Need an AppleScript that inserts tabs into text strings

jhonea66 · March 17, 2005, 10:02pm

I am no AppleScript guru, and I wondered if someone out there can give me some help. I will be receiving text files from a customer. The text files will contain multiple lines that are 1059 characters each. On each line, I need to insert a tab at specified intervals (like "count 10 charcters, then insert tab; count the next 3 characters, then insert tab, etc.) I need to be able edit the script to be able to specify the intervals. Once I have all the intervals for a single line, it will be the same for every line in the file. Then I need to save the text file as “tab-delimited.”

Ideally, I would like to be able to drop a number of files into a Finder folder, and have the script batch process the files. Then if we could input each line into a FileMaker Pro database, that would be even cooler.

How can I do this? Any pointers will be appreciated…

-Joel

jonn8 · March 18, 2005, 8:02am

You’re on your own for the FMP import (though that isn’t too bad and can be scripted), but here’s an entabbing script that should work for you (test it on copies first!):

–Open this script in a new Script Editor window.

property tab_stops_count : 2
property tab_stops : {}

my [color=green]init_tab_stops/color
activate
my process_folder((choose folder with prompt “Locate your folder of text files to entab:”) as Unicode text)
my dd(“Done.”, missing value, {“OK”}, 1, 1, 10)

on [color=green]process_folder/color
set the_files to (list folder (f as alias) without invisibles)
repeat with i from 1 to (count the_files)
my process_file(f & the_files’s item i)
end repeat
end process_folder

on [color=green]process_file/color
set p to paragraphs of (read (f as alias))
repeat with j from 1 to (count p)
set p’s item j to my add_tabs(p’s item j)
end repeat
do shell script “echo " & (quoted form of (”" & p)) & " > " & (quoted form of POSIX path of f)
end process_file

on [color=green]add_tabs/color
if p = “” then return p
set start_char to 1
set return_p to {}
repeat with i from 1 to tab_stops_count
set end_char to ((start_char + (tab_stops’s item i)) - 1)
set end of return_p to (p’s text start_char thru end_char) & tab
set start_char to end_char + 1
end repeat
set end of return_p to (p’s text start_char thru -1) & return
return “” & return_p
end add_tabs

on [color=green]init_tab_stops/color
set tab_stops_count to text returned of my dd(“How many tab stops?”, tab_stops_count, {“Cancel”, “OK”}, 2, 1, missing value)
set tab_stops_temp to {}
repeat with i from 1 to tab_stops_count
try
set da to tab_stops’s item i
on error
set da to “”
end try
if i = 1 then
set m to "Characters before tab "
else
set m to "Characters between tabs " & (i - 1) & " and "
end if
set end of tab_stops_temp to (text returned of my dd(m & i & “:”, da, {“Cancel”, “OK”}, 2, 1, missing value)) as integer
end repeat
set tab_stops to tab_stops_temp
end init_tab_stops

on dd(m, da, b, db, i, gu)
if da = missing value then
set da_t to “”
else
set da_t to " default answer “” & da & “”"
end if
if gu = missing value then
set gu_t to “”
else
set gu_t to " giving up after " & gu
end if
set b_t to {“{”}
set b_count to (count b)
repeat with j from 1 to b_count
set end of b_t to “”" & b’s item j & “”"
if j < b_count then set end of b_t to ", "
end repeat
set b_t to “” & b_t & “}”
run script (“tell application “System Events”” & return & “activate” & return & “display dialog “” & m & “”” & da_t & " buttons " & b_t & " default button " & db & " with icon " & i & gu_t & return & “end tell”)
end dd

Jon

[This script was automatically tagged for color coded syntax by Convert Script to Markup Code]

jhonea66 · March 18, 2005, 2:57pm

Thanks! I’ll give it a try…