Script or automation to change part of a file name

If you assign your Box folder location on the desktop as the designated folder for the folder action, then when you drag and drop the original files onto the Box folder, this script is currently written to place the capitalized filenames in the Box folder.

Launch Automator, and choose a new Folder Action. Set the name of the target folder of the Folder Action to your Desktop Box folder name, not the Ztest that I used. Drag and drop the Run Shell Script action from the Automator library onto the larger workflow window. Remove any boilerplate that appears when you set the Shell: to Zsh and Pass input: as arguments.

Now, copy/paste the following Zsh shell script code into the Run Shell Script action, and Save. I gave my folder action the name: Capitalize Filename. The folder action is stored in ~/Library/Workflows/Applications/Folder Actions. You can edit from the Automator Open Recent menu. Also, this script is not setup to process folders that are dropped on it.

# Capitalize parts of filename string
# PP4-567_EDWARD&AMELIA.pdf becomes PP4-567_Edward&Amelia.pdf

# process all files dropped on the target folder
for f in "$@"
do
	# split filename using these delimiters into the respective variables
	IFS='_.' read pre names ext <<<"${f}"

	# The C means capitalize any word in names that needs it
	# A U would be uppercase, and an L would be lowercase
	newfile=${pre}_${${(C)names}:t}.${ext}

	# rename original to capitalized name in the designated drop folder location
	mv $f ${f:h}/${newfile:t}
done



Is the name format always an underscore preceding the first name (e.g. EDWARD)? Are the two names always separated by the ampersand character? Is the second name always followed by the extension? If all are true, then that forms a pattern where one can capture the two names and apply Titlecase to each name before the renaming operation.

I have a short Zsh script that will capitalize only the two names without affecting other parts of the filename. Again, this is assuming that the filenames fit this particular pattern. This can be incorporated into an Automator Folder Action.

I do not have Box, so cannot test that. However, if Box appears on your Desktop as a folder, then all the script needs is that destination path to Box, and the renamed file can be moved directly into Box. As presently written, the script moves the dropped file(s) from the original filesysem location into the folder action folder, where it is renamed with the capitalization applled.

What do you want to do with the changed filenames after they are dropped in the specific Desktop folder tied to the Automator Folder Action?

You are welcome. Should be reasonably quick.