• Extract Multiple Folders At Once
• Extract Multiple Zip Folders
• Extract All Files From Folders
• Extract Files From Multiple Folders Mac
• How Do I Extract Files From Multiple Folders On A Mac

Prompting for Files or Folders

It’s generally good practice to avoid hard-coding file and folder paths in a script. Prompting the user to select files and folders makes for a more dynamic script that won’t break when paths change.

The problem is that I have a lot of music, and iTunes organizes the music by putting music in separate folders via artist, and then more separate folders by album. This means there is no easy way to transfer all of my music over. I'd have to manually click on every folder, and copy songs one by one, which would take a super long time. Mar 03, 2013 Open the folder using Finder, then type a single space into the search field at the top right. This will open the search options, which will default to “This Mac” (i.e. All files and folders on the computer). Click the name of the folder from which you want to extract files, which will be alongside. Apr 23, 2017 ExtractNow has a clean, well-designed and easy-to-use interface. To extract files, simply drag and drop them into the main program window, or right-click the files while in Windows Explorer. ExtractNow supports the two most popular compression formats, ZIP and RAR, as well as a handful of other formats. Simple but not simplistic, this is a.

Prompting for a File

Use the Standard Additions scripting addition’s choose file command to prompt the user to select a file. Listing 26-1 and Listing 26-2 demonstrate how to use this command to display the simple file selection dialog with a custom prompt shown in Figure 26-1.

APPLESCRIPT

1. set theDocument to choose file with prompt 'Please select a document to process:'
2. --> Result: alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Documents:ImportantDoc.pages'

JAVASCRIPT

1. var app = Application.currentApplication()
2. app.includeStandardAdditions = true
3. var document = app.chooseFile({
4. withPrompt: 'Please select a document to process:'
5. })
6. document
7. // Result: Path('/Users/yourUserName/Documents/ImportantDoc.pages')

Prompting for a Specific Type of File

If your script requires specific types of files for processing, you can use the choose file command’s optional of type parameter to provide a list of acceptable types. Types may be specified as extension strings without the leading period (such as 'jpg' or 'png') or as uniform type identifiers (such as 'public.image' or 'com.apple.iwork.pages.sffpages'). Listing 26-3 and Listing 26-4 show how to prompt for an image.

APPLESCRIPT

1. set theImage to choose file with prompt 'Please select an image to process:' of type {'public.image'}
2. --> Result: alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Pictures:IMG_0024.jpg'

JAVASCRIPT

1. var app = Application.currentApplication()
2. app.includeStandardAdditions = true
3. var image = app.chooseFile({
4. withPrompt: 'Please select an image to process:',
5. ofType: ['public.image']
6. })
7. image
8. // Result: Path('/Users/yourUserName/Pictures/IMG_0024.jpg')

Prompting for Multiple Files

To let the user choose more than one file, include the choose file command’s optional multiple selections allowed parameter. Listing 26-5 and Listing 26-6 display a prompt asking for multiple images, as shown in Figure 26-2.

APPLESCRIPT

1. set theImages to choose file with prompt 'Please select some images to process:' of type {'public.image'} with multiple selections allowed
2. --> Result: {alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Pictures:IMG_0024.jpg', alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Pictures:IMG_0025.jpg', alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Pictures:IMG_0026.jpg'}

JAVASCRIPT

1. var app = Application.currentApplication()
2. app.includeStandardAdditions = true
3. var images = app.chooseFile({
4. withPrompt: 'Please select some images to process:',
5. ofType: ['public.image'],
6. multipleSelectionsAllowed: true
7. })
8. images
9. // Result: [Path('/Users/yourUserName/Pictures/IMG_0024.jpg'), Path('/Users/yourUserName/Pictures/IMG_0025.jpg'), Path('/Users/yourUserName/Pictures/IMG_0026.jpg')]

Prompting for a Folder

Use the Standard Additions scripting addition’s choose folder command to prompt the user to select a folder, such as an output folder or folder of images to process. Listing 26-7 and Listing 26-8 demonstrate how to use this command to display the simple folder selection dialog with a custom prompt shown in Figure 26-3.

APPLESCRIPT

1. set theOutputFolder to choose folder with prompt 'Please select an output folder:'
2. --> Result: alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Desktop:'

JAVASCRIPT

1. var app = Application.currentApplication()
2. app.includeStandardAdditions = true
3. var outputFolder = app.chooseFolder({
4. withPrompt: 'Please select an output folder:'
5. })
6. outputFolder
7. // Result: Path('/Users/yourUserName/Desktop')

Prompting for Multiple Folders

To let the user choose more than one folder, include the choose folder command’s optional multiple selections allowed parameter, as shown in Listing 26-9 and Listing 26-10.

