Combining PDFs based on file name

[mwasmer]

I have a large folder of PDF files with the following naming convention: Member ID number - topic, e.g., "12345-Topic A", "23456 - Topic B".

I would like to combine all files with the same member ID# into a single PDF, e.g., "12345 - all topics", "23456 - all topics"

Is there a way to automate this process?
Thanks!

 

[deliriouscat]

On a Mac, you could use Automator (a built-in app) to create a workflow for this. It can take a little bit of time to set up, but once you do, you'll be able to combine PDFs based on their file names with just a few clicks.

Another option is using a scripting language like Python with a library like PyPDF2, which allows for PDF manipulation including merging. This does require some coding knowledge, though.

Finally, there are several third-party tools available that can automate the process of combining PDFs based on certain criteria. Be sure to read reviews and understand the privacy policy before selecting one.