Renaming files with Automator & Apple Spript

Question

Hi there!
I need the help of an expert in Automator & Apple Spript....
I've got to rename 500 files with the following names:
001-001 firstfilename.jpg
104-095a otherfilename.jpg
Any idea on how to get rid of the second number (that is 3 or 4 characters long, but always followed by a space) so to have something like:
001 firstfilename.jpg
104 otherfilename.jpg
Thanks in advance & Ciao!
Sergio
Black MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

The following script should work.
IMPORTANT:
1) The files whose names you want to change must all be in the same folder. That folder must be open, and it must be the front finder window.
(Also, no other files should be in that folder)
2) Make a back-up of the files before you do this (just in case there is a problem. I hope the files are not too large)
3) This should work if the file names are consistent. I have presumed that there is always a hyphen and a space ( ) and that you wish to keep the characters before the hyphen and after the space.
4) Copy the script below into the script editor. When you have prepared 1 & 2 above then run the script. Good luck
--Start of Script
tell application "Finder"
set myFiles to every file of the front window
repeat with Cfile in myFiles
set WholeName to the name of Cfile
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to "-"
set WNlist to every text item of WholeName
set WNpart1 to first item of WNlist
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to " "
set WNlist2 to every text item of WholeName
set WNpart2 to last item of WNlist2
set NewName to WNpart1 & " " & WNpart2
set name of Cfile to NewName
end repeat
end tell
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
--End of Script
MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   iMac G4 (10.3.9)