Pass Finder reference between Automator and Applescript

Question

Hi - This is doing my head in !
I have an Automator script that encrypts a PDF and then runs an AppleScript within the Automator workflow that does a rename on the resultant encrypted PDF. The result of this workflow is a filename I need within another calling Applescript.
So in the Automator workflow I have the following code:
set the new_item to (move item target_name of the temp_folder to container of the source_item)
end tell
return new_item as alias
When I view the response in the calling Applescript I see this:
"{alias "Macintosh HD:Support:test-28 (encrypted).pdf"}"
How do I consume this in my Applescript ?? I need to get it into a POSIX format or something I can use.
This is my test Applescript:
http://bit.ly/fQ3s1i
This is the Applescript within the Automator workflow:
on run {input, parameters}
set the result_item to item 1 of input
set the source_item to item 2 of input
set the target_item to result_item
tell application "Finder"
set the temp_folder to the container of the target_item
copy my derivefilename(sourceitem, "pdf", "-", "") to {target_name, target_HFSpath}
set the name of the target_item to target_name
set the new_item to (move item target_name of the temp_folder to container of the source_item)
end tell
return new_item as alias
end run
on derivefilename(thisitem, new_extension, increment_separator, target_folder)
-- A sub-routine used for deriving the name and path of a new file using the name of an existing file
-- Pass in file ref in alias format, the new name extension, an increment separator, and any target directory (in alias format)
-- Name and HFS path for new file are returned. The name is incremented if a file exists in the target location.
-- Pass a null string for the target directory to use the item's parent directory
-- Pass a null string for the new name extension to use the item's current name extension
tell application "Finder"
if target_folder is "" then
set the target_folder to the container of this_item
end if
set the file_name to the name of this_item
set file_extension to the name extension of this_item
if the file_extension is "" then
set the trimmed_name to the file_name
set extension_separator to " (encrypted)"
else
set the trimmed_name to text 1 thru -((length of file_extension) + 2) of the file_name
set extension_separator to " (encrypted)."
end if
if the new_extension is "" then
set target_name to file_name
set target_extension to file_extension
else
set target_extension to new_extension
set target_name to (the trimmed_name & extension_separator & target_extension) as Unicode text
end if
if (exists document file target_name of target_folder) then
set the name_increment to 1
repeat
set the new_name to (the trimmed_name & increment_separator & (name_increment as Unicode text) & extension_separator & target_extension) as Unicode text
if not (exists document file new_name of the target_folder) then
set the target_HFSpath to ((target_folder as Unicode text) & new_name)
return {new_name, target_HFSpath}
else
set the name_increment to the name_increment + 1
end if
end repeat
else
set the target_HFSpath to ((target_folder as Unicode text) & target_name)
return {target_name, target_HFSpath}
end if
end tell
end derive_filename
This is the workflow - I use Automator because I need that Encrypt PDF action, I can't find any other way of doing it:
http://bit.ly/fzhbyU
Can anyone help ??
Message was edited by: brantwinter

Answer 1

It's not entirely clear what your issue is.
It sounds like your first script is returning:
"{alias \"Macintosh HD:Support:test-28 (encrypted).pdf\"}"
which is pretty easy to follow... you have a list containing one item, and that item is an alias (pointer to a file).
What's probably confusing you is the fact that you have a list, but that's because Automator always passes lists as the parameters, so the first thing to do is extract the alias from the list:
set my_file to item 1 of input
which will result in:
alias "Macintosh HD:Support:test-28 (encrypted).pdf"
so now you have a working file reference. If you want the POSIX form of that path, just ask for it:
set posix_path to quoted form of POSIX path of my_file
--> '/Support/test-28 (encrypted).pdf'
(note that I used 'quoted form of' since you have spaces (and, potentially, other non-shell safe characters) in the path.)