how do you move a file

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
,
#1

hello scripters,
can anyone please help me move this damn file
i, been sifting through the net but i havent found any thing that fits as yet

im trying to build a folder action that will sort any .wav files into a “wav’s” folder, any .aif files into a “aif’s” folder etc…
but im have some trouble getting the file to move!

this is what i’ve come up with so far (still a plain script not a folder action)


tell application "Finder"
	set itemList to selection
	
	repeat with theItem in itemList
		if (name of theItem as string) ends with "aiff" then
			tell application "Finder"
				move theitem to "/Users/myname/Desktop/loops"
			end tell
		end if
	end repeat
	
end tell

i can find the files i want but i just can’t move them
can anyone point out where im going wrong
thanks in advance
truth

#2

I believe the Finder prefers to be warned before it’s given POSIX path :wink:

tell application "Finder"
	move theItem to POSIX file "/Users/myname/Desktop/loops"
end tell
#3

truth, you have an error. You are trying to get the Finder to understand a UNIX path. Moving files is easy and fun within the UNIX framework, so go ahead and use your current path to the loops folder and then run each file through a shell script:

set nold to quoted form of theitem --the 
[quoted form]
 is a necessary in case there are any spaces in filename
set new_folder to "/Users/myname/Desktop/loops"
do shell script "mv " & nold & " " & new_folder -- don't forget the space after (mv)

If you are nervous about shell scripting, don’t be. Once you goof around with it a few times, you end up getting sucked completely into the UNIX world, and it is pretty interesting stuff, even for neophytes.

Good luck

casdvm

#4

thanks silvermeteors
that was spot on!
that was just what i was looking for.
thanks very much.

and also
cheers for the advice casdvm
i haven’t quite got into shell script as yet (im still just scraping through applescript, it does look interesting though and will definatly be checking it out!)

thanks everyone
truth

#5

Unfortunately that angle has the opposite problem: trying to get UNIX to understand Finder references! :smiley: To use this code one must first do something like:

tell application "Finder"
	set theItem to POSIX path of (selection as alias)
end tell
#6

silver:

Thanks for that catch. I often manage to skip a line or two, typically something important like that. I am a bit disappointed however that nobody commented on my truth/error pun.

casdvm