Limit on Droplet file count?

[steven_hunter]

I’m writing a droplet that will eventually be used to process hundreds of thousands of files, copying them to various places. Is there any limit to the number of files a droplet (created with Script Editor) can handle?

Is this something I should use Apple Script Studio for?

Thanks!!

[pidge1]

Hi

I’d imagine you could be only limited by what the finder or the application your scripting can handle.
if its a droplet it shouldn’t even bring script editor into the equation!!

found this in a dark corner of the internet not sure how up to date it is!!:

For clarification, the maximum number of files and folders on a Macintosh
HFS volume is 65,535 while the maximum number of files in a folder is
32,768. Remember these numbers are maximums under specific conditions, not
for a practical implementation.

i’m sure there’d be a away of scripting what you want!

[steven_hunter]

@pidge1

Hi

I’d imagine you could be only limited by what the finder or the application your scripting can handle.
if its a droplet it shouldn’t even bring script editor into the equation!!

found this in a dark corner of the internet not sure how up to date it is!!:

For clarification, the maximum number of files and folders on a Macintosh
HFS volume is 65,535 while the maximum number of files in a folder is
32,768. Remember these numbers are maximums under specific conditions, not
for a practical implementation.

i’m sure there’d be a away of scripting what you want!

I’m using HFS+ which apparently has no limit to the number of files in a folder, or at least more than 32,768 (I have a folder with over 124,000 files in it on my Desktop).

We have a networked camera that is dumping JPG files to our server ever 5 seconds, 12 hours a day for the next two years (which will be 6,307,200 pictures by my math). And I wanted to have a good way to create Quicktime movies from this source data without a lot of manual intervention.

Thanks though!

[pidge1]

Hi Steven

i thought that info was way out of date!!

even if there is a limit to how many files a droplet can accept!
i guess it will still be quicker using a script than not using one!

the other option could be a folder action to process the files as they drop in the folder!

if you drop thousands of files on a droplet script you may find that your watching the spinning beachball of death for a long long time!!
i guess your pushing scripting to its limits in someways by wanting to script such a huge chunk of data,

the folder action route maybe a little less resource consuming!!

[Bruce_Phillips]

@steven_hunter

We have a networked camera that is dumping JPG files to our server ever 5 seconds, 12 hours a day for the next two years (which will be 6,307,200 pictures by my math). And I wanted to have a good way to create Quicktime movies from this source data without a lot of manual intervention.

Are you considering using something like QuickTime Player’s “Open Image Sequence.” to do this?

[steven_hunter]

@Bruce Phillips

@steven_hunter

We have a networked camera that is dumping JPG files to our server ever 5 seconds, 12 hours a day for the next two years (which will be 6,307,200 pictures by my math). And I wanted to have a good way to create Quicktime movies from this source data without a lot of manual intervention.

Are you considering using something like QuickTime Player’s “Open Image Sequence.” to do this?

Yes. The script will, hopefully, let me specify the original image interval and then choose a new interval and set the FPS of the resultant file. Then it will copy the files to a new folder, name them sequentially, and start Quicktime making videos. I’m also going to try and get it to do it by date range so I can generate movies on demand for people.

I will likely post the results here in the code sharing area.