Desktop organization script won't work

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
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#1

I have a folder action script that will file anything I put on the desktop, then create an alias there. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.

global theItem

on adding folder items to thisFolder after receiving addedItems
	repeat with theItem in addedItems
		tell application "Finder" to set theKind to the kind of theItem
		if theKind contains "Image" then
			my iLifeAdd("iPhoto")
		else if theKind contains "Movie" or "Video" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Video")
		else if theKind contains "Audio" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Audio")
		else if theKind contains "Application" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Applications:New Apps:")
		else if theKind contains "Document" or "Text" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Documents:The Junk Drawer:Swept:")
		else if theKind does not contain "Folder" or "Alias" then
			set unknownAction to button returned of (display dialog "There is an unknown item on your desktop. What do you want to do with it?" buttons {"Add to Script", "Choose Folder", "Default Destination"} default button 3)
			if unknownAction is "Add to Script" then
				tell application "Script Editor" to open (path to me as text)
			else if unknownAction is "Choose folder" then
				set moveFolder to (choose folder)
				my moveTo(moveFolder)
			else if unknownAction is "Default Destination" then
				my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Desktop:Dustpan:")
			end if
		end if
	end repeat
end adding folder items to

on iLifeAdd(iLifeApp)
	set iLifeOrNot to button returned of (display dialog "Do you want to add this to iLife or the User folder?" buttons {"iLife", "Folder"})
	if iLifeOrNot is "iLife" then
		if iLifeApp contains "iTunes" then
			tell application "iTunes"
				add theItem
			end tell
		else if iLifeApp is "iPhoto" then
			tell application "iPhoto"
				add theItem
			end tell
		end if
	else if iLifeOrNot is "Folder" then
		if iLifeApp contains "Audio" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Music:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "Video" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Movies:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "iPhoto" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Photos:Swept:")
		end if
	end if
end iLifeAdd

on moveTo(destination)
	tell application "Finder"
		move theItem to destination
		make alias to theItem at desktop
	end tell
end moveTo

any help, anyone?

#2

Hi,

the variable theItem is not a real variable, it’s a just the index variable of the repeat loop
try this


.
repeat with oneItem in addedItems
	set theItem to contents of oneItem
	tell application "Finder" to set theKind to the kind of theItem
.
#3

Great, that simple line fixed it! Unfortunately, half the time it won’t recognize the file format. All I changed was adding the line you suggested and adding “Word” to the document format. Here’s the script again:

global theItem

on adding folder items to thisFolder after receiving addedItems
	repeat with oneItem in addedItems
		set theItem to contents of oneItem
		tell application "Finder" to set theKind to the kind of theItem
		if theKind contains "Image" then
			my iLifeAdd("iPhoto")
		else if theKind contains "Movie" or "Video" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Video")
		else if theKind contains "Audio" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Audio")
		else if theKind contains "Application" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Applications:New Apps:")
		else if theKind contains "Document" or "Text" or "Word" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Documents:The Junk Drawer:Swept:")
		else if theKind does not contain "Folder" or "Alias" then
			set unknownAction to button returned of (display dialog "There is an unknown item on your desktop. What do you want to do with it?" buttons {"Add to Script", "Choose Folder", "Default Destination"} default button 3)
			if unknownAction is "Add to Script" then
				tell application "Script Editor" to open (path to me as text)
			else if unknownAction is "Choose folder" then
				set moveFolder to (choose folder)
				my moveTo(moveFolder)
			else if unknownAction is "Default Destination" then
				my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Desktop:Dustpan:")
			end if
		end if
	end repeat
end adding folder items to

on iLifeAdd(iLifeApp)
	set iLifeOrNot to button returned of (display dialog "Do you want to add this to iLife or the User folder?" buttons {"iLife", "Folder"})
	if iLifeOrNot is "iLife" then
		if iLifeApp contains "iTunes" then
			tell application "iTunes"
				add theItem
			end tell
		else if iLifeApp is "iPhoto" then
			tell application "iPhoto"
				add theItem
			end tell
		end if
	else if iLifeOrNot is "Folder" then
		if iLifeApp contains "Audio" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Music:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "Video" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Movies:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "iPhoto" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Photos:Swept:")
		end if
	end if
end iLifeAdd

on moveTo(destination)
	tell application "Finder"
		move theItem to destination
		make alias to theItem at desktop
	end tell
end moveTo

Thanks

#4

this


 else if theKind contains "Movie" or "Video" then

cannot work either
the syntax must be


 else if theKind contains "Movie" or theKind contains "Video" then
#5

Ok, thanks. It was working if the kind was one of the first listed, but if it wasn’t it didn’t. That makes sense.

#6

Ok, I have a wierd problem. Every time I open this script, iPhoto opens. Any ideas on why and how to avoid it?

Here’s my updated script, if that makes any difference:

global theItem

on adding folder items to thisFolder after receiving addedItems
	repeat with oneItem in addedItems
		
		set theItem to contents of oneItem
		tell application "Finder" to set theKind to the kind of theItem
		if theKind contains "Pixelmator" then
			set theKind to "Image"
		else if theKind contains "Disk Image" then
			set theKind to "Ignore"
			
		end if
		
		if theKind contains "Image" then
			my iLifeAdd("iPhoto")
		else if theKind contains "Movie" or theKind contains "Video" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Video")
		else if theKind contains "Audio" then
			my iLifeAdd("iTunes Audio")
		else if theKind contains "Application" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Applications:New Apps:")
		else if theKind contains "Document" or theKind contains "Text" or theKind contains "Word" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Documents:The Junk Drawer:Swept:")
		else if theKind does not contain "Folder" or theKind does not contain "Alias" or theKind does not contain "Ignore" then
			set unknownAction to button returned of (display dialog "There is an unknown item on your desktop. What do you want to do with it?" buttons {"Add to Script", "Choose Folder", "Default Destination"} default button 3)
			if unknownAction is "Add to Script" then
				tell application "Script Editor" to open (path to me as text)
			else if unknownAction is "Choose folder" then
				set moveFolder to (choose folder)
				my moveTo(moveFolder)
			else if unknownAction is "Default Destination" then
				my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Desktop:Dustpan:")
			end if
		end if
	end repeat
end adding folder items to

on iLifeAdd(iLifeApp)
	set iLifeOrNot to button returned of (display dialog "Do you want to add this to iLife or the User folder?" buttons {"iLife", "Folder"})
	if iLifeOrNot is "iLife" then
		if iLifeApp contains "iTunes" then
			tell application "iTunes"
				add theItem
			end tell
		else if iLifeApp is "iPhoto" then
			tell application "iPhoto"
				add theItem
			end tell
		end if
	else if iLifeOrNot is "Folder" then
		if iLifeApp contains "Audio" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Music:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "Video" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Movies:Swept:")
		else if iLifeApp contains "iPhoto" then
			my moveTo("Macintosh HD:Users:willie:Photos:Swept:")
		end if
	end if
end iLifeAdd

on moveTo(destination)
	tell application "Finder"
		move theItem to destination
		make alias to theItem at desktop
	end tell
end moveTo

Also, it doesn’t seem to be moving anything to the Dustpan folder on my desktop. It asks me where I want to put it, but doesn’t put it there.