Applescript Date/Time File Renamer Folder Action

Thu, 2005 Nov 24, 1:58pm

This is version 1.0 of the renameToDateTimeAndMoveToDateFolder Applescript Folder Action. I created it in order to rename photos taken using a Palm Zire 71, which doesn’t have very configurable file naming conventions for the photos taken. The Deyel photo gallery engine that I created in PHP reads jpg photos from directories named with the day that the photo was taken, and the file names must reflect the date/time stamp. So, I wrote this Folder Action to do the job of renaming them appropriately.

Place this applescript in the _root/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/ directory. Then apply it to a folder of your choice by command clicking on the folder and choosing Attach Folder Action (you must have folder actions enabled).

When the action has been applied to a folder, the script will take any files matching the extension list or the type list and rename them according to the creation date using the format “YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.EXT” and will place them in a folder (create it if necessary) for the day the file was created with the format “YYYY-MM-DD” inside the folder to which the action is applied.

This is handy for organizing digital photos, since most digital cameras give the photos non-meaningful names. This script does NOT use the jpeg EXIF metadata tag. The name is created using the creation date assigned to the file, which may or may not be passed to the file when syncing with the desktop machine. (This was originally created to rename photos synced from the Palm Zire 71). Use at your own risk.

Version 1.0 (Nov. 24, 2005)

Download :: renameToDateTimeAndMoveToDateFolder.zip

Entry Filed under: applescript, plasticware