3 questions regarding duplicate script

Thanks!

I've tried to modify my script...

cop2drop("test")
cop2drop("Desktop")
cop2drop("Documents")
cop2drop("Pictures")
cop2drop("Sites")

on cop2drop(currentFolder)
set sourceFolder to "Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder & ":"
set destFolder to "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" & currentFolder & ":"
make new folder at "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" with properties {name:currentFolder}
tell application "System Events" -- instead of Finder
duplicate entire contents of folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end cop2drop

... but it doesn't create folders on the other Mac! (# -1700 error)
Does the script have to "log in" to the other Mac?
How can I fix it...?

Lots of thanks for your help!
I had mounted the other Mac via Finder > Sidebar/Shared > zome's iMac > doubleclicked on "zome's Public Folder" and "Drop Box".
I've made the test you've suggested and the path really is "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:".
I've replaced it in the script and adjusted the other lines (I hope correctly).

cop2drop("test")

on cop2drop(currentFolder)
set sourceFolder to "Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder & ":"
set destFolder to "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" & currentFolder & ":"
tell application "System Events" -- instead of Finder
try -- make sure currentFolder exists, skipping the error if it does
make new folder at end of folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" with properties {name:currentFolder}
end try
duplicate entire contents of folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end cop2drop

The folder "test" now gets created under "Drop Box", but then I get an...

AppleScript Error
System Events got an error: Can’t set folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:test:"
to entire contents of folder "Macintosh HD:Users:home:test:".

This is the log:

tell application "System Events"
make new folder at end of folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" with properties {name:"test"}
--> folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:test:"
copy entire contents of folder "Macintosh HD:Users:home:test:" to folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:test:"
--> *error number -1728* from «class ects» of «class cfol» "Macintosh HD:Users:home:test:"
Result:
error "System Events got an error: Can’t set folder \"zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:test:\" to entire contents of folder \"Macintosh HD:Users:home:test:\"." *number -10006* from folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:test:"

What is wrong here? For me all looks right now...

Thanks again!

First a note to Hiroto: Thanks also to you for your suggestions!
I try to reply here too in order to avoid splitting the thread.

It is NOT required to consider possible existence of folders or subfolders at the destination side and it is not required to consider possible overwriting of files in destination folders or subfolders, because the script will always ONLY be used to copy into an EMPTY Drop Box (no files or folders there at all). Sorry, I forgot to mention this before, but now I realised it might make things easier. I only need to make 100% equal copies of the original source folders (with files and sub-folders) at the destination side - just as drag and drop would make - that's all.

Summary (what would suit best?):
====================

1. System Event's "duplicate":
Under all aspects I assume it's not possible to use it - am I right?
red_menace wrote: +Getting the disk items isn't recursive and also returns invisible items, such as .DS_Store...+
Wouldn't it be REQUIRED to process the invisible items too in order to transfer the entire contents of a folder?

2. Finder's "duplicate":
red_menace wrote: +If a different destination folder were being used, there wouldn't be a need to go around the FInder...+
I thought it would be the easiest way to use the Drop Box, but I would also be happy to use the Public Folder if that would work. Would the script have the required permissions/rights to WRITE to the Public Folder of another Mac?

Would be nice, but the following didn't work:

cop2drop("Macintosh HD:Users:home:test", "zome's Public Folder:") -- FINDER version w/o Drop Box:

on cop2drop(sourceFolder, destFolder)
with timeout of 36000 seconds
tell application "Finder"
duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end timeout
end cop2drop

=> error number -8068 - Why...?

(2.a. If that wouldn't work, I have another idea:
Could this script be used in conjunction with a 2nd script which would be started simultaneously and just lurk for that "+You can put items into "Drop Box", but you won't be able to see them. Do you want to continue?+" message and "press" the OK button as soon as it would appear? Maybe this idea sounds a bit cumbersome...)

For the remaining alternatives (3.-5.) I tried to read the information found in Terminal under "man rsync", "man cp" and "man ditto", but I can't overlook all combinations of parameters and can't know which ones are required for my situation (see above). Seems complicated for non-experts...

