CLI to turn a directory of images into Markdown links

Overview

Convert a directory of images to clickable Markdown links:

for i in `IMG_17*.jpg`; do echo $i | awk '{print "[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/" $1" )](/images/" $1 ")"}'; done

Details

• for i in... -> Loop over each file, placing filename in the variable i.
• ls -1 IMG_17*.jpg -> List files matching the filename pattern. Then feed into the for loop.
• echo $i -> Print the variable i.
• awk (There are 2 key points, printing and variable expansion):
  • print -> Print everything after this statement to the screen. Text between "’s is printed as written. $ (variables) are expanded and printed.
  • $1 -> Print the first match from awk. In this case, print the filenames |‘ed through awk.

jemurray@phalanges:~/Downloads $ for i in `IMG_17*.jpg`; do echo $i | awk '{print "[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/" $1" )](/images/" $1 ")"}'; done
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1706.jpg )](/images/IMG_1706.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1707.jpg )](/images/IMG_1707.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1708.jpg )](/images/IMG_1708.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1711.jpg )](/images/IMG_1711.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1712.jpg )](/images/IMG_1712.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1713.jpg )](/images/IMG_1713.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1714.jpg )](/images/IMG_1714.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1715.jpg )](/images/IMG_1715.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1716.jpg )](/images/IMG_1716.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1717.jpg )](/images/IMG_1717.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1718.jpg )](/images/IMG_1718.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1720.jpg )](/images/IMG_1720.jpg)
[![Image of philmont prep hike](/images/IMG_1722.jpg )](/images/IMG_1722.jpg)

The commands above generated this page: https://jasonmurray.org/posts/2021/firstlongphilmontprephike/