Can't set file's label color

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
,
#1

When I run this code…

set theFile to "Hard Drive:Users:wes:Documents:Automatic Duck:dev:install:file sets:AutoDuck Pro Import FCP:2.03:Installer Builds:Pro Import FCP 2.02C Site Install (Duck).app:"

tell application "Finder"
	set label index of theFile to 6
end tell

… I get this error…

What do I need to change to be able to get this to work? Thank you.

Model: Dual 2.0 G5
AppleScript: Version: 2.0 (43.1)
Browser: Safari 312.5
Operating System: Mac OS X (10.4)

#2

Hi,

add the little word file and it works,
(you’re trying to change the label color of a literal string)

set theFile to "Hard Drive:Users:wes:Documents:Automatic Duck:dev:install:file sets:AutoDuck Pro Import FCP:2.03:Installer Builds:Pro Import FCP 2.02C Site Install (Duck).app:"

tell application "Finder"
	set label index of file theFile to 6
end tell
#3

Wow! Thank you for the fast solution.

#5

I picked up this >15 year snippet which still works!
Than deleted the post because I managed to get 2 color labels but can’t seem to reproduce?

Reposting again because I have 2 questions

  • if I run multiple set label index only the last one seems to be applied.

  • How can I combine 2 string variables after for theFile

Applescript:

set theFile to "Macintosh HD:Users:anton:test.pdf"
-- set myPath to "Macintosh HD:Users:anton:"
-- set myFile to "test.pdf"
tell application "Finder"
    set label index of file theFile to 4 -- blue
    set label index of file theFile to 5 -- purple
    -- set label index of file myPath & myFile to 6 -- gray
end tell
#6

OK I found how to separate file from folders

set label index of document file myFile of folder myPath to 4 -- blue
or
set label index of file (myPath & myFile) to 6 -- gray

Now only to get multiple tags set…
which I can only get to work with another run of the script for another color

#7

FWIW, using two separate set label lines works for me. Sometimes the finder window doesn’t update visually, at least not immediately. Dunno if that’s a factor here.

#8

Hi, no it doesn’t work for me, I am on Big Sur 11.7.2

Playing around with the TAG command line tool now:
https://github.com/jdberry/tag
plug to @ wch1zpink mentioning this

installed with Homebrew:
brew install tag

or MacPorts
sudo port install tag

example:

on mySetTag(myTag, myDir, myFile)
	do shell script "/usr/local/bin/tag -a" & space & myTag & space & myDir & myFile
end mySetTag
mySetTag("Red,Yellow,Green,'Rasta Power'", "/Users/anton/Desktop/", "test.pdf")
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