Screenshot tools

This repository contains Python scripts which automate repeated actions a technical writer need to take while working with lots of screenshots.

Currently, this repository contains the following files:

• json_config.json contains settings and discussed in the Configuration section of this document
• config_parsing.py is the universal configuration parser of the json_config.json file
• filerename.py contains the script which moves screenshot files, renames them, and returns a Markdown-formatted link in the CLI. Functionality of this script is discussed in the Moving and renaming files section of this document

Configuration

Currently, json_config.json contains several configuration parameters listed in the table below:

Parameter name	Description	Example
imagesfoldername	Specifies the folder in the current project folder.	python_images
imagesfolderpath	Contains the absolute path to the project folder prior to the imagesfoldername parameter.	/home/anton/Desktop/
imagesnamingpattern	Pattern for screenshot file naming.	test_screenshot_
defaultcaption	Default name for markdown captions used with the skip option.	Image
screenshotstartswith	The first word of the source screenshot filename.	Screenshot
screenshotsourcefolderpath	Source folder all screenshot files should be moved from.	/home/anton/Pictures/

Using configuration examples from this table, running the filerename.py script you will be able to automatically move screenshot files with names starting from the Screenshot word from the /home/anton/Pictures/ folder to the /home/anton/Desktop/python_images folder. After moving, each screenshot file will be named like test_screenshot_1.png, test_screenshot_2.png, and so on.

If you choose the skip option of the filerename.py script, you will get the Markdown links of the following format:

![Image](/home/anton/Desktop/python_images/test_screenshot_1.png)

If you specify the caption (like This is the caption text) while running this script, it will produce the following output:

![This is the caption text](/home/anton/Desktop/python_images/test_screenshot_1.png)

If you hit Enter, you will get the following link:

![](/home/anton/Desktop/python_images/test_screenshot_1.png)

Application of all parameters is also discussed in the Moving and renaming files section.

Moving and renaming files

The filerename.py script does the following things:

1. Scans for files with names starting with screenshotstartswith in the screenshotsourcefolderpath folder
2. If any files are found, the script moves them to the folder specified with the imagesfoldername parameter
3. After moving, the script renames them according to the imagesnamingpattern parameter and assigns them a concatenated numeral
4. Returns a Markdown-formatted link containing a caption and absolute path to the file