"POSIX file" works in Applescript Editor, not in XCode - applescript

Try this:
Make a new XCode4 Applescript project. In the delegate, paste this code:
on doIt_(sender)
set goodHFSLoc to (path to desktop folder)
set test1 to (POSIX path of goodHFSLoc)
log "test1:"&test1
set theJSPath to "/Users/dave/Desktop/MakeTSLabels.js"
set jsHFSFile to (POSIX file theJSPath)
set test2 to (POSIX path of jsHFSFile)
end doIt_
Hook this method up to a button in the UI window.
Run the program
Click the button, and you should get this error:
Can’t get POSIX path of class "NSObject".
Put the same code (minus the "on" and "end" lines) into AppleScript editor, and it runs fine.
Apparently, "POSIX file" in ApplescriptObjC doesn't make a file object as the language specification requires. Instead it makes an NSObject.
I need to have an applescript file specifier to provide to Adobe Illustrator's do javascript command, and I need to use NSBundle's functions to get the javascript file, which is packaged in my application bundle.
Am I doing something wrong?

You will see the same behavior in a Finder or System Events tell statement. The solution is the same for ASObjC - you need to use it as a coercion:
set jsHFSFile to (theJSPath as POSIX file)

Related

MacOS Terminal: Is it possible to create a "drag-and-drop" action via script?

There are many posts that explain how to drag-and-drop things into an open Terminal window. But what I would like to do is to tell Terminal to drag-and-drop a previously selected directory onto another application like VSCode or Renamer. I have not found any documentation for that. Is it at all possible? And if so, would somebody please point me to a documentation?
UPDATE:
I'd like to clarify my question with what I intend to do:
Pre requisites:
a "work folder" contains folders and files that shall be renamed
the renaming is done by an application called "A better finder renamer" (which allows presets)
An "Automator" (MacOS app) action shall imitate these steps:
the "work folder" is right clicked
the folder is drag-and-dropped onto the ABFR, which initiates the currently active preset
other actions via bash (like 'mv .//.* ./') ...
It is the "drag-and-drop" part of the Automator action that presents a riddle for me.
The "drag-and-drop" operation is manual operation. In AppleScript, instead the command to open the file or folder is given to the destination application itself.
Second thing to keep in mind. Getting Terminal's current working directory is easy with its do script "pwd" command. But the result of the do script Terminal command returned to the script is always the window tab, not the result of the pwd shell command. One solution is to redirect (remember) the result of pwd in a temporary text file.
set tempFolder to (path to temporary items folder from user domain)
set temp to POSIX path of tempFolder & "workingDirectory.txt"
tell application "Terminal" to do script ("pwd > " & temp) in selected tab of window 1
set curDirPosixPath to paragraph 1 of (read file ((tempFolder as text) & "workingDirectory.txt"))
set curDirHFSPath to curDirPosixPath as POSIX file as Unicode text
tell application "Visual Studio Code" to open curDirHFSPath
.
NOTE: other possible solution (I don't like) is parsing the text contents of Terminal window after pwd command execution. You can get contents using property contents (of selected tab of front window).
Open Automator, choose create New Document.
Choose create new Quick Action (service).
Set workflow receives current folders in any application.
From library Add Run AppleScript action. Edit it contents:
on run {input, parameters}
set curDirHFSPath to (item 1 of input) as text
tell application "Visual Studio Code" to open curDirHFSPath
end run
Save this Quick Action as service. Now when right-clicking the folder, opens the context menu, where you can choose and run this service.

How to open an EMACS file in OS X by double-clicking on it, using the `emacsclient` command?

