can I do that for two selected images in netrw? However, to make the process easier I wrote a shell function named append which takes two image and generates and output name for them and applies convert on them. Now, how can I use my shell function on the selected files?

Answer 1

1. Mark the files using one of ways detailed here. (E.g. type mf with the cursor over a filename.)

2. Type mx

3. At the prompt enter your shell command.

   • If you want to specify where marked files should be inserted in the command line indicate this with a %.
   • Alternatively, don't add a % and marked files will follow the command after a space.

4. Hit Enter.

The command should then be run on each file in turn.

The example found in the relevant section of netrw docs

(mark files)
mx
Enter command: cat

The result is a series of shell commands:

cat 'file1'
cat 'file2'
...

---

If instead you want the command run once on all the files at one time use mX instead of mx.

The documentation example for that one, showing creation of a tarball:

(mark files)
mX
Enter command: tar cf mynewtarball.tar

The command that will be run with this example:

tar cf mynewtarball.tar 'file1' 'file2' ...