AppleScript: Garbage values written to file when using path to command - applescript

Question

I am trying to write a simple applescript that organises the files in any selected folder. I want to make the script such that it runs at specific intervals and re-organizes the folder if something has changed. For this, I am trying to save the path of the user chosen folder to a file. Each time the script runs, it reads the folder path from this file.
here's a snippet from the code:
set home_path to get path to home folder
tell application "Finder"
set home_folder to folder (home_path as string)
if not (exists file "Clfd_config.cf1" in home_folder) then
set (folder_path) to choose folder with prompt "Choose the folder to organize"
set this_folder to folder (folder_path as string)
set path_file to open for access file (home_path & "Clfd_config.cf1" as text) with write permission
write folder_path to path_file
close access path_file
else
set path_file to open for access file (home_path & "Clfd_config.cf1" as string)
set folder_path to read path_file as string
set this_folder to folder (folder_path as string)
close access path_file
end if
end tell
However, when I open the file, it has garbled information, like so:
������Harshad��������������������œ‘xH+��� 7 Desktop����������������������������������������� ���������������� 7Éœ‘zç��������ˇˇˇˇ��I ���������� ������œ‘*∆������œ‘-5������D�e�s�k�t�o�p��� �H�a�r�s�h�a�d��Users/harshad/Desktop���/����ˇˇ������
When I try to read this file n the script, the script obviously fails.
I have tried telling the script to write the file as string, as text, but I keep getting the error that the folder_path variable cannot be converted to text or string.
What should I do so that the path is saved properly and the script can read it back from the saved file?

Answer 1

The main issue is that you're writing an alias file specifier to disk rather than a string path.
I added basic error handling while writing to disk and removed some redundant code
property configFileName : "Clfd_config.cf1"
tell application "Finder"
set configFile to (home as text) & configFileName
if not (exists file configFile) then
set folder_path to choose folder with prompt "Choose the folder to organize"
try
set fileReference to open for access file configFile with write permission
write (folder_path as text) to fileReference
close access fileReference
on error
try
close access file configFile
end try
end try
else
set folder_path to read file configFile
set this_folder to folder folder_path
end if
end tell

Answer 2

It seems you just want to save value of a folder path and be able to find it again during next run.
if only that, why are you using subroutine to write this path to a text file at specific place ? isn't it easier to you use the characteristics of "property" objects ?
"Property" variable can be changed and it keeps new value in the script itself, until next compilation.
Try this script bellow : the first run, it will ask you for folder. Select it. Any next run, it will just display the folder selected during first run !
property My_Folder : ""
if My_Folder is "" then -- first run, ask user to select folder
Set My_Folder to (choose folder with prompt "choose the folder to organise") as string
end if
display dialog "folder selected = " & My_Folder
it does the same thing than read/write from text file...