macOS How to Enable/Disable Folder Options Using AppleScript?

[Isw]

Hi,

Im Newbie to apple scripting.How should i set "Enable Folder Options" or "Disable Folder Options" using applescript?
I used the following code, but the folder action is not enabled to the specified folder:

tell application "System Events" to set enabled of folder action "some folder" to true

Where am i going wrong. Please help.

Thanks in Advance

 

[HiRez]

I'm a little confused, since you said both folder options and folder actions in your post, but I think you mean actions.

If you want to globally enable/disable actions, then try

tell application "System Events" to set folder actions enabled to true

But, I don't think that can target a single folder. You can script the application Applications/AppleScript/Folder Actions Setup to do this, however this application only became scriptable in 10.5 Leopard. I don't know how you'd do it on pre-10.5 systems. Have a look at the scripts that came with your system, in /Library/Scripts/Folder Actions (under the root dir, not your home folder), and you weill see some examples. Try the one called "Remove Folder Actions.scpt". It's a kind of long-winded and klunky way to go about it, but you might be able to get some ideas that way.

Click this link for details on the 10.5 mechanism.

 

[Isw]

Sample script to make Folder Action Setup Scriptable

Hi,

Thanks for ur reply.can u give any sample applescript's for making the Folder Action Setup Application Scriptable?
This will be very helpful.

Thanks
Isw

I'm a little confused, since you said both folder options and folder actions in your post, but I think you mean actions.

If you want to globally enable/disable actions, then try

tell application "System Events" to set folder actions enabled to true

But, I don't think that can target a single folder. You can script the application Applications/AppleScript/Folder Actions Setup to do this, however this application only became scriptable in 10.5 Leopard. I don't know how you'd do it on pre-10.5 systems. Have a look at the scripts that came with your system, in /Library/Scripts/Folder Actions (under the root dir, not your home folder), and you weill see some examples. Try the one called "Remove Folder Actions.scpt". It's a kind of long-winded and klunky way to go about it, but you might be able to get some ideas that way.

Click this link for details on the 10.5 mechanism.

 

[HiRez]

Hi,

Thanks for ur reply.can u give any sample applescript's for making the Folder Action Setup Application Scriptable?
This will be very helpful.

Sorry, I can't since that application just recently became scriptable with Leopard (which I don't even have yet). Be on the cutting edge! You might try asking on the MacScripter site.

 

[buzzwig]

Disable/enable folder actions 10.4

Here's how I got around the limited scriptability of Folder Actions Setup using UI scripting which requires the "Enable access for assistive devices" box to be checked in Universal Access control panel. I use this on login so that all my folder actions are always active when I'm logged in as me. First I have to disable all folder actions because the system sometimes gets confused and sticks an an infinite loop if I don't. Then I add the actions I want...


-- removing all actions...

tell application "Folder Actions Setup"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Folder Actions Setup"
delay 0.2
key code 0 using command down -- command - a (select all)
delay 0.2
click button "-" of splitter group 1 of window "Folder Actions Setup"
set frontmost to true -- the focus is sometimes lost...
if exists button "OK" of sheet 1 of window "Folder Actions Setup" then
set frontmost to true
click button "OK" of sheet 1 of window "Folder Actions Setup"
delay 0.3
end if
end tell
end tell
tell application "Folder Actions Setup" to quit

-- add the actions...

tell application "System Events"
try
attach action to folder "pathtothefolder:thefolder:" using "youractionscript.scpt"
end try
end tell

~buzzwig

 

[buzzwig]

Better yet...

-- remove existing actions...

tell application "System Events" to ¬
set FolderActionNames to name of every folder action

if FolderActionNames is not {} then
repeat with EachFolder in FolderActionNames
tell application "System Events" to ¬
delete folder action EachFolder
end repeat
end if

-- add the actions...

tell application "System Events"
try
attach action to folder "pathtothefolder:thefolder:" using "youractionscript.scpt"
end try
end tell

~buzzwig