Getting large file sizes in AppleScript...

Question

For starters I am new to AppleScript. Please excuse my lack of knowledge.
I am trying to get file sizes for large files and kicking that out to a text file. Problem is that all these files are a gigabyte and up. When I use:
set fileSIZE to size of (info for chosenFile) as string
--result is 1.709683486E+9
I also tried using:
tell application "Finder"
set theSize to physical size of chosenFile
end tell
--result is 1.724383232E+9
So, my question is there another way that shows me the bytes in this format "1,709,683,486" bytes.
The "size of (info for chosenFile)" shows the right numbers "1.709683486". I don't really need the commas. I had a larger file of 44GB and the result was 4.4380597717E+10.
How do I remove the ".", the "E+9" or "E+10"?

Answer 1

looks like hubionmac has found a winner.
perhaps not:
page 89 applescript language guide:
the largest integer value is 536,870,911. Larger integers are convert to real numbers.
Notice the different request for size report different values.
Notice that ls -l return the data fork size in Tiger.
Notice the clever way of working with the resource fork in unix ( /rsrc ). I found this in juliejuliejulie's code in another post.
set theFile to (choose file)
set fileSIZE to size of (info for theFile) as miles as string
log "fileSIZE = " & fileSIZE
tell application "Finder"
   set pSize to physical size of theFile
end tell
log "pSize = " & pSize
set stringSize to pSize as miles as string
log "stringSize = " & stringSize
set theItem to quoted form of POSIX path of (theFile)
log "theItem = " & theItem
-- unix ls -l command will give size. 
-- Looks like ls -l gives the data fork size.
set theDataSize to (do shell script "ls -l " & theItem & " | awk '{print $5}'")
log "theDataSize = " & theDataSize
set theRsrc to (POSIX path of theFile) & "/rsrc"
log "theRsrc = " & theRsrc
set theRsrc to quoted form of theRsrc
log "theRsrc = " & theRsrc
set theRsrcSize to (do shell script "ls -l " & theRsrc & " | awk '{print $5}'")
log "theRsrcSize = " & theRsrcSize
set output to do shell script "echo \"" & theDataSize & "+" & theRsrcSize & "\" | bc "
log "combined data and resource size = " & output
Here is what I get when I run the above script.
tell current application
   choose file
      alias "Macintosh-HD:System Folder:Finder"
   info for alias "Macintosh-HD:System Folder:Finder"
      {name:"Finder", creation date:date "Tuesday, May 29, 2001 3:00:00 PM", modification date:date "Tuesday, May 29, 2001 3:00:00 PM", icon position:{1, 128}, size:2.439365E+6, folder:false, alias:false, package folder:false, visible:true, extension hidden:false, name extension:missing value, displayed name:"Finder", default application:alias "Macintosh-HD:Applications (Mac OS 9):Utilities:Assistants:Setup Assistant:Setup Assistant", kind:"Finder", file type:"FNDR", file creator:"MACS", type identifier:"dyn.agk8yqxwenk", locked:false, busy status:false, short version:"9.2", long version:"9.2, Copyright Apple Computer, Inc. 1983-2001"}
   (*fileSIZE = 2439365*)
end tell
tell application "Finder"
   get physical size of alias "Macintosh-HD:System Folder:Finder"
      2.445312E+6
   (*pSize = 2.445312E+6*)
   (*stringSize = 2445312*)
   (*theItem = '/System Folder/Finder'*)
end tell
tell current application
   do shell script "ls -l '/System Folder/Finder' | awk '{print $5}'"
      "1914636"
   (*theDataSize = 1914636*)
   (*theRsrc = /System Folder/Finder/rsrc*)
   (*theRsrc = '/System Folder/Finder/rsrc'*)
   do shell script "ls -l '/System Folder/Finder/rsrc' | awk '{print $5}'"
      "524729"
   (*theRsrcSize = 524729*)
   do shell script "echo \"1914636+524729\" | bc "
      "2439365"
   (*combined data and resource size = 2439365*)
end tell
Message was edited by: rccharles