Quite some years ago you created this beautiful script for me that I have used thousands of times since then:
try
set dbPath to (path to home folder as text) & "Dropbox:"
set jobsFldr to dbPath & "CT:Pro:"
try
alias jobsFldr
on error
do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of (POSIX path of jobsFldr)
end try
set _date to do shell script "date \"+%y-%m-%d\""
--set _date to do shell script "date \"+%d%m%y\""
tell application "Finder"
activate
set _sel to selection as alias list
if length of _sel > 0 then
set clientName to text returned of (display dialog "Enter Client Name" default answer "Client Name")
--set fldrName to clientName & _date
set fldrName to clientName & "20" & _date
try
set similarJobs to name of folders of folder jobsFldr whose name starts with fldrName
if length of similarJobs > 0 then
set lastJob to last item of similarJobs
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "-"
set lastDigit to last text item of lastJob
set newFldr to make new folder at folder jobsFldr with properties {name:fldrName & "-" & lastDigit + 1}
end if
on error
set newFldr to make new folder at folder jobsFldr with properties {name:fldrName & "-1"}
end try
move _sel to newFldr
reveal newFldr
end if
end tell
on error e number n
set e to e & return & return & "Num: " & n
tell application "Finder" to set dDlg to display dialog e with title "ERROR!" buttons {"Cancel", "Copy", "OK"} default button "OK"
if button returned of dDlg = "Copy" then set the clipboard to e
end try
The original script contained the line set jobsFldr to dbPath & "CT:Jobs:" but since I want to use a second script to actually store my unzipped XLIFF files etc. in my Proj folders structure, I changed this line to: set jobsFldr to dbPath & "CT:Pro:".
This slightly modified script does exactly what it is supposed to do: move all selected files on the Desktop to a folder like: /Users/hl/Dropbox/CT/Pro/miller2022-12-29-1.
However, I'd like to move files for client Miller to /Users/hl/Dropbox/CT/Pro/miller/miller2022-12-29-1:
If /Users/hl/Dropbox/CT/Pro/miller/ doesn't exist, it should be created.
Would you be willing to make the necessary modifications to script? Many thanks in advance!
BTW: Since you originally created this script, Keyboard Maestro has evolved tremendously. I was wondering: could this task also be managed with KM-only actions?
I'm sure @ccstone can make the AppleScript do what you want and it will run very fast. But since you asked whether this can be done with just Keyboard Maestro actions...
The answer is yes. The fiddly bit is the last digit at the end of the folder name which makes a unique folder each time you run the Macro.
miller2022-12-29-1
If it was just a date at the end and you were happy to have all files moved on the same day end up in the same dated folder that would make the Macro a bit simpler.
A kind of quirk of Keyboard Maestro is that when you tell it to create a folder at a location it will not overwrite if a folder of that name already exists at the location. You would think you would need a condition to say "only if this folder doesn't exist create it" but in fact Keyboard Maestro handles this nicely - making a new folder if it doesn't exist and leaving the folder and its contents alone if it does exist.
In the first Magenta Action you would replace ~/Desktop with the path to where you want to store these folders on Dropbox. But first test that it does what you want by trying out on dummy files.
To use, you first select the files you want to move in the Finder and run the Macro.
Most (all?) scripting languages fail gracefully upon encountering that condition, because to do otherwise would very frequently destroy data users don't want destroyed.
You might want to turn on ‘Create Intermediates’ in the create folder action.
Required info ⇢ How are you determining who the client is for the selected file(s)?
This task could always be done via Keyboard Maestro native actions. I just wrote it in AppleScript, because it was easier for me – and because the AppleScripted move is undoable in the Finder.
Keyboard Maestro's move is similar to the shell's in that the actions cannot be undone, therefore I always prefer to do this kind of thing with AppleScript.
There is just one input box, for the client's name. This name shall be used both for the subfolder /Users/hl/Dropbox/CT/Pro/miller/ and the sub-subfolder /Users/hl/Dropbox/CT/Pro/miller/miller2022-12-30-1.
try
set dbPath to (path to home folder as text) & "Dropbox:"
set jobsFldr to dbPath & "CT:Pro:"
try
alias jobsFldr
on error
do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of (POSIX path of jobsFldr)
end try
set _date to do shell script "date \"+%y-%m-%d\""
--set _date to do shell script "date \"+%d%m%y\""
tell application "Finder"
activate
set _sel to selection as alias list
if length of _sel > 0 then
set clientName to text returned of (display dialog "Enter Client Name" default answer "Client Name")
--set fldrName to clientName & _date
set fldrName to clientName & "20" & _date
set clientFolder to make new folder at folder jobsFldr with properties {name:clientName}
try
set similarJobs to name of folders of clientFolder whose name starts with fldrName
if length of similarJobs > 0 then
set lastJob to last item of similarJobs
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "-"
set lastDigit to last text item of lastJob
set newFldr to make new folder at clientFolder with properties {name:fldrName & "-" & lastDigit + 1}
end if
on error
set newFldr to make new folder at clientFolder with properties {name:fldrName & "-1"}
end try
move _sel to newFldr
reveal newFldr
end if
end tell
on error e number n
set e to e & return & return & "Num: " & n
tell application "Finder" to set dDlg to display dialog e with title "ERROR!" buttons {"Cancel", "Copy", "OK"} default button "OK"
if button returned of dDlg = "Copy" then set the clipboard to e
end try
. Thank you for all your help this year and have a good 2023, Chris!