Use AppleScript to remove a specific word/phrase from Multiple Folder names

The following script has been tested under Mavericks:

set theFolder to choose folder

tell application "Finder" to set theNames to name of folders of theFolder

set theNewNames to {}

repeat with thisName in theNames

set thisName to replace("default", "", thisName) -- replace "default" with ""

set thisName to replace(" ", " ", thisName) -- replace 2 spaces with 1 space

copy thisName to the end of theNewNames

end repeat

tell application "Finder" to repeat with k from 1 to (count theNames)

try

set name of folder (item k of theNames) of theFolder to (item k of theNewNames)

end try

end repeat

on replace(A, B, theText)

set {TID, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {AppleScript'stext item delimiters, {A}}

set {theTextItems, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {text items of theText, {B}}

set {theText, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {theTextItems as text, TID}

return theText

end replace

Thanks for your feedback. I'm glad I could help you.

There was a slight error in the script though. The 6th line should have been written like this:

set thisName to replace(space & space, space, thisName) -- replace 2 spaces with 1 space

However, that line was just for folder names like "Bob default bob" with a space before and after "default".

Actually, the error was not mine. It was due to the forum editor, which seems to automatically replace two

consecutive spaces with only one space.

Here's a bash way:

(starts in Desktop, edit for folder to search)

#/bin/bash

for f in ~/Desktop/*
do
  if [ -d "$f" ] ; then
       if [ "$f" != "${f/% ([12][0-9][0-9][0-9])/}" ] ; then
            mv "$f" "${f/% ([12][0-9][0-9][0-9])/}"
       fi
  fi
done

The following should do the trick (if there's always a space before the left parenthesis):

set theFolder to choose folder

tell application "Finder" to set theNames to name of folders of theFolder

set theNewNames to {}

repeat with thisName in theNames

set P1 to offset of "(" in thisName

set P2 to offset of ")" in thisName

if P1 * P2 > 0 then

try

get (text (P1 + 1) thru (P2 - 1) of thisName) as integer

set theString to text P1 thru P2 of thisName

set thisName to replace(space & theString, "", thisName)

on error

-- no change

end try

end if

copy thisName to the end of theNewNames

end repeat

tell application "Finder" to repeat with k from 1 to (count theNames)

try

set name of folder (item k of theNames) of theFolder to (item k of theNewNames)

end try

end repeat

on replace(A, B, theText)

set {TID, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {AppleScript'stext item delimiters, {A}}

set {theTextItems, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {text items of theText, {B}}

set {theText, AppleScript'stext item delimiters} to {theTextItems as text, TID}

return theText

end replace

The bash script can be wrapped in an Applescript with a do shell script command.

set theFolder to choose folder

do shell script "

for f in " & POSIX path of theFolder & "*" & "

do

if [ -d \"$f\" ] ; then

if [ \"$f\" != \"${f/% ([12][0-9][0-9][0-9])/}\" ] ; then

mv \"$f\" \"${f/% ([12][0-9][0-9][0-9])/}\"

fi

fi

done

"

Hi Pierre,

Recently, I have studied one of your former reply regarding control of System Preference using AppleScript. And after that, I intended to write a script simplifying the workflow of --click "Sharing" on the System PreferencePane-- Click "Internet Sharing" -- Click "Turn on Wi-Fi" -- Click "start". Here is my script which can be complied successfully :

tell application "System Preferences" to activate

tell application "System Events"

tell process "System Preferences"

tell menu bar 1

tell menu bar item "View"

delay 1

tell menu 1

click menu item "Sharing"

end tell

end tell

end tell

delay 1

tell window "Sharing"

click checkbox 1 of row 7 of table 1 of scroll area 1 of group 1

delay 1

if (exists sheet 1) then

if (exists button "Turn Wi-Fi On" of sheet 1) then

click button "Turn Wi-Fi On" of sheet 1

delay 1

if (exists button "Start" of sheet 1) then

click button "Start" of sheet 1

delay 1

end if

end if

else

do shell script "/usr/sbin/networksetup -setairportpower en1 off"

delay 1

end if

end tell

Unfortunately, when I run the script, it prompts a error saying :

error "System Events got an error: Can’t get window \"Sharing\" of process \"System Preferences\"." number -1728 from window "Sharing" of process "System Preferences"

However, if I run the script after activating the System Preference manually, it works perfectly. So I am here seeking for an solution to my problem, any suggestion would be appreciated ! Thank you ! By the way, I am running Mac OS X 10.09 Maverick now.