OSX: Execute bash script when file appears in folder - macos

Question

I'm attempting to script my own screenshot uploader.
I am nearly there: OSX: Automatically upload screenshot to imageBin and put URL in clipboard
That script lets me write:
upload_image foo.png
And it will upload it, put a link to the URL in my clipboard, and make a noise
But I want it to be automatic. As soon as foo.png appears on my desktop, I need to execute '~/upload_image.sh foo.png'
How can I do this?
I'm interested in a Bash solution as it would allow me to merge with the target script, so I would only have one script file, which is clean. Also it would be multiplatform. Getting it to launch on start-up would be an issue.
I'm also interested in an AppleScript solution; I think the following script may be close:
on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving theFiles
-- If you want to do something with each file ...
repeat with aFile in theFiles
do shell script "~/upload_image.sh " &
end repeat
end adding folder items to
But I don't know how to pass 'aFile' into the command on the next line.
EDIT:
http://hardc0l2e.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/folder-monitoring-script-using-inotifywait/
In a small script to monitor a folder for new files, the script seems to be finding the wrong files

Answer 1

You can use Automator to create a folder action:
Or for example save this plist as ~/Library/LaunchAgents/example.plist:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>example</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>say</string>
<string>a</string>
</array>
<key>WatchPaths</key>
<array>
<string>~/Desktop/</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
Then run launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/example.plist to load the plist. To apply changes to the plist, unload and load it. More information:
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man5/launchd.plist.5.html
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2083/_index.html
http://osxnotes.net/launchd.html
A third option is to use Hazel:

Answer 2

Save screenshot to ~/screens/
defaults write com.apple.screencapture location ~/screens/
killall SystemUIServer
Save ss2CB.plist to ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Disabled</key>
<false/>
<key>Label</key>
<string>copy Screen Shots to ClipBoard</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/local/bin/python</string>
<string>~/ss2cb.py</string>
</array>
<key>WatchPaths</key>
<array>
<string>~/screens/</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>