Rearranging names

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
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#1

Hi there.

Can someone please tell me how to create an applescript that will rename a bunch of files by re-arranging the text that is already in the name. For example, a script that will rename 1234-henry-231066 to 231066-henry-1234 and do this for all the files in the folder?

Or perhaps you know of a script/application that has already been written… that would be better.

Thanks

#2

This is slightly clunky, but it will do the job, as long as the pattern of all the filenames is the same, that is, there is a string, a dash, a second string, a dash, a third string, and then the file extension. It is set up now to just do a single, chosen file, but could be easily set up to process an entire folder.

set a to choose file
tell application "Finder"
	set b to (a's name)
	set a's name to my SwapFilename(b)
end tell


to SwapFilename(fn)
	set fnWords to every word of fn
	set newName to (fnWords's item 3) & "-" & (fnWords's item 2) & "-" & (fnWords's item 1) & "." & (fnWords's item 4)
end SwapFilename
#3

Thank you very much for this. I am a little clunky myself when it comes to Applescript… how could this be changed to select and process an entire folder.

Again… many thanks.

#4

Here is a slight modification so that it will process every file in the chosen folder:

set a to choose folder
tell application "Finder"
	set all_Files to (every file of folder a)
	repeat with each_File in all_Files
		set b to (each_File's name)
		set each_File's name to my SwapFilename(b)
	end repeat
end tell


to SwapFilename(fn)
	set fnWords to every word of fn
	set newName to (fnWords's item 3) & "-" & (fnWords's item 2) & "-" & (fnWords's item 1) & "." & (fnWords's item 4)
end SwapFilename

I am trying to make it into a droplet, but am having difficulties. If I can figure it out, I will post that as well.