APPLESCRIPT

1. set theFoldersToProcess to choose folder with prompt 'Please select the folders containing images to process:' with multiple selections allowed
2. --> Result: {alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Desktop:', alias 'Macintosh HD:Users:yourUserName:Documents:'}

JAVASCRIPT

1. var app = Application.currentApplication()
2. app.includeStandardAdditions = true
3. var foldersToProcess = app.chooseFolder({
4. withPrompt: 'Please select an output folder:',
5. multipleSelectionsAllowed: true
6. })
7. foldersToProcess
8. // Result: [Path('/Users/yourUserName/Desktop'), Path('/Users/yourUserName/Documents')]

Copyright © 2018 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Updated: 2016-06-13

Jul 08, 2021

3min Read

Sometimes when you want to download a file, you might notice that it comes in a .zip format. If you don’t know what it is and are having trouble opening it, you’ve come to the right place! This article is going to teach you how to unzip files using default applications in Windows and macOS as well as third-party programs.

Extract Multiple Folders At Once

Two Ways to Unzip Files

There are two ways to extract zipped files:

1. By using your operating system’s built-in software.
2. By using third-party tools.

Let’s look at each one of these options in more detail.

1. Using an OS Built-In Tool

First, let’s take a look at how to extract files using native software found in Windows and macOS. Because you’re only using what your computer already has, there is no need to download another tool.

Windows

While it is possible to see the content of a zip file by double-clicking on it on Windows, you still need to extract the files to use it. The Windows default support for .zip goes by the name of Compressed (zipped) folders and here’s how to use it:

1. Right-click the file that you want to decompress and choose Extract All.
2. Choose the directory where you want to keep the extracted files and click Extract. It is optional to check the box underneath if you need to see the content immediately after the extraction is done.
3. The files that were inside the .zip now can be found in the location you picked in step two.
   

macOS

Extract Multiple Zip Folders

Archive Utility is Mac’s built-in tool that handles the .zip format. To unzip a file, follow these steps:

1. Double-click on the file you want to unzip.
2. Once extracted, the file will appear in the same folder as its archive.
   

If you want to change the default folder location, access Internal Hard Drive -> System -> Library -> Core Services -> Archive Utility. Once there, select Preferences and set the location by clicking Save Expanded Files.

If you’re using Linux, read here for an in-depth guide on how to unzip your file.

2. Using a Third-Party Tool

While it is not necessary to download third-party tools to extract a .zip file, they do come with added features that allow you to customize, password-protect, and repair your zip files.

Below are our recommendations.

7-Zip

This file archiver is a free and open-source program with a 2-10% higher compression rate compared to WinZip and PKZip. It also has its own 7z extension that compresses data 30-70% better than the .zip format.

Extract All Files From Folders

Although it is only available for Windows, it also has a port for Linux/Posix command line called p7zip.

To unzip with this tool, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the file that you plan to extract. 7-Zip should be listed there after installation.
2. Hover your mouse above the program name, and you will see a drop-down menu with multiple commands. Click Extract Files.
3. In the next menu, choose the save location by clicking on the three dots, leave it be if you want it in the same folder as the original. Click OK.
4. Alternatively, you can also choose Extract Here to immediately save your file in the archive’s location or Extract to [File Name] to make a folder out of the extracted data.

Zipware

Just like 7-Zip, Zipware is also a Windows-only extractor. However, it has a few features that stand out, such as a streamlined file manager, a password manager, conversion of all compatible formats to .zip, .exe, or .7z and a virus scan.

Again, decompressing using this tool follows the same method as the previous ones with slightly different options:

• Extract to this folder – for immediate extraction to the location of the zip.
• Extract to this folder + Filenames – for a similar effect but with a folder made out of the file.
• Extract to other… – opens a drop-down menu to choose another location.

Extract Files From Multiple Folders Mac

Regardless of what tool you use, it is a good practice to delete the .zip file after you extract its content because keeping both consumes more space.

What is a .zip File?

A .zip file is an archive containing one or more files that have been compressed to reduce its size. Zipping a file is useful to spare up to 80% or more storage space.

Additionally, zipping big files enables users to upload and send them faster over the internet, simultaneously decreasing the chance of it being corrupted. Users can also use .zip format to encrypt their data for extra security.

There is plenty of software that can be used to unzip files. However, your computer is generally already equipped with a built-in program that can perform the task just fine.

Conclusion

A zip file is an archiving method that is useful to save storage since it compresses file sizes.

How Do I Extract Files From Multiple Folders On A Mac

You can unzip files either using default Windows and macOS settings or by utilizing third-party software such as Zipware, and 7-Zip.

The process itself takes only a few clicks, so you can have the task done in no time.

Edvinas is a professional mentor and trainer of customer support agents. When he's not teaching new guys the secrets of providing an exceptional service, he likes to travel the world and play basketball.