Users can also simply type g.rename -help without arguments on the command line, to receive a menu of existing data base element types and files from which to choose for possible renaming:
rast rast file(s) to be renamed
oldvect oldvect file(s) to be renamed (GRASS 5.0)
vect vect file(s) to be renamed (GRASS 5.1)
icon icon file(s) to be renamed
labels labels file(s) to be renamed
sites sites file(s) to be renamed
region region file(s) to be renamed
group group file(s) to be renamed
3dview 3dview file(s) to be renamed
If the user attempts to rename a file to itself by setting the new file name equal to the old file name (e.g., g.rename rast=soils,soils), g.rename will not execute the rename, but instead state that no rename is needed. However, g.rename will allow the user to overwrite other existing files in the current mapset by making the new file name that of an already existing file.