MacOS – How to use a variable inside a path in AppleScript

applescriptdeletingfindermacos

tell application "System Events"
name of current user
end tell
tell application "System Events"
set answer to name of current user
end tell
tell application "Finder"
delete ((POSIX file "/Users/answer/Desktop/untitled folder"))
end tell
tell application "Finder"
empty the trash
end tell

I want to make a universal code to delete this specific folder but I can't seem to make my variable (=answer) work in the quoted path.

answer

delete ((POSIX file "/Users/answer/Desktop/untitled folder"))

Best Answer

The following lines of AppleScript code replaces all of the code in your OP:

set thisFolder to POSIX path of (path to desktop folder as string) & "untitled folder"
try
    tell application "System Events" to delete folder thisFolder
end try

Note that this directly deletes thisFolder and its contents, bypassing the Trash, so be sure this is what you want before using it!

As coded, if thisFolder does not exist, the try command keeps it from fatally halting execution of the code. In other words, you'll not get an error message and it will continue processing additional code in the script, if any.

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MacOS – How to delete a locked, invisible file in the Trash

The file could simply still be open by something. Use lsof <file> to see which process is hogging it, if any.
Otherwise sudo rm -rf /.Trashes/501/Users/myusername/Desktop should get rid of it
If that didn't work, try removing all the flags it's complaining about first: chflags nohidden,nosappdn,noarch,noschg <file>

Applescript giving error 1728 when checking if file exists

Try:

set dest_folder to POSIX path of dest_folder
set newFilepathPOSIX to dest_folder & "video.mp4"

tell application "System Events" to exists file newFilepathPOSIX
if the result then
    display dialog "There is already a file named \"video.mp4\". Do you want to replace the file?" buttons {"Quit", "No", "Yes"} cancel button 1
    if button returned of the result = "No" then
        beep
        --Insert your code here
    end if
end if

EDIT

 set handPath to "/Volumes/Flash Drive/HandBrakeCLI"
set dest_folder to POSIX path of dest_folder
if text -1 of dest_folder ≠ "/" then set dest_folder to dest_folder & "/"
set newFilepathPOSIX to dest_folder & "video.mp4"

tell application "System Events" to exists newFilepathPOSIX
if the result then
    display dialog "There is already a file named \"video.mp4\". Do you want to replace the file?" buttons {"Quit", "No", "Yes"} cancel button 1
    if button returned of the result = "No" then set newFilepathPOSIX to dest_folder & "video" & getDateAsString(current date) & ".mp4"
end if

set shellCommand to quoted form of handPath & " -i " & quoted form of origFilepathPOSIX & " -o " & quoted form of newFilepathPOSIX & " --preset=\"Classic\""
do shell script shellCommand

on getDateAsString(myDate)
    set creationDateString to year of myDate as string
    set creationDateString to creationDateString & text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & (month of myDate as integer) as text)
    set creationDateString to creationDateString & text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & day of myDate as text)
    set creationDateString to creationDateString & text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & hours of myDate as text)
    set creationDateString to creationDateString & text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & minutes of myDate as text)
    set creationDateString to creationDateString & text -2 thru -1 of ("0" & seconds of myDate as text)
end getDateAsString

Best Answer

Related Solutions

MacOS – How to delete a locked, invisible file in the Trash

Applescript giving error 1728 when checking if file exists

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