Writing to file, errors :P:P:P

[radicaledward]

Hey! I am trying to use applescript to write the current track name and artist to a file. The idea is that applescript will repeat this every 30 seconds and then the file can be picked up by various other applications to be used in mail sigs, forum sigs, blog entries… etc, (normally by applescripts, shell scripts, or php) automatically.

However, there are two problems:
1- if I try and put repeat at the top, it will not run / ‘compile’, it only looks as far as ‘to writeToThisFile("iMon…’, and then says: “Syntax error: Expected ‘end’ but found ‘to’” I want it to repeat the whole script, not just the first few lines.
2- If I remove this and simply try to open the file, it ‘compiles’ but on runtime it says: “Applescript error: File file iMonkey:Users:radicaledward:MyApps:iTunesData.mk is already open”… which is odd because I tried to adjust for sort of error using lines 13 to 15.

Sorry about the noobishness, I only really have background knowlege :P. Any helps would be awes0me, thanks in advance.

—Code-(With numbering)-------------------
00 (iTunesey monkey :P:P -Radical Edward)
01
02 (Get current track info from iTunes)
03 try
04 tell application “iTunes” to set _monkey to name of current track & " - " & artist of current track
05 on error
06 set _monkey to “Silence :P:P”
07 end try
08
09 (Write this to a file)
10 writeToThisFile(“iMonkey:Users:radicaledward:MyApps:iTunesData.mk”)
11
12 to writeToThisFile(_fileName)
13 try
14 close access _fileName
15 end try
16
17 set _fileName to (_fileName as file specification)
18 open for access _fileName with write permission
19 set eof of _fileName to 0
20 write (_monkey) to _fileName starting at eof
21 close access _fileName
22 return true
23 end writeToThisFile

delay “30”
—End Code--------------------------------

—Code-(To copy)-----------------------
(iTunesey monkey :P:P -Radical Edward)

(Get current track info from iTunes)
try
tell application “iTunes” to set _monkey to name of current track & " - " & artist of current track
on error
set _monkey to “Silence :P:P”
end try

(Write this to a file)
writeToThisFile(“iMonkey:Users:radicaledward:MyApps:iTunesData.mk”)

to writeToThisFile(_fileName)
try
close access _fileName
end try

set _fileName to (_fileName as file specification)
open for access _fileName with write permission
set eof of _fileName to 0
write (_monkey) to _fileName starting at eof
close access _fileName
return true

end writeToThisFile

delay “30”
—End Code-----------------------------

EDIT: I redid this script using a subroutine from ADC, and I still can’t get it to work < >_< >!! I am getting vewy vewy SLEEEPAH! So pleash help, thank you :P:P, PS if you want this new code (it doesn’t work BTW), just ask.

–Radical Edward------------------------
email: none yet

[jonn8]

Save this as a stay-open AppleScript application and then run it from the Finder:

–Open this script in a new Script Editor window.

on idle
set the_file to (((path to home folder) as Unicode text) & “MyApps:iTunesData.mk”)
set _monkey to “Silence”
tell application “System Events” to set process_names to name of processes
try
if process_names contains “iTunes” then tell application “iTunes” to tell current track to set _monkey to (name & " - " & artist)
end try
my write_to_file(the_file, _monkey, false)
return 30
end idle

on write_to_file(the_file, the_data, with_appending)
set the_file to the_file as string
try
set f to open for access file the_file with write permission
if with_appending = false then set eof of f to 0
write the_data to f starting at eof as (class of the_data)
close access f
return true
on error the_error
try
close access file the_file
end try
return the_error
end try
end write_to_file

Jon

---

[This script was automatically tagged for color coded syntax by Convert Script to Markup Code]

[radicaledward]

Thanks, I’m going to go and try this now currently doesn’t have net access, is there a difference in file handling in AS between OS 9 and X.3 ?? Thanks again

–Radical Edward------------------------
email: none yet

[radicaledward]

YAY!!! Thanks, I diddn’t think that this was working, and then I was wondering about the “on idle” function, and waited for the track to change Thank you! BTW what exactly is the idle thingy doing, + is it a class, a function, a variable, event??? Whatever it is it’s awesome thanx Jonn.