I want to open an org-mode file selected in the Finder, by double clicking on it. But since I use Emacs in daemon-mode, I want to use the emacsclient command for that.
Thus the primary idea was to wrap the command emacsclient -c posixPathToFile in an AppleScript App to open it.
tell application "Finder"
set fileAlias to the selection as alias
set fileName to name of fileAlias
set posixPath to POSIX path of fileAlias
end tell
-- tell application "Emacs" to activate
try
do shell script "/usr/local/bin/emacsclient -c " & quoted form of posixPath
end try
I know some set commands are not needed. Let's assume this script is saved as Xemacs.app and that I associate this app to always open .org file.
Using this App does not work by double-clicking on the file, but rather if I select the file in the Finder and then call the Xemacs.app independently. Why ? I'm not confident enough with AppleScript to figure out what happens.
So the workaround was to use the Automator service
on run {input, parameters}
set posixPath to POSIX path of input
tell application "iTerm" to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/emacsclient -c " & quoted form of posixPath
return input
end run
The service is saved as 'Open in Emacs'
Now selecting a file and right-clicking and callig Service > "Open in Emacs" works and opens the file.
What is wrong with the first approach ?
ok, I solved my issue. The problem comes from my misunderstanding of the difference between ScriptEditor and the Automator. If I use the Automator to create an App and use the former script instead of creating an App using the ScriptEditor, then it works as expected.
One can simplify the process by creating an App in Automator and running a shell script instead of wrapping the command in Ascript.

File associations in OS X: doesn't pass filename in args?

I am packaging an application into a .app directory for "drag install" or whatever it's called and I have a weird iessue with file association.
I set my application as a viewer for .xyz files, and the system does start my app when I double click that file; the only problem is that the path of the file I clicked is nowhere in the args[], there's only one parameter that is something like ~psn_0_901340 and I think is a timestamp because it changes every time.
So... what am I supposed to do? I've been sitting here for 2 hours straight and can't find a solution.
I think what you want is an AppleScript droplet.
A shortened version of the AppleScript from that link:
on open dropped_files
set the_command to quoted form of POSIX path of (path to resource "script.sh")
set file_list to ""
repeat with file_path in dropped_files
set file_list to file_list & " " & quoted form of POSIX path of file_path
end repeat
set the_command to the_command & file_list
do shell script the_command
end open
Export as an application using Script Editor. Place script.sh in the Resources folder.
Add your file extension associations to Info.plist. You may need to launch or move the droplet before OS X notices the change & allows you to double-click files.
If you want to launch Terminal or capture the script output, see the full AppleScript.

Applescript droplet doesn't run another handler

I'm trying to make a droplet script in Applescript using the code below.
I have a handler which runs a command line with the POSIX path of the selected file.
When I run the script everything works (my command line handler works fine). But, if I drop the file to my script, nothing happens.
I need some help, please
on run
set thePath to POSIX path of (choose file of type "img" default location (path to downloads folder from user domain))
doIt(thePath)
end run
on open myImageFile
tell application "Finder"
if (count of myImageFile) is greater than 1 then
display alert "A message" as critical
else if name extension of item 1 of myImageFile is not "img" then
display alert "A message" as critical
else
set thePath to POSIX path of item 1 of myImageFile
doIt(thePath)
end if
end tell
end open
Change the line: doIt(thePath) in the open handler into: my doIt(thePath).
The reason for the error, is that you try to use your handler from within the scope of finder, and finder, doesn't reckognize it as something of its own. Therefore you must add myin front of it, so the handler can be resolved.

OS X 10.9 Applescript changes: using the `move` command in the "System Events" context to move a file

