delete empty folders

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
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#1

i wrote this script to find empty folders and delete them. I want to know:
how to delete folders which are not empty but only have “.DS_Store” file in them

--script to find empty folders and delete them
set pathoffolder to alias "Leopard:Users:lance:Desktop"
--change folder here
tell application "Finder"
	
	set foldernames to name of every folder in pathoffolder
	repeat with aItem in foldernames
		
		get size of folder aItem
		set s to result
		--s stores the size of folder
		if s = 0 then
			move folder aItem to trash
			
		end if
	end repeat
end tell
#2

Hi,

the Finder (unlike System Events) doesn’t consider invisible files
try this


--script to find empty folders and delete them
set pathoffolder to path to desktop
--change folder here
tell application "Finder"
	repeat with oneFolder in (get folders of pathoffolder)
		if (count items) of oneFolder is 0 then delete oneFolder
	end repeat
end tell
#3

your logic seem right (i mean, count item “0”) but it does not work

#4

also could you plz tell me: why the script i wrote works only when i execute it twice

#5

Hide the invisible files, then it works

#6

It takes some time to calculate the size of the folders.
The second time it works, because the sizes are valid.

#7

thanks a lot.
yes, it does work…but i generally keep all files visible.
is there a way to hide invisible files through the script and make them visible after the empty folders are deleted

#8

yes, but you have to restart the Finder after changing the invisible property
try this instead


--script to find empty folders and delete them
set pathoffolder to path to desktop
--change folder here
tell application "Finder"
	repeat with oneFolder in (get folders of pathoffolder)
		if (count items) of oneFolder is 0 or ((count items) of oneFolder is 1 and name of item 1 of oneFolder starts with ".") then delete oneFolder
	end repeat
end tell
#9

thanks…i will have to be cautious about files that start with “.” -----i mean in external drives. like ipod or my ceillphone’s memory card…they all have some important invisible files with “.”
but mostly the count would be more than 1 in those cases

#10

what’s about this, it deletes the folder if there is only one item .DS_Store


.
  if (count items) of oneFolder is 0 or ((count items) of oneFolder is 1 and name of item 1 of oneFolder is ".DS_Store") then delete oneFolder
.
#11

yes that should be good enough
Many many thanks StefanK for “real-time” help