I am comfortable with creating new documents from command line on OS X (in my case El Capitan), but I wanted to explore the possibility to have Windows-like option to create a new document on right click. I have found the below script and I know that it needs running from Automator > Workflow > Run AppleScript:
set doc_list to {"Add new..."}
tell application "Finder"
if not (exists folder "NewHere" of folder (path to application support from user domain)) then
display dialog "This is the first time you've run NewHere." & return & return & "Files added to the list are located at" & return & "~/Library/Application Support/NewHere" & return & "Removing a file from this folder removes it from the list."
make new folder at folder (path to application support from user domain) with properties {name:"NewHere"}
else
try
set doc_list to doc_list & name of every file of folder "NewHere" of folder (path to application support from user domain) as list
end try
end if
set my_file to choose from list doc_list with prompt "Choose a document to place here"
if result is not false then
set my_file to item 1 of my_file as string
if my_file is "Add new..." then
set new_file to choose file
duplicate file new_file to folder "NewHere" of folder (path to application support from user domain) with replacing
set my_name to text returned of (display dialog "Enter a name for the new file." default answer (name of new_file as text))
my do_it((name of new_file as text), my_name)
else
set my_name to text returned of (display dialog "Enter a name for the new file." default answer my_file)
my do_it(my_file, my_name)
end if
end if
end tell
on do_it(my_file, my_name)
tell application "Finder" to set my_dest to (folder of the front window) as text
set my_dest to my_dest & my_name as text
set my_origin to (path to application support from user domain) & "NewHere:" & my_file as text
do shell script "cp " & quoted form of (POSIX path of my_origin) & " " & quoted form of (POSIX path of my_dest)
tell application "Finder" to open my_dest as alias
end do_it
It prompts me with a windows saying, "Choose a document to place here". What am I supposed to do to have the script working?
Best Answer
Here is an AppleScript I use as an AppleScript application so I can assign it the TextEdit icon and place it in the Toolbar of Finder. Then it's available to create a new text document at whatever location Finder is set to, that one has write permissions to. In other words, if one tries to create a new text document at a location that is only write accessible to e.g.
root
or any location one does not have specific write permissions to, then one is notified upon trying to create the new text document.The code checks to see if a file of the same name already exists and if so notifies and brings back the Save As: dialog box.
Open (Apple)Script Editor and copy and paste the code below into the empty window and save it as Create New Text File Here.app. Make sure you select Application for File Format: in the Save As: dialog box.
Before adding it to the Toolbar of Finder, you'll want to change it's icon to that of which is used by TextEdit. You can open the Get Info sheet for each app and then copy and paste the one from TextEdit.app to the one in Create New Text File Here.app. Note that this is the icon displayed in the top left corner of the Get Info sheet.
Now that it has a nicer icon, drag and drop the new app to the location on the Toolbar of Finder you'd like for it to be. Note that depending on which version of OS X / macOS you may need to press the Command ⌘ key while dragging the app to the Toolbar of Finder.
To use, just click the Create New Text File Here.app icon in the Toolbar of Finder and you'll be prompted for a name and the a new text document file will be created and opened from the current location of the Finder window.
Note that this code could also be used in Automator for a Service workflow, however I've found that I'm already in Finder when I want to create a new text document and it's just easier to click the Create New Text File Here.app icon in the Toolbar of Finder then to right-click and choose from the already over populated Services context menu that I have.
Additionally, if you modify the code once the script is saved as an application and placed in the Toolbar of Finder, then you'll have to remove the icon from the Toolbar and then drag and drop the newly saved Create New Text File Here.app in order for it to work properly.