3. "rsync": WORKS!
I would like to avoid the usage of "rsync" if possible. I've experimented with it before (I was using the parameters "-aE" to get all source files) and it made some problems (for example decompressing of the transferred data in some cases on the other Mac). In my case there is also no need for synchronisation at all (for large folders it takes some additional time to make these lists for comparisons). Also its capability to delete files at the destination that are not/no longer in the source is not required.

4. and 5. "cp" and "ditto": BOTH WORK! (I think I would prefer "cp" over "ditto")
Are the parameters ideal in my case?
Why are there differences in the POSIX definition line:
red_menace wrote: +set sourceFolder to quoted form of POSIX path of ("Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder & ":")+
Hiroto wrote: +set src to (sourceFolder as alias)'s POSIX Path's text 1 thru -2+
Are they interchangeable? Or what does that special +Path's text 1 thru -2+ mean??
Should I add " 2>>/Users/home/rsyncErr.txt || echo -n" for the case that errors occur?

I hope that's not too much questions!

cop2drop("Macintosh HD:Users:home:test", "zome's Public Folder:") -- FINDER version w/o Drop Box:

on cop2drop(sourceFolder, destFolder)
with timeout of 36000 seconds
tell application "Finder"
duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end timeout
end cop2drop

1 & 2) {...} your script works for me if the destination is not a drop box (e.g. the Public folder)
- not sure what error -8068 is, but -8086 is "destination permissions error", which would
most likely be a drop box error.

No it's really error -8068. I've searched on the internet for hours but couldn't find information
about it. Now I've modified this script a bit, because I prefer the form where only one parameter
is passed to the subroutine:

cop2drop("test") -- FINDER version w/o Drop Box MODIFIED

on cop2drop(currentFolder)
set sourceFolder to "Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder
set destFolder to "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" & currentFolder & ":"
with timeout of 36000 seconds
tell application "Finder"
duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end timeout
end cop2drop

Actually it is the same script, isn't it? BUT now I get another error:

"Finder got an error: The operation can’t be completed." number -43

How can this be?
I assume this script also works fine for you and copies into zome's Public Folder?
How can I find out how to get it to work...?
The Sharing and Permissions settings of zome's Public Folder are:

zome (Me): Read & Write
staff: Read only
everyone: Read only

I think this is default/standard. What are your settings?

BTW Does duplicate copy all contents? ("extended attributes, resource forks, and ACLs")

I would prefer to use the above, but in case there is no way to get it to work...:

4 & 5) cp - The differences in the POSIX path definitions
is that I was trying to duplicate the path text that you were using in your original script,
while Hiroto was assuming a regular folder alias and stripping off the trailing path delimiter.

I've modified it also a bit and it works:

cop2drop("test") -- CP MODIFIED

on cop2drop(currentFolder)
set sourceFolder to quoted form of POSIX path of ("Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder & ":")
set destFolder to quoted form of POSIX path of ("zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" & currentFolder & ":")
tell application "System Events" to try -- make sure currentFolder exists, skipping the error if it does
make new folder at end of folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:" with properties {name:currentFolder}
end try
do shell script "cp -pR " & sourceFolder & space & destFolder
end cop2drop

Because the destination Folder is always empty, it's never required to try before making the folder.
So I tried to remove the "tell application..." and the "end try..." lines, but the AppleScript Editor
didn't accept it - displaying the error:

"Syntax Error - Expected end of line, etc. but found “"”."

Why? It makes no sense...

BTW Does "*cp -pR*" copy all contents? ("extended attributes, resource forks, and ACLs")

Thanks again for your help!

Lots of thanks, red_menace and Hiroto for making important things clear.

