Need Help with AppleScript

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Level 1

6 points

Need Help with AppleScript

I have a Tab delimited .txt file with 23 columns and several hundred records. FileName is one of the 23 fields. I also have a folder of .jpg files that match the filenames in the txt file.

I need to read input .txt file and If the StudentID field is not blank, rename the associated .jpg file with the StudentID.jpg and move it to a Processed output folder.

if StudentID field is blank rename the associated .jpg file in the input folder with Grade_LastName_FirstName.jpg and move the file to the “Errors” output folder. The last thing is to produce two txt files as explained in # 3 and 4 below. These new txt files will be reference files to go with each output folder. The output folders and txt files can be created on the desktop.

Inputs:

1) Operator selected Folder containing .jpg files - default location desktop

2) Operator selected Tab delimited .txt file with 23 columns - first record is header with field names

Input File has the following fields:

SequenceNumber

FirstName

LastName

StudentID

Teacher

Grade

HomeRoom

Custom1

Custom2

Custom3

Custom4

P1

Q1

P2

Q2

P3

Q3

P4

Q4

Retouch

Spray

FileName

GSBR

Outputs to be created by AppleScript - Script will move renamed files to these two folders:

1) Folder named with name of input folder & “_” & “Processed” i.e. If input folder is named Branford, output folder would be Branford_Proceessed

2) Folder named with name of input folder & “_” & “Errors” i.e., If input folder is named Branford output folder would be Branford_Errors

3) Tab delimited .txt file with fields FirstName LastName StudentID Grade FileName from the input file for each record that has a StudentID. File should be named with name of input Folder & “_” & “Processed” i.e. If input Folder is named Branford, output file would be Branford_Processed.txt

4) Tab delimited .txt file with fields FirstName LastName StudentID Grade FileName from the input file for each record that did not contain a StudentID. File should be named with name of input Folder & “_” & “Errors” i.e. If input Folder is named Branford, output file would be Branford_Errors.txt

Any help will be soooo much appreciated.

Posted on Jan 7, 2023 11:07 AM

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Answer 1

Tony T1

Level 6

10,247 points

Jan 10, 2023 1:02 PM in response to JB001

JB001 wrote:

So this would be done after the move statement or would it be run against the output folder as a final process?

Do the "set name of file" right after the move, as at that point you have the information needed to rename the file.

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Answer 2

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 10, 2023 1:14 PM in response to Tony T1

This is where my lack of knowledge really starts to show. I'm not sure how to get the names of what needs to be changed and what to change it to. The dataList has the variable names I need. In the first section of moves I just in the sID field. That is not in the matchList or the errorList being used to move. Those two lists only have fname. So I'm getting very lost.

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Answer 3

Tony T1

Level 6

10,247 points

Jan 10, 2023 1:32 PM in response to JB001

OK, I think I see. You "have a folder of .jpg files that match the filenames in the txt file", so need to match 'something' to something'

This can probably be done as a separate final task in the AppleScript.

Do you have something in a list that can be matched to the files in the "moved folder"?

If you do, then you would be able to loop through the list, look for 'something', then do the rename.

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Answer 4

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 10, 2023 1:54 PM in response to Tony T1

Yes, each of the moved folders have a list being used to create the two text files. Those lists have a matching file name and the fields needed for the new file name.

The printErrors list is created with firstName {tab} lastName {tab} grade {tab} fname {return}

the fname is a match to the filenames in outFolder1 which need to be changed to grade_firstName_lastName.jpg

How to do that is a mystery to me.

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Answer 5

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 10, 2023 2:10 PM in response to bob264

@bob264 don't be embarrassed. I've found trying to learn AppleScript very challenging. This community has been more helpful than you could ever imagine. There is so much talent and willingness to help. Your initial reply is what got this thread moving and I am very grateful.

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Answer 6

Tony T1

Level 6

10,247 points

Jan 10, 2023 2:18 PM in response to JB001

All I can think of is to loop through the files in outFolder1 find the match in the list.

From your prior post, I see that one of the file names is "SP1_9904.jpg", if that matches fname in printErrors, then loop through outFolder1, and find the match in printErrors.

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Answer 7

Tony T1

Level 6

10,247 points

Jan 10, 2023 3:46 PM in response to JB001

I may not have a full enough understanding of the file and text structure you have but...

You can get a list of the filenames in outFolder1 with:

set fList to name of every file in folder "outFolder1" in desktop

And then loop through fList and compare to items in printErrors, and when you get a match, rename the file.

More, see: Mac Automation Scripting Guide: Manipulating Lists of Items

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Answer 8

bob264

Level 1

51 points

Jan 11, 2023 7:22 AM in response to JB001

What Tony is talking about is a repeat loop and you already use one in your code.

Within the loop you're perform actions on the item.

the Code in Tony's last post will return an AppleScript list of filenames: {"Filename1.jpg", "Filename1.jpg","Filename1.jpg",...}

Repeat with theFile in fList -- with each iteration of the loop, theFile is a variable and is assigned each filename in sequence

set the name of file theFile of folder "outfolder1" to newName

move file theFile to the new location

end repeat

the code above won't work for you as-is.

