How to move a set of files on the same FTP server?

Solution 1:

For documentation purpose, I will post the steps I used to complete the task. Any better solutions are much appreciated. ;-)

Note: this solution uses the lftp FTP client. You may have to install it on your machine before you can proceed.

Solution:

lftp> renlist remote.dir1/ | "sed 's/\(.*\)/mv \"\1\" \"remote.dir2\/\"/'" > list  
lftp> source list  
lftp> !rm list  

Or, the one-liner^TM:

lftp> renlist remote.dir1/ | "sed 's/\(.*\)/mv \"\1\" \"remote.dir2\/\"/'" > list && source list && !rm list

Solution 2:

It appears that lftp only supports the glob syntax with commands accepting a single argument, so mv, which requires two, is out.

With FTP, your server might allow for extended commands, especially the execution of a limited command set via SITE EXEC or similar means - check the FTP server's documentation, its help (SITE HELP) or the login banner. These however are not standardized, so if the solution needs to be FTP-server-agnostic, scripting based on the output of the file list seems like the best idea.