Applescript with get every file loop fails

applescriptfinder

I want to run a script on all files with two specific extensions on a disk with a hierarchy of multiple nested folders. My script works fine when I choose a folder further down the line with fewer subfolders but I'd like to run it on an entire archive with over a thousand folders. The AppleScript takes forever to get all the files and then exits without returning anything and without executing the operations after getting the files. No timeout message, no error message. And the Finder becomes unresponsive (and remains stuck after the script exits). 

set myFolder to choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder:"
    tell application "Finder"
        try
            set eafFiles to (every file in entire contents of myFolder whose name ends with ".eaf") as alias list
        on error
            try
                set eafFiles to ((every file in entire contents of myFolder whose name ends with ".eaf") as alias) as list
            on error
                set eafFiles to {}
            end try
        end try
        try
            set pfsxFiles to (every file in entire contents of myFolder whose name ends with ".pfsx") as alias list
        on error
            try
                set pfsxFiles to ((every file in entire contents of myFolder whose name ends with ".pfsx") as alias) as list
            on error
                set pfsxFiles to {}
            end try
        end try
        set myFiles to eafFiles & pfsxFiles
    end tell

    repeat with CurrentFile in myFiles
        set CurrentFile to CurrentFile as string

        do shell script "perl /path/to/perl/script.pl " & quoted form of CurrentFile
    end repeat

Best Answer

Perl's File::Find is ideal for iterating over all the files in a folder. This approach deals with one file at a time, is fast, and memory efficient.

Use AppleScript to present the folder choice and then pass the selected folder path to your perl script:

set myFolder to choose folder with prompt "Choose a folder:"
do shell script "perl /path/to/perl/script.pl " & quoted form of POSIX path of myFolder

The perl script can then deal with traversing the files. Below is sample perl script for iterating over files and filtering to only eaf and pfsx suffixes:

#!/usr/bin/env perl

use strict;
use warnings;

use File::Find;

# Get the first argument passed to the script
my $argument_path = shift;
die("ERROR: an argument must be provided\n") unless $argument_path;
die("ERROR: the argument must be a folder: $argument_path\n") unless -d $argument_path;

# Iterate over every file and folder within the $argument_path
find sub {

    my $filename = $_; # relative to current working directory

    # Skip all but .eaf and .pfsx file types
    return unless $filename =~ /\.eaf$/;
    return unless $filename =~ /\.pfsx$/;

    print $filename."\n";

    # ... deal with the file or folder here

}, $argument_path;
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