I went to run an old script and it broke after the 10.9 update. I used to move files with system events with the following code.
set Somefilepath to "Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:Start:TextFile.txt"
set somefolderpath to "Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:End:"
tell application "System Events"
move file (Somefilepath) to folder (somefolderpath)
end tell
Now it gives me the following error.
error "System Events got an error: Can’t make file
\"Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:Start:TextFile.txt\" into
type integer." number -1700 from file
"Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:Start:TextFile.txt" to integer
I know I can swap it out and use finder but I rather not use it. What changed that is no longer works?
Update 4/2/14
I have tried this in every way of giving the file/folder location to system events and it doesn't work. I am glad it is just not me who cannot get it to work. I will update this post if I find an answer or a working update is made.
Update 4/3/14
It seems this is just a bug that system events can't move files. I have reported it here http://bugreport.apple.com/ and everyone else should too.
Please do not take my code to heart, it is just where things ended up when I couldn't get it to work. I have working code for 10.8.5 and it is what is shown above minus the folder tag in the system events tell block. No idea why it works with out the folder tag but it does. Tested on multiple comps. If it isn't broken don't fuss over it. Noted it and moved on.
Update 10/20/14
For anyone interested. I have received an e-mail stating my ticket has been closed/resolved. So mavericks will for ever be broken but there might be light for Yosemite when it comes out.
In general, Applescript works with colon delimited paths (:) not slash delimited paths (/). I say in general because some applications will work with slashes but all programs will work with colons. For an example of what the colon paths look like try this code and look at the result...
set colonPath to (path to desktop as text) & "untitled folder 2:"
So first I would convert your slashes to the colon style.
Also to applescript these are just strings not paths. To make applescript understand they are paths we can do a few things. First you can add the words file or folder in front of them as appropriate. I notice in your code you are using "file" in front of the file string but you aren't using "folder" in front of the folder string. So try that. Second you can just use "alias" in front of the strings whether they're files or folders. There are other ways as well but I'll stop here. Either of those ways should work.
UPDATE: with all of the above being said, it seems System Events in 10.9 still has trouble with the move command. As such here's 2 alternatives for you. I used slash style paths since that's what you're using.
set somefilepath to POSIX file "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/Start/TextFile.txt"
set somefolderpath to POSIX file "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/End"
tell application "Finder"
move somefilepath to somefolderpath
end tell
or
set somefilepath to "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/Start/TextFile.txt"
set somefolderpath to "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/End"
do shell script "mv " & quoted form of somefilepath & space & quoted form of somefolderpath
Good luck.
You can’t do that. System Events can delete and open, but not move. Here’s a simple example in case it helps someone else find a better answer in a future OS. System Events appears to treat move differently than delete and open.
tell application "System Events"
set myFile to file "Macintosh HD:Users:velma:Desktop:Test.png"
set myFolder to folder "Macintosh HD:Users:velma:Desktop:Test"
--delete works! with both type “file/folder” and type “disk item”
--delete myFile
--delete myFolder
--open works!
open myFile
open myFolder
--move fails!
move myFile to myFolder
end tell
The error it’s returning, in this case, is “Can’t get file”, number -1728.
There appears to be bug in the move command in the "System Events" context in OX 10.9 (and possibly 10.8).
The workaround is the to use the "Finder" context instead:
Using HFS-style paths (separator is :)
set somefilepath to "Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:Start:TextFile.txt"
set somefolderpath to "Design_005_HD:Users:Design_005:Desktop:End:"
tell application "Finder"
move file somefilepath to folder somefolderpath
end tell
Using POSIX-style paths (separator is /) - as in the original question
set somefilepath to "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/Start/TextFile.txt"
set somefolderpath to "/Users/Design_005/Desktop/End"
# Note that we use `as POSIX file` even in the case of the *folder*
# - this works, however.
tell application "Finder"
move somefilepath as POSIX file to somefolderpath as POSIX file
end tell
Note:
as POSIX file returns a file object in both cases, but Finder still handles the move properly - it is fine to use POSIX file with both files and folders.
Note that using the prefix form of POSIX file- e.g., POSIX file "/Library", only works with a path string literal; if you try to build the path string as an expression, it breaks (in the "Finder" context, but NOT in the AppleScript context(!)): POSIX file ("/" & "Library") - by contrast, "/" & "Library" as POSIX file works (in both contexts) - go figure. To be safe, always use the postfix form: ... as POSIX file
A downside of using as POSIX file - at least as of OS X 10.9 - is that the error messages are cryptic if a file/folder doesn't exist: you'll see Finder got an error: Handler can’t handle objects of this class. and Finder got an error: AppleEvent handler failed. - both with number -10000.
(Using folder directly with a POSIX path, as in an earlier version of the question - e.g., folder "/Library" - ONLY works in a "System Events" context, and is therefore NOT an option in the "Finder" context.)
As for what changed in AppleScript OS X 10.9:
The behavior you see appears to be a bug (also see #Jerry Stratton's answer); nothing in the AppleScript release notes for 10.9 indicates a change in that area.
I now think that the problem affects OS X 10.8 as well.
I encourage you to submit a bug report to Apple at http://bugreport.apple.com, as I already have.
Sadly, handling files, folders, and aliases in AppleScript has always been a mess, with confusion stemming from classes of the same name from different dictionaries (AppleScript itself, System Events, Finder) with subtly different behavior.
A general recommendation: for file-system manipulation, use the tell application "Finder" context.
The "System Events" dictionary, in its Disk-Folder-File Suite, duplicates some of Finder's file-system manipulation functionality, but only some - a curious omission is a file copy command, for instance.

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