Applescript to automatically replace characters in filename

Here's the second half to my post regarding automatically adding file extensions to files in OS X.

If you're in a mixed environment where Mac and PC users are, you know that it can sometimes be a challenge to get everyone to name files so that they are compatible with both types of computers. Normally the Mac users are the culprits because Macs allow a wider range of characters in the filenames. Configuring folder actions, and using a simple Applescript, you can automatically remove any characters you want from the file names though, or replace them with a different character of your choosing. Here's the Applescript:

--set the list of characters you want to replace
--disallowedChars will be replaced with the replacementChar

--in this case, an underscore
property disallowedChars : ":;,/|!@#$%^&*()+" 

--anything in disallowedChars2 will be removed altogether

property disallowedChars2 : "'"

--set the character you'd like to use to replace the invalid 

--characters specified in disallowedChars
property replacementCharacter : "_"

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items

tell application "Finder"
try
repeat with x in added_items

set fileNamed to name of x

set newName to my CleanName(fileNamed)

set (name of x) to newName

end repeat

on error

display dialog "An error occurred."

end try

end tell

end adding folder items to

--function for cleaning the characters from the file name

on CleanName(theName)

set newName to ""

repeat with i from 1 to length of theName

--check if the character is in disallowedChars

--replace it with the replacementCharacter if it is

if ((character i of theName) is in disallowedChars) then

set newName to newName & replacementCharacter

--check if the character is in disallowedChars2

--remove it completely if it is

else if ((character i of theName) is in disallowedChars2) then

set newName to newName & ""

--if the character is not in either disallowedChars or

--disallowedChars2, keep it in the file name

else

set newName to newName & character i of theName

end if

end repeat

return newName

end CleanName

Using that script in combination with OS X folder actions will allow you to successfully replace any character you want with any character you specify. The only things you'd need to modify are the disallowedChars, disallowedChars2, and replacementCharacter variables.