Starry001

Q: Where did the applescripts go?

There used to be a set of applescripts that were accessible from the scripts menu item where one could get the finder to rename files, add prefixes or suffixes to filenames, change them to no caps, find and replace text within file names, and a few other things.

 

Now the Script menu has none of that. It's all material for using Script Editor and such. Which is all well and good but I have no interest in writing these scripts all over again when they already exist somewhere.

 

I couldn't find them after a clean install a number of years back and have let the issue slide for a few years now but I have reached a point where I have tons imported files with messed up names and it takes forever to do anything since I have to do it all by hand.

 

So where can I find them?

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), (El Capitan has missing features)

Posted on Jul 30, 2016 7:50 AM

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Q: Where did the applescripts go?

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  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Jul 30, 2016 8:00 AM in response to Starry001
    Level 9 (78,367 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 30, 2016 8:00 AM in response to Starry001

    Try:

     

    1. Hard disk>Library>Scripts

     

    2. Hard disk>Users>(your Home Folder)>Library>Scripts. Note that Apple have hidden the user’s Library folder in Lion and above to casual viewers, in an attempt to stop new Mac users messing their machines up. To access it if it's not visible, in the Finder go to the ‘Go’ menu and hold down the Option (Alt) key; the Library folder will appear as a choice. In Mavericks you can make it permanently visible - open your Home Folder the from the Finder's View menu, choose show View Options and check Show User Library.

  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Jul 31, 2016 5:13 AM in response to Starry001
    Level 7 (21,165 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 31, 2016 5:13 AM in response to Starry001

    Script Editor : Preferences : General

    Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 8.08.27 AM.jpgScreen Shot 2016-07-31 at 8.08.50 AM.jpg

  • by Starry001,

    Starry001 Starry001 Aug 8, 2016 7:03 AM in response to VikingOSX
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 7:03 AM in response to VikingOSX

    I have already done all of those things, I have the scripts menu enabled (like I mentioned in my original question.) It's enabled in every machine/ OS update I have had since they came out.

     

    The problem I have is that I am unable to find the scripts that I used to have in previous OS versions. They vanished several OS versions ago, and I just never found the time to dig them up again. Things are getting cluttered and I spent two hours renaming the contents of a single folder, which is absurd. But those scripts don't exist anymore, anywhere. I find all sorts of "here's how to write Applescript" material but to be blunt I don't have time for that nonsense. I just want the scripts that were included in the Mac OS Applescript setup to begin with.

     

    So, I reiterate: I am looking for "...the scripts menu item(s) where one could get the finder to rename files, add prefixes or suffixes to filenames, change them to no caps, find and replace text within file names, and a few other things."

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 8, 2016 8:17 AM in response to Starry001
    Level 9 (78,367 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 8, 2016 8:17 AM in response to Starry001

    There weren't any such scripts in that menu as far back as Snow Leopard, I don't know about earlier - perhaps you added some third-party scripts. However you can do most, possibly all, of this in Automator. If you use the 'Rename Finder Items' facility you can create applications or workflows with a good deal of flexibility including replacing a given text string with another, adding text to the beginning or end of the file name, and changing the case.

  • by Starry001,

    Starry001 Starry001 Aug 8, 2016 3:16 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 3:16 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    I have tried Automator and it's a programming platform of some nature. It would take me days to sort out and I don't have the time or the interest. If I have to spend 2 hours fiddling with something to do what I want I might as well just sit there and rename each file manually.

     

    As far as I know it was part of the package that came with Applescript. It had a list of something like 10 scripts. Find and replace in finder/folder names. Add prefixes, suffixes, change the case, trim the names, and it also had sample scripts on how to get the finder to do things because it (Apple) was encouraging people to make their own.

     

    I tried searching the internet and all I get is "here's how you make scripts." Which is fine but I'm not looking to learn how, I just want the ones that I know already exist.

     

    At this point I think it's hopeless.

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 8, 2016 3:29 PM in response to Starry001
    Level 9 (78,367 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 8, 2016 3:29 PM in response to Starry001

    Automator is very simple - give yourself 15 minutes and you should be able to create apps for several functions. I've shown a couple of of functions here (in use you'd drag it in just once, set up the function and save it, then move on to another app or workflow).

    Screen Shot 2016-08-08 at 23.25.34.jpg

  • by Starry001,

    Starry001 Starry001 Aug 8, 2016 5:02 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 5:02 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    I can't make heads or tails of it with a dozen variables and warnings when I doubleclicked on an item. Why can't these things just be scripts that I can use rather than this song and dance?

     

    I bought a mac so I wouldn't have to do line command nonsense. Now I am told if I want to do basic file management I have to write my own scripts? Okay.

  • by Starry001,

    Starry001 Starry001 Aug 8, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    I spent an hour with it and I can sort of make it work but I have to set it each time. The Applescript I used had a window that asked for the text to add, and had buttons to indicate if it were a prefix or a suffix. I can't get it to present a window to enter the text, it just adds what I put in the thing to begin with. So I can only make a script that adds the one thing forever and ever. So I have to open Automator and mess with it again to change it to something else.

     

    Plus it's not a script either. It's an "App" Which means I can't use it from the scripts menu.

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 9, 2016 12:32 AM in response to Starry001
    Level 9 (78,367 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 9, 2016 12:32 AM in response to Starry001

    Well, I was sufficiently intrigued to dig out my Tiger laptop. Although there doesn't seem to be a script menu facility there is a folder of sample scripts including some Finder ones which look like what you are talking about. I've zipped it and uploaded it temporarily to my server so you can download it - http://rfwilmut.net/share/FinderScripts.zip . (The link will download it automatically.) They are scripts, not applications, so you will need to open them in Script Editor, click on the File menu while holding the option (alt) key down to reveal 'Save As', and save them as applications. I haven't tested them beyond checking that one of them would in fact open.

     

    Please let me know when you have downloaded the folder so I can remove it from the server.

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Aug 9, 2016 1:06 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1
    Level 9 (78,367 points)
    iTunes
    Aug 9, 2016 1:06 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

    Actually, if you're going to put them in (hard disk)/Library/Scripts you can leave them as scripts.