Enhanced Applet "System Events got an error"

AppleScript
#1

Couldn’t find any information on this googling it or searching this forum…

I can’t get the Enhanced Applet to run from the Dock, but it runs fine using the “Invoke Open Handler” feature within Script Debugger. If I create a new Enhanced Applet, and insert display dialog (theFile as text) into the processAFile handler, using the “Invoke Open Handler”, it alerts the file paths.

When I save it, slide it into the dock, and drop the same files onto it, I get the error System Events got an error: Can't make name of file "Macintosh HD:Users:me:Desktop:Image.jpg" into type specifier.

I’m on MacOS Mojave. I suspect it’s a permission issue relating to System Events, but I could be wrong. Has anyone else had this issue or know how to resolve it?

Thanks!

#2

Can you post complete code that can be tested?

#3

Sure thing.

The applet is sitting in my Applications folder.
Script Debugger 7 v7.0.12 (7A112)
iMac (MacOS Mohave 10.4.6)

It’s the default code starting a new Enhanced Applet, with display dialog (theFile as text) inserted into the processAFile(theFile) handler.

use AppleScript version "2.4" -- Yosemite (10.10) or later
use scripting additions


on prepareToProcessFiles(theFiles)
	set progress description to "YOUR SCRIPT'S DESCRIPTION"
	--	your initialization code goes here
	
	return theFiles
end prepareToProcessFiles

on processAFile(theFile)
	--	your code to process theFile goes here
	display dialog (theFile as text)
end processAFile

on cleanup()
	--	your cleanup code goes here
end cleanup


on open theFiles
	try
		--	Initialization...
		set progress total steps to -1
		set progress completed steps to 0
		set progress description to ""
		set progress additional description to "Preparing to process files..."
		set theFiles to prepareToProcessFiles(theFiles)
		
		--	Process Files...
		set progress total steps to count of theFiles
		set progress completed steps to 0
		repeat with aFile in theFiles
			tell application "System Events" to set theFileName to name of aFile
			set progress additional description to "Processing “" & theFileName & "”..."
			processAFile(contents of aFile)
			set progress completed steps to progress completed steps + 1
		end repeat
		
		--	CLeanup...
		set progress total steps to -1
		set progress completed steps to 0
		set progress additional description to "Cleaning up..."
		cleanup()
	on error errMsg number errNum from errFrom to errTo partial result errPartialResult
		--	Cleanup...
		set progress total steps to 0
		set progress completed steps to 0
		set progress additional description to "Cleaning up..."
		cleanup()
		error errMsg number errNum from errFrom to errTo partial result errPartialResult -- resignal the error
	end try
end open

Invoking the Open Handler from the application works.
Dropping a file gives

System Events got an error: Can't make name of file "Macintosh HD:Users:me:Desktop:Image.jpg" into type specifier.
#4

The issue is that System Events can’t deal with modern file references («class furl»). You could do something like:

tell application "System Events" to set theFileName to name of (aFile as alias)

but really, you’d be better off parsing the name from aFile as text yourself.

1 Like
#5

Thank you! That allowed the default script for the Enhanced Applet work.

The script breaks on a line that is part of the boilerplate for an Enhanced Applet. Boilerplate never makes it to processAFile(theFile) without System Events throwing a fit.

Would it be a good idea to fix that for the next release? Bit tricky to debug that for a newcomer.

1 Like