File Structure Automation

Automate Your File Structure Creation with Scripting

Yo! In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a file structure using a script, bypassing the manual process of navigating through the GUI or entering commands in the terminal. By the end of this guide, you will be able to:

• Write a script to generate a specific file and directory layout
• Execute the script to create the file structure on your system
• Customize the script to suit various projects and organizational needs

This method is ideal for developers, system administrators, and anyone who frequently needs to set up directories and files in a consistent, repeatable manner. Save time and ensure accuracy by scripting your file structure creation!

Note: This repository is intended for macOS only, y'all are still our comrades Matt and Winston

1. So first things first

• Decide on your file structure (look at your syllabus, work schedule, etc.)
• One is provided create_simple_structure.sh to experiment with
• In the terminal you can make a .sh file by using touchtouch nameOfYourFile.sh
• Open and edit this .sh file using nano, the built in text editor for mac nano nameOfYourFile.sh

2. Second things second

• Navigate to the directory where you created the .sh file / script. Use the first command to give permission to execute the create_structure.sh or nameOfYourFile.sh file, then run the second command to generate the file and directory layout:

  cd path/to/your/script
  chmod +x create_structure.sh

  ./create_structure.sh

  The first command makes script executable, second runs the script.

3. Third things third

• Look at your file structure in the GUI / Finder
• Look at your file structure in the terminal using tree (go to npm to download it and check it out) and command tree -L 2 ~/Dev
• Make a new structure if you don't like the current one and run the automation script on it (make sure to erase the last structure)

Simple File Structure Provided

~/Dev/
└── Codesmith
├── Lectures
│ ├── Week01
│ ├── Week02
│ └── Week03
├── Projects
│ ├── Project1
│ └── Project2
├── Assignments
│ ├── Week01
│ ├── Week02
│ └── Week03
├── Resources
│ ├── Materials
│ └── References
├── Notes
│ ├── Week01
│ ├── Week02
│ └── Week03
├── GitHub
│ ├── Repos
│ └── Personal
├── Job_Search
│ ├── Resume
│ └── Prep
└── Post_Graduation
├── Plans
└── Resources

Notes

• Another structure is provided in create_GEB_structure.sh. Modify the commands to give permission to execute this file/script, then execute this script.
• A script is a file that contains a series of commands.
• A command is a single instruction.
• You can make this all into one script and execute it at once, but it’s cool to go into the terminal and practice running code from there.