Creating/Writing text files

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
,
#1

I don’t know why this is rocket science but I need to create a text file and write to it if it does not exist. I also need to rewrite the file if it does exist. All the various examples I can find obscure what I need to do by throwing in fancy ways to get a file name from the user. I already have the file name I need to use. Given a known filename path, how do I determine if the file exists, create it if not, then write to it or overwrite the existing file. Thanks.

#2

Hi,

take a look at this thread: http://bbs.applescript.net/viewtopic.php?id=20063

#3

Hi,
I use this handler in part of a larger script but I think this will do what you want. If you don’t want to use TextEdit then we can just write the data to a file ref.

set data_entry to "my text file"
Enter_Data(data_entry)

on Enter_Data(data_entry)
	set HD_Path to path to startup disk as string
	set text_filename to "Job Log"
	set master_text_file to "Macintosh HD:Job Log"
	tell application "Finder"
		if alias master_text_file exists then
			tell application "TextEdit"
				activate
				open master_text_file
				make new text at after last paragraph of front document with data data_entry & return
				save document 1
				close window 1
			end tell
		else
			
			tell application "TextEdit"
				activate
				make new document
				make new text at after last paragraph of front document with data data_entry & return
				save document 1 in file (HD_Path & text_filename)
				
				close window 1
				close every document saving no
			end tell
		end if
	end tell
end Enter_Data

Put the data you want to write in the data_entry variable and this will write it to the text file.

#4

Thanks for the replies but my problem seems to be the path. Here is what I have:

When I to use that variable I always get the error:

Can’t make file “Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List” into type reference.

For example:

#5

Not quite sure what you mean but if you’re trying to check if a file exists and if it doesn’t then create a blank text file to write to then this should be what you need.

set groupfile to file "Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List"
tell application "Finder"
	if alias groupfile exists then
		--do something
	else
		set fileRef to (open for access ("AIM Group List") with write permission)
	end if
end tell
#6

sorry you’ll need to change the first line of the script from

set groupfile to file "Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List"

to

set groupfile to "Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List"
#7

Here is where I’m getting myself into trouble. You have the scenario correct. However, where does your suggested code put the file? Here is what I did to test your suggestion (for now I am assuming the file does not exist):

set groupfile to "Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List"
tell application "Finder"
	if not (alias groupfile exists) then
		set file_ref to (open for access ("AIM Group List") with write permission)
		write "test line" to file_ref
		close access file_ref
	end if
end tell

How does the open for access command know to put the file in groupfile? When I run this, there are no errors but there is also no file that I can find anywhere.

#8

Hi there,
if “Common:AIM Apps:” is the path to where you want to put a file called “AIM Group List” then try the script below.

set groupfile to "Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List"
tell application "Finder"
	if not (alias groupfile exists) then
		set file_ref to (open for access ("Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List") with write permission)
		write "test line" to file_ref
		close access file_ref
	end if
end tell

hope this is getting closer to what you want?

#9

You should find your file on top level of the startup disk :wink:

PS: testing whether the file exists, is not necessary with AppleScript’s read/write commands.
If the file doesn’t exist, it will be created automatically

#10

I don’t get it. That is what I had waaaaay back at the beginning, before I even posted this problem. The only difference is the parentheses. So what is the rule? How do I know when to use them or not? Thanks.

#11

You need to specify the whole path, e.g.
open for access “AIM Group List” with write permission → creates a file “AIM Group List” on top level of the startup disk
open for access ((path to desktop as Unicode text) & “AIM Group List”) with write permission → creates a file “AIM Group List” on desktop
open for access “Common:AIM Apps:AIM Group List” with write permission → creates a file “AIM Group List” in folder “AIM Apps” of disk “Common”