insert part of file name into (first) column of csv - excel

Question

I have hundreds of csv files with filenames in the following format: yyyymmdd_something.csv, e.g. 20131213_something.csv ... i.e., an underscore separates the date from the rest of the filename.
Each of has the following fields:
Make, Model, metric 1, metric 2, etc.
I would like to:
1) Insert the date from the file name into (preferably first) column, like so:
Date, Make, Model, metric 1, metric 2, etc.
But really it can be any column because once in Excel, it is a simple matter to re-arrange it. The date should be added as mm/dd/yyyy as it is what Excel understands.
2) After inserting the date, I would like to merge all the csv into 1 big csv file.
I'm using a Win7 machine so a dos batch file would probably be the simplest way to run it for me but if I had to, I can install perl or something to do this. Any help would be deeply appreciated. There was a thread that talks about inserting the whole file name but I really need only the date part added.

Answer 1

Hi this can be done by vbscript, the code is below:
Create a VBS file (notepad can do it, just paste following code and save file as .vbs)
You can drop 20-50 files (yyyymmdd_something.csv) as the same time to the icon of this vbs file and it will process as you wish :)
Please create Summary.csv file first and update its full path to pSumaryCSV = "......\Summary.csv"
'USAGE:
'CREATE A VBSCRIPT FILE .VBS WITH THIS CONTENT
'CREATE SUMMARY CSV FILE AND UPDATE ITS FULL PATH IN pSumaryCSV
'DRAG AND DROP YOUR ORIGINAL CSV FILE TO THIS VBS FILE ICON, IT CAN PROCESS MULTIPLE FILE (BUT DON'T PUT TOO MANY AS ONE)
'THIS CODE WILL CREATE A NEW CSV FILE <ORIGINAL FILE NAME>_DATE_ADDED.csv
'AND UPDATE Summary.csv file.
Set objArgs = WScript.Arguments
Set objFso = createobject("scripting.filesystemobject")
dim objOrgFile
dim arrStr ' an array to hold the text content
dim sLine ' holding text to write to new file
'Location of the summary file - Full path. If it is not exist then create it first.
'The summary one should have all column lable since following code will not add label to it.
pSumaryCSV = "......\Summary.csv"
'Open the summary file to append data
set aSummaryFile = objFso.OpenTextFile(pSumaryCSV, 8) '2=Open for writing 8 for appending
'Looping through all dropped file
For t = 0 to objArgs.Count - 1
' Input Path
inPath = objFso.GetFile(wscript.arguments.item(t))
inName = objFso.GetFileName(inPath)
' OutPut Path
outPath = replace(inPath, objFso.GetFileName(inPath), left(inName, InStrRev(objFso.GetFileName(inPath),".") - 1) & "_DATE_ADDED.csv")
' The original file
set objOrgFile = objFso.OpenTextFile(inPath)
'Now Creating the file can overwrite exiting file with same name
set aNewFile = objFso.CreateTextFile(outPath, True)
aNewFile.Close
'Open the new file (...._DATE_ADDED.csv) to appending data
set aNewFile = objFso.OpenTextFile(outPath, 8) '2=Open for writing 8 for appending
'=======================================================================
'Process first line, this firstline will not be added to SummaryCSV File
If Not objOrgFile.AtEndOfStream Then
arrStr = split(objOrgFile.ReadLine,",")
sLine = "Date," 'This will add Date label for
For i=lbound(arrStr) to ubound(arrStr)
sLine = sLine + arrStr(i) + ","
Next
'Writing first line to new file but not the summary one.
aNewFile.WriteLine left(sLine, len(sLine)-1) 'Get rid of that extra comma from the loop
end if
'=======================================================================
' Reading subsequent line and writing it to new file
Do Until objOrgFile.AtEndOfStream
arrStr = split(objOrgFile.ReadLine,",")
'Get the mm/dd/yyyy path from file name yyyymmdd
sLine = ""
sLine = sLine + Mid(inName,5,2) + "/" 'Get mm from file name
sLine = sLine + Mid(inName,7,2) + "/" 'Get dd from file name
sLine = sLine + Mid(inName,1,4) + "/" 'Get yyyy from file name
sLine = Sline + "," 'This will add a column
For i=lbound(arrStr) to ubound(arrStr)
sLine = sLine + arrStr(i) + ","
Next
'Writing data to new file
aNewFile.WriteLine left(sLine, len(sLine)-1) 'Get rid of that extra comma from the loop
'Writing data to summary file
aSummaryFile.WriteLine left(sLine, len(sLine)-1)
Loop
'Closing new file
aNewFile.Close
Next ' This is for next file
'Close Summary File
aSummaryFile.Close
set aSummaryFile=nothing
set aNewFile=nothing
set objFso = nothing
set objArgs = nothing