How do I modify a bunch of files at once?

If you have a whole lot of files, it can be tedious to perform simple Finder tasks on them. Such tasks may include renaming, moving, copying, and other things you can do in the Finder. Fortunately, Mac OS X includes a powerful program called Automator that can automatically perform tasks on large groups of files. Automator can also work with other programs you have installed on your computer to perform batch operations.

The Automator program in located in the Applications folder inside your main hard drive. When you first open Automator, you'll be presented with a window asking what kind of “workflow” you will be creating.

• Files & Folders deals with Finder objects
• Music & Audio deals with iTunes and Sountrack Pro content
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• Text deals with... text

After you select a starting point, you need to select where the content being used in your workflow will come from. The first drop down menu selects what program or source the content will come from. The second drop down menu selects how your Automator workflow will acquire that content. Most of the options are self–explanatory. After you've selected a starting point and defined where the files you want to work with are coming from, you can click Choose.

If you specified that you wanted to be asked for content now, an open dialog will appear with which you can add files to your workflow. Simply navigate to a file, select it, and click Add. The file you selected will appear in a list in the topmost box in the workflow space. Click Add... or Remove to add to or take things out of the list.

If you specified that you want your workflow to search for content, you should define search parameters using the controls in the topmost box in the workflow space.

Now you can add commands to the workflow from the left. Under the library list you can select a category of commands and then drag the command into the workflow. When you drag in some commands, Automator may ask if you want to add a copy command before the command that will modify your files. This will prevent Automator from changing the original copies of any files. You can decide if you want to modify copies of files or the original files.

When you're done organizing your workflow, double–check it! Automator can cause serious confusion and damage your files if you're not careful. You may want to consider doing a backup before you run an Automator workflow. When you're ready to begin, click the Run button at the top right of the Automator window. Most workflows will only take a few seconds, though long and complicated ones acting on a lot of files could take several minutes.

Published September 30, 2009 5:16 PM
Last modified on October 7, 2009 2:32 PM