Custom Script Writing Automation with the Help of ChatGPT

Day 11 of 11 - Coming to the end of the series on how ChatGPT can help automate any part of your business--all in a fraction of the time that it would take you to do it manually. I had originally asked ChatGPT to give me some ideas of how businesses can automate their operations and its response was a list of 11 (of many more) ways it could. I went a little deeper and asked that it expand on that. And it did. The last one, was about "Custom Script Writing." Pretty foreign to me...

So, I asked ChatGPT to tell me about custom script writing.

ChatGPT answered:

Custom Script Writing:

• Python Automation: Write custom Python scripts to automate any specific workflows or data manipulations you require.
• Custom Excel Macros: Develop Excel macros to automate manual operations within spreadsheets.

Me: Okay...it's all Greek to me! (No pun intended...you know...Python, macros 🤣 Okay, not that funny...) But can you please explain Python automation and custom Excel macros? And also give me some real-world examples, prompts and step-by-steps?

ChatGPT:

Custom Script Writing

1. Python Automation (Write custom Python scripts for specific workflows or data manipulations)

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Workflow or Task: Identify the specific task or workflow you want to automate. For instance, let’s say you want to automate data cleaning for a sales report.
2. Use ChatGPT to Generate the Script: Provide ChatGPT with the task details and ask it to generate a Python script. ChatGPT can create scripts for tasks like data cleaning, file management, web scraping, and more.

Example Prompt: "Please create a Python script to clean a CSV file by removing duplicates, filling missing values with the median, and saving the cleaned data to a new file."

Example: Automating Data Cleaning for Weekly Sales Reports

Workflow Automation Goals:

• Task: You need to clean a weekly sales report by removing duplicates and filling missing values with the median.
• Solution: Use ChatGPT to generate a Python script for data cleaning, which you can run every week on the new sales data.

Step-by-Step Process for Python Script Automation:

1. Collect the Sales Data: Ensure you have the weekly sales report in a CSV format.
2. Generate the Script Using ChatGPT: Ask ChatGPT to create a Python script for data cleaning. The script will remove duplicates, handle missing values, and save the cleaned data to a new file.
3. Run the Script: Save the script and run it on your local machine or set it up in a tool like Google Colab to automate the cleaning process on a scheduled basis.

2. Custom Excel Macros (Develop Excel macros to automate operations within spreadsheets)

Step-by-step:

1. Define the Task for the Macro: Identify what you want the macro to automate, such as formatting data, creating pivot tables, or applying formulas to specific columns.
2. Use ChatGPT to Generate VBA Code: Provide the details of the task, and ChatGPT can generate VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code, which you can paste directly into Excel to create the macro.

Example Prompt: "Please create an Excel macro that formats columns A, B, and C as bold text, applies a filter to the header row, and autofits the column widths."

Example: Automating Excel Formatting for Monthly Financial Reports

Workflow Automation Goals:

• Task: You need to format your monthly financial report by making certain columns bold, applying filters, and adjusting column widths.
• Solution: Use ChatGPT to generate a VBA macro that automates this process in Excel.

Step-by-Step Process for Excel Macro Automation:

1. Open the VBA Editor in Excel: Go to Developer > Visual Basic to open the VBA editor in Excel.
2. Paste the Generated Macro Code: Insert the code provided by ChatGPT into the VBA editor and save the macro.
3. Run the Macro: Whenever you need to format the report, simply run the macro to automate the formatting tasks.

3. Task-Specific Automation Scripts (Custom scripts for tasks like data analysis, file organization, or email processing)

Step-by-step:

1. Identify the Specific Task: Define the task you need to automate. For example, you might want to automatically sort files by date or analyze data for anomalies.
2. Use ChatGPT to Create a Custom Script: Provide ChatGPT with the task details, and it will generate a script tailored to your specific needs.

Example Prompt: "Please create a Python script that moves files from a folder into subfolders based on their creation date."

Example: Organizing Project Files by Date Automatically

Workflow Automation Goals:

• Task: You need to organize files from a project folder into subfolders based on their creation dates.
• Solution: Use ChatGPT to generate a Python script that moves files into date-specific folders automatically.

Step-by-Step Process for File Organization Automation:

1. Define the Task: Determine the structure you want for organizing files, such as subfolders named by date.
2. Generate the Script: Use ChatGPT to create a Python script based on your organization needs.
3. Run the Script Regularly: Schedule the script to run periodically using a task scheduler on your computer (e.g., Task Scheduler on Windows, Cron Jobs on Mac/Linux).

Results of Custom Script Writing Automation:

By automating tasks with custom scripts, you can:

• Streamline Repetitive Processes: Scripts allow you to perform tasks consistently and efficiently without manual intervention.
• Improve Accuracy: Automated scripts reduce the risk of human error in tasks like data entry, file management, and analysis.
• Save Time: Scripts quickly handle large datasets, repetitive formatting, or other tedious tasks, freeing up your time for more complex work.
• Enhance Flexibility: Custom scripts are highly adaptable, enabling you to tailor them to specific tasks as your needs evolve.

Conclusion:

This case study demonstrates how ChatGPT can assist in writing custom scripts for tasks like Python automation, Excel macros, and task-specific automation. Whether you’re looking to clean data, automate formatting, or organize files, ChatGPT can streamline the process by generating code that you can implement directly.

Me: Please use the Results above to create a prompt I can use on image generator AIs to explain custom script writing. Thank you.

ChatGPT:

Certainly! Here’s a prompt for generating an image that visually represents custom script writing and its impact, based on the results discussed:

Image Generation Prompt:

"Create a detailed and dynamic scene depicting the concept of custom script writing automation. The scene features a professional office environment where a person is working on a laptop, with multiple digital screens displaying snippets of Python code, Excel macros, and data analytics charts. The screens show automation processes such as file organization, data cleaning, and formatting of spreadsheets. Visual elements like flowcharts and coding syntax represent how custom scripts streamline repetitive tasks, improve accuracy, and save time. The overall atmosphere is modern and efficient, highlighting the flexibility and power of using custom scripts to automate various workflows."

This prompt should help convey the theme of custom script writing and its benefits in a visual and engaging way. Let me know if you need any adjustments!

Side note: What I actually did for this prompt was to change the word "person" to the word "woman." When playing around with AI image generators, I found that fairly common the "person" was typically a male...a light faced male. Because these types of biases are built into the database that the large language models scrape, it is important--in my opinion--to level the playing field by being intentional with the description of the prompt and bring in diversity.

Well, this is the 11th of 11th article in the series "What Can ChatGPT Automate for Your Business?" I have certainly learned about the many ways ChatGPT can help speed up the process of doing business, and I hope you have, too! As always, If you need my help or have a question, send me a message!

And thank you for reading this series.

FULL DISCLOSURE

• I will indicate what is my original work and where I used any type of #AI to enhance it or help me with any of it;
• I will share with you any findings I find useful;
• I will tell you how I got wherever I might be going;
• I will be fully transparent.

Banner Help: Canva. Prompt: "Create a detailed and dynamic scene depicting the concept of custom script writing automation. The scene features a professional office environment where a woman is working on a laptop, with multiple digital screens displaying snippets of Python code, Excel macros, and data analytics charts. The screens show automation processes such as file organization, data cleaning, and formatting of spreadsheets. Visual elements like flowcharts and coding syntax represent how custom scripts streamline repetitive tasks, improve accuracy, and save time. The overall atmosphere is modern and efficient, highlighting the flexibility and power of using custom scripts to automate various workflows. 16:9 format."

Conversation with ChatGPT where indicated

All other content: Written 100% by me!