Help please with removing the file extensions

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hi all,

I am trying to muddle my way though a little script that gets a list of PDF files from a folder and then duplicates another type of file (.job Preps File) to the amount of PDFs and renames it each time.

I have got this working but it retains the .pdf extension and removes the .job extension the script I have so far is below:

tell application "Finder"
	
	set file_name to name of (files whose name extension is in {"pdf"}) of (choose folder with prompt "Select a folder to get content file names:")
	-- Returns: {"FileName1.pdf", "FileName4.pdf", "FileName3.pdf", "FileName2.pdf"}
	
	set thePrepsFile to (choose file with prompt "Select a .job file to duplicate:")
	-- Selects which file is being duplicated
	
	set theFolder to (choose folder with prompt "Select a destination folder:")
	-- Selects where the files are going to be placed
	
	
	repeat with theItem in file_name
		set thePrepsFileCopy to duplicate thePrepsFile to theFolder
		set name of thePrepsFileCopy to (theItem as Unicode text)
	end repeat
	
end tell

Thankyou in advance for any help with this.

Andy

#2 
repeat with theItem in file_name
	set thePrepsFileCopy to duplicate thePrepsFile to theFolder
	set name of thePrepsFileCopy to (theItem as Unicode text)
	set name extension of thePrepsFileCopy to "job"
end repeat
#3

Hi Thanks for the quick reply.

It comes up with a AppleScript Error of:
Finder got an error: Can’t set document file “PrepsPrinergy.job” of folder “Preps” of folder “Desktop” of folder “arw” of folder “Users” of startup disk to “job”.

Any ideas? I must admit I know very little about AppleScript.

Cheers
Andy

#4

Yes, my mistake, sorry.
When the copy is renamed it becomes another file, and the last line talks to a file which doesn’t exists any more.
I’ll get back to you…

[later]
This should do it:

repeat with theItem in file_name
		set thePrepsFileCopy to duplicate thePrepsFile to theFolder
		set name of thePrepsFileCopy to (theItem as Unicode text)
		-- make a path string for the renamed file...
		set newFilePath to (theFolder as alias as text) & theItem -- this is text!
		--... and change its extension
		set name extension of alias newFilePath to "job" -- mind the 'alias'!
	end repeat

This too:

	repeat with theItem in file_name
		set thePrepsFileCopy to duplicate thePrepsFile to theFolder
		-- create a new name first:
		set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "."
		set theName to text item 1 of theItem-- drop old extension
		set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
		set theName to (theName as text) & ".job"-- add new one in
		-- and rename
		set name of thePrepsFileCopy to theName
	end repeat

More than one way to skin an apple :slight_smile:

#5

Thanks :smiley:

The first one works a treat.

I have noticed that there is more than one way to do anything in AppleScript.

Cheers
Andy

#6

@alastor933: Your second example doesn’t work on all files. If the path contains a period then you don’t have the complete files

it should be something like this

changeExtension("/Users/root/filewithnoextension", ".job") --returns :"/Users/root/filewithnoextension.job"
changeExtension("/Users/root/file.txt", ".job") --returns :"/Users/root/file.job"
changeExtension("/Users/root/com.apple.finder.plist", ".job") --returns :"/Users/root/com.apple.finder.job"

on changeExtension(posixFilePath, newExtensionName)
	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "."
	set theTextItems to every text item of posixFilePath
	if (count theTextItems) = 1 then
		set newPosixFilePath to posixFilePath & newExtensionName as string
	else if (count theTextItems) = 2 then
		set newPosixFilePath to item 1 of theTextItems & newExtensionName as string
	else
		set newPosixFilePath to (items 1 thru -2 of theTextItems as string) & newExtensionName as string
	end if
	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
	return newPosixFilePath
end changeExtension
#7

True.
I really should learn not to dive in like that…:rolleyes:

But…
I think I’d prefer passing a file name, and leave the file specifiers in the calling script.