Sequential Name Generator

Generate the next sequential file or folder name given a path and target name.

Usage

python ./scripts/next_sequential_name.py <path> <target_name>

Arguments:

• path - Directory to scan for existing sequential files/folders
• target_name - Unnumbered target name (e.g., cleanup.md for files, chapter for folders)

Type detection: If target_name has an extension (.md, .txt, etc.), it scans for files. Otherwise, it scans for folders.

Examples

# Files: Given 01-setup.md, 02-init.md, 04-teardown.md exist
python ./scripts/next_sequential_name.py ./docs cleanup.md
# Output: 05-cleanup.md

# Folders: Given 01-chapter, 02-chapter exist
python ./scripts/next_sequential_name.py ./book chapter
# Output: 03-chapter

# Empty directory
python ./scripts/next_sequential_name.py ./empty notes.md
# Output: 01-notes.md

Behavior

1. Scans directory for files or folders matching the target type
2. Extracts numeric prefixes from names matching pattern NN-*
3. Finds highest prefix (handles gaps: 01, 02, 04 → highest is 4)
4. Returns (highest + 1) padded to 2 digits with target name