Relocating files based on creation date

Question

Hello,
I have a folder full of hundreds of Video clips. I am interested in a script that will
1. look at the files sequentially
2. For each file read the creation date
3. If a Folder with that creation date does not exist, create a folder with that creation date (YYYY-MM-DD)
4. Move the file to the folder with the file's creation date
I've never used automator. Is this easy to do using that program?
The reason I want to do this is to avoid having to manually re-organize the videos by date, if I were to import the contents of the existing folder of video clips into iMovie.
Appreciate any input you can provide.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Automator is designed to take small, pre-written routines (actions) and string them together into a workflow. There isn't a default action to do something like this, but the Run AppleScript action can be used. Actually, an AppleScript would probably be the way to go, but I just happened to have an Automator action lying around for some reason.
Tested workflow:
1) *Ask for FInder Items* {Type: Folders}
2) *Get Folder Contents* (be careful with getting subfolders - this action will go into packages)
3) *Run AppleScript:*
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title="this text can be pasted into an Automator 'Run AppleScript' action">
on run {input, parameters} -- create folders and move
make new folders from file creation dates (if needed), then move document files into their respective new folders
if no container is specified (missing value), the new folder will be created in the containing folder of the item
if the container is not a valid path (and not missing value), one will be asked for
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 (errors)
set TheContainer to "" -- a Finder path to a destination folder, or missing value for the source folder
if TheContainer is not missing value then try -- check the destination path
TheContainer as alias
on error
set TheContainer to (choose folder with prompt "Where do you want to move the items?")
end try
tell application "Finder" to repeat with AnItem in the input -- step through each item in the input
if TheContainer is not missing value then -- move to the specified folder
set {class:TheClass, name:TheName, name extension:TheExtension} to item AnItem
else -- move to the source folder
set {class:TheClass, name:TheName, name extension:TheExtension, container:TheContainer} to item AnItem
end if
if TheClass is document file then try -- just documents
set TheDate to text 1 thru 10 of (creation date of AnItem as «class isot» as string) -- YYYY-MM-DD
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
-- duplicate AnItem to the result
move AnItem to the result
set the end of output to (result as alias) -- the new file alias
on error -- permissions, etc
-- set the end of SkippedItems to (AnItem as text) -- the full path
set the end of SkippedItems to TheName -- just the name
end try
end repeat
ShowSkippedAlert for SkippedItems
return the output -- pass the result(s) to the next action
end run
to ShowSkippedAlert for SkippedItems
show an alert dialog for any items skipped, with the option to cancel the workflow
parameters - SkippedItems [list]: the items skipped
returns nothing
if SkippedItems is not {} then
set {AlertText, TheCount} to {"Error with AppleScript action", count SkippedItems}
if TheCount is greater than 1 then
set theMessage to (TheCount as text) & space & " items were skipped:"
else
set theMessage to "1 " & " item was skipped:"
end if
set {TempTID, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {AppleScript's text item delimiters, return}
set {SkippedItems, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {SkippedItems as text, TempTID}
if button returned of (display alert AlertText message (theMessage & return & SkippedItems) ¬
alternate button "Cancel" default button "OK") is "Cancel" then error number -128
end if
return
end ShowSkippedAlert
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