1. SYSTEM EVENTS version => NOT WORKING => I will not use this :

cop2drop("Macintosh HD:Users:home:test")

on cop2drop(sourceFolder)
set destFolder to "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:"
with timeout of 36000 seconds
tell application "System Events"
duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destFolder
end tell
end timeout
end cop2drop

I still got these errors:

==> error number -1728 from «class cfol» "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:"
Result:
error "System Events got an error: Can’t set folder \"zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:\" to folder \"zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:\"." number -10006 from folder "zome's Public Folder:Drop Box:"

But don't bother... The following...

2. FINDER version WORKS perfectly now! 🙂 :

Here is the solution, at least with some preparation in zome's (and now also yome's) Public Folder:
1. I made a folder called "dubbed" in zome's (and yome's) Public Folder
2. I made it a shared folder
3. I've changed the User rights of "Everyone" from "Read Only" to "Read & Write"

I mounted zome's iMac and yome's iMac manually by clicking through the Finder.
(Is there a script command for "mounting-if-not-yet-mounted"? Would be easier.)

The script is nearly complete now I guess:

property machinesList : {"zome", "yome"}
on run
repeat with xome in machinesList
dub2dubbed("test", xome)
-- dub2dubbed("Pictures", xome)
-- dub2dubbed("Desktop", xome)
-- dub2dubbed("Documents", xome)
-- dub2dubbed("Sites", xome)
beep
beep
delay 5
end repeat
end run

on dub2dubbed(currentFolder, currentMachine)
set sourceFolder to "Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder
set destinationFolder to currentMachine & "'s Public Folder:dubbed:"
with timeout of 36000 seconds
tell application "Finder"
duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destinationFolder -- with replacing
end tell
end timeout
beep
end dub2dubbed

It seems to work well. Is anything wrong with it I might have missed?

*BUT ONE OTHER THING:*
After the copying (with progress bars being displayed! 🙂 ) zome/yome has no rights
to accecc the arrived folders like e.g. "Pictures". (red minus on the folder icon)
For these folders I had to set up zome/yome's rights manually. Cumbersome...
Could the script do this for arriving folders?
Or at the end in one turn for all subfolders of "dubbed"?

Thanks again -- you both were such a great help, I really appreciate it!

Thanks for the information!

Regarding the problem "... *you don't have permission to see the contents*..." of the copied folders, I added another step to the preparations:

1. I made a folder called "dubbed" in zome's (and yome's) Public Folder
2. I made it a shared folder
3. I've changed the User rights of "Everyone" from "Read Only" to "Read & Write"
4. (NEW) I've changed the folder permissions via Terminal:
chmod +a "$USER allow list,addfile,search,delete,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextattr, writeextattr,readsecurity,writesecurity,chown,file_inherit,directoryinherit" ~/Public/dubbed

Regarding the mounting problem, here is the updated script:

property machinesList : {"zome", "yome"}
on run
 tell application "Finder"
 try
 -- mount volume ("afp://192.168.0.3:548/zome's Public Folder") as user name "zome" with password "sillypw" -- brings dialog box
 -- mount volume ("afp://192.168.0.4:548/yome's Public Folder") as user name "yome" with password "sillypw" -- brings dialog box
 open location "afp://zome:sillypw@192.168.0.3:548/zome's Public Folder/"
 open location "afp://yome:sillypw@192.168.0.4:548/yome's Public Folder/"
 end try
 end tell
 repeat with xome in machinesList
 dub2dubbed("Pictures", xome)
 -- more sources follow...
 delay 2
 end repeat
end run
on dub2dubbed(currentFolder, currentMachine)
 set sourceFolder to "Macintosh HD:Users:home:" & currentFolder
 set destinationFolder to currentMachine & "'s Public Folder:dubbed:"
 with timeout of 36000 seconds
 tell application "Finder"
 activate "Finder"
 duplicate folder sourceFolder to folder destinationFolder
 end tell
 end timeout
 repeat 5 times
 beep
 end repeat
end dub2dubbed

Regarding the mounting problem:
1. The deactivated "-- mount volume..." version works, but brings the dialog box to confirm! Why??
2. The open location version works FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT NOT RELIABLY - curious, isn't it? What could cause this problem?