Hope this helps. B

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Answer 9

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 11, 2023 9:57 AM in response to bob264

Thanks Bob. I'll see if I can figure the above approach out. I started to take another approach of building a path to the files in the input folder and looping through with a try statement. That's not going much better than using the match list. Right not Script Editor will not open any files so I need to reboot and possibly reinstall it. Nothing is as easy as it seems. Thanks for the suggestions.

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Answer 10

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 11, 2023 11:23 AM in response to Tony T1

Input File tab delimited text file ->> (myList)

SequenceNumber FirstName LastName StudentID Teacher Grade HomeRoom Custom1 Custom2 Custom3 Custom4 P1 Q1 P2 Q2 P3 Q3 P4 Q4 Retouch Spray FileName GSBR

00001 First1 Last1 1002 Staff AAAAAAAAAA Z 1 SP1_0001.JPG SP2

00002 First2 Last2 11 BBBBBBBBBB D 1 SP1_0002.JPG SP3

00003 First3 Last3 0076 9 CCCCCCCCCC NB 1 SP1_0003.JPG SP2

00004 First4 Last4 0759 Staff DDDDDDDDDD Z 1 IMG_0001.JPG SP2

00005 First5 Last5 7 EEEEEEEEEE NB 1 R IMG_0099.JPG SP2

moveList Returns

{"", "", "Input File tab delimited text file ->> (myList)", "", "SequenceNumber FirstName LastName StudentID Teacher Grade HomeRoom Custom1 Custom2 Custom3 Custom4 P1 Q1 P2 Q2 P3 Q3 P4 Q4 Retouch Spray FileName GSBR

", "00001 First1 Last1 1002 Staff AAAAAAAAAA Z 1 SP1_0001.JPG SP2

", "00002 First2 Last2 11 BBBBBBBBBB D 1 SP1_0002.JPG SP3

", "00003 First3 Last3 0076 9 CCCCCCCCCC NB 1 SP1_0003.JPG SP2

", "00004 First4 Last4 0759 Staff DDDDDDDDDD Z 1 IMG_0001.JPG SP2

", "00005 First5 Last5 7 EEEEEEEEEE NB 1 R IMG_0099.JPG SP2

", "", "", ""}

printErrors

First2 Last2 11 SP1_0002.JPG

First5 Last5 7 IMG_0099.JPG

printProcessed

First1 Last1 1002 Staff SP1_0001.JPG SP2

First3 Last3 0076 9 SP1_0003.JPG SP2

First4 Last4 0759 Staff IMG_0001.JPG SP2

errorList

{"SP1_0002.JPG", "IMG_0099.JPG"}

ProcessedList

{"SP1_0001.JPG", "SP1_0003.JPG", "IMG_0001.JPG"}

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Answer 11

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,290 points

Jan 11, 2023 11:30 AM in response to JB001

I have been recovering from oral surgery and due to pain meds, not able to keep a clear enough head to help with your current request. The original was from May 2022 in Apple Script with M1 Chip - Apple Community if that helps with continuity.

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Answer 12

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 11, 2023 11:50 AM in response to VikingOSX

I hope you recover soon.

Yes this is the same input file and some of the same process but for these files I need to rename them for the schools. The original was creating a list of filenames to move and a list of files in the folder, and moving all that match. Renaming is the challenge.

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Answer 13

Tony T1

Level 6

10,247 points

Jan 11, 2023 7:12 PM in response to JB001

Thanks Tony,I don't know anything about python but will work on trying this in the morning when my mind is not a blur.I'm sure I'll have questions.

You can run this from Apple Shortcuts using the Run Shell Script Action

(Just copy and paste the code into Shortcuts)

Also possible to run from Automator.

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Answer 14

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 12, 2023 7:33 AM in response to Tony T1

Yes, let's get it working for me first. Then we really need to get it to work with either AppleScript or automator. This will be run by our front desk person who is not very tech savvy.

I never use terminal so I probably messed something up but this is what the terminal window now looks like and nothing ran.

Last login: Wed Jan 11 13:18:23 on console

John@iMac ~ % chmod u+x" /Users/John/Desktop/RenameAndMove.py

dquote> /Users/John/Desktop/RenameAndMove.py /Users/John/Desktop/04443_ISAAC2299\ -\ Input.txt /Users/John/Desktop/ISAAC

dquote>

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Answer 15

JB001 Author

Level 1

6 points

Jan 12, 2023 8:01 AM in response to Tony T1

Still doing something wrong. I have an appointment and will get back to this in a couple hours.

this is what terminal looks like now:

John@iMac ~ %

John@iMac ~ % chmod u+x /Users/John/Desktop/RenameAndMove.py/Users/John/Desktop/RenameAndMove.py /Users/John/Desktop/04443_ISAAC2299\ -\ Input.txt /Users/John/Desktop/ISAAC

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