CODEWITHSUNDEEP
bashshellapplescript
Vasily Sidorenko
Vasily Sidorenko

Reputation: 13

Running a bash script on dropped files

I have a bash script that works as intended if I run it through the command line but I would like to have it run on dropped files files via an Automator Droplet.

The script loops through the files and places every file that has the same substring before the "-" in the same folder.

Here is the bash script:

for file in *; do dir=$(echo $file | cut -d- -f1); mkdir -p $dir; mv $file $dir; done

Through the Terminal I can set the directory and it works flawlessly but going through Automator I am having a hard time getting it to work. I have tried wrapping it inside an Applescript that takes dropped files as an input but it does not seem to work and I'm not quite sure where it is failing.

on open droppedItems
    repeat with aFile in theFiles
        do shell script "do dir=$(echo $file | cut -d- -f1); mkdir -p $dir; mv $file $dir; done"
    end repeat
end open

I also tried this which I though was supposed to let you take the arguments and generate a list on which to execute the commands.

for arg in [list]; do dir=$(echo $file | cut -d- -f1); mkdir -p $dir; mv $file $dir; done

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1247

Answers (1)

user3439894
user3439894

Reputation: 7555

This is how I'd code the shell script for the Run Shell Script action with Pass input: [as arguments] in the Automator workflow used as a Service/Quick Action1:

Example shell script code:

    # f  = fully qualified pathname
    # d  = directory pathname
    # fn = filename with extension
    # dn = portion of filename up to - and
    #      the dir to create, if necessary.

for f in "$@"; do
    [ -f "${f}" ] || continue
    d="${f%/*}"
    fn="${f##*/}"
    dn="${fn%-*}"
    cd "${d}" || exit
    [ ! -d "${dn}" ] && mkdir "${dn}"
    mv -n "${f}" "${dn}"
done

enter image description here


Notes:

  • The -n option used in the mv command stops from overwriting an existing file. If you have a scenario where you want existing files overwritten, then remove the -n option used in the mv command.
  • 1 The example shell script code can also be use in an Automator workflow as an application for drag and drop operations. Just select Application when creating a new workflow and add the Run Shell Script action with Pass input: [as arguments] and the code.

Upvotes: 3

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