Simple add new item script question

Your question is simple and properly described; however, not everyone may have a copy of 'AppleScript: The Missing Manual' and thus not know of the 'add new item alert script' code.

Non-'AppleