Readingout date and create a folder

Question

Hi,
I'd like to use automator to do the following:
reading out the creationdate of the raw-files in a folder ->creating folders that are named with the date of the files -> move the raw-files to the created folders.
How can I do that?
Thanks for hints and tips!

Answer 1

The following AppleScript action will take Finder items as it's input (for example, from Ask for FInder Items + Get Folder Contents), make new folders (as needed) named with the item creation date, and move the items into the appropriate folders:
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title="this text can be pasted into an Automator 'Run AppleScript' action">
on run {input, parameters} -- move files
make new folders from file creation dates (if needed), then move document files into the folders
input: a list of Finder items (aliases) to move
output: a list of the Finder items (aliases) moved
set output to {}
set SkippedItems to {} -- this will be a list of skipped items
tell application "Finder" to repeat with AnItem in the input -- step through each item in the input
set {class:TheClass, container:TheContainer} to (get properties of AnItem)
if TheClass is document file then try -- just documents
do shell script "mdls -name kMDItemContentCreationDate " & quoted form of POSIX path of AnItem
tell (words of the result) to set TheDate to item 3 & "-" & item 4 & "-" & item 5
try -- check if the target folder exists
get ("" & TheContainer & TheDate) as alias
on error -- make a new folder
make new folder at TheContainer with properties {name:TheDate}
end try
move AnItem to the result
set the end of output to (result as alias) -- the new file aliases
on error -- permissions, etc
set the end of SkippedItems to (TheName & TheExtension) as text
end try
end repeat
if SkippedItems is not {} then -- handle skipped items
set TheCount to (count SkippedItems) as text
choose from list SkippedItems with title "Error with moving files" with prompt "The following " & TheCount & " items were skipped:" with empty selection allowed
if result is false then error number -128 -- user cancelled
set {TempTID, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {AppleScript's text item delimiters, return}
set SkippedItems to SkippedItems as text
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to TempTID
display alert "Error with moving files" message "The following " & TheCount & " items were skipped:" & return & SkippedItems alternate button "Cancel" default button "OK"
if button returned of the result is "Cancel" then error number -128
end if
return the output -- pass the result(s) to the next action
end run
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I've tested it with a few items, but it is always a good idea to test with smaller batches before turning it loose on a lot of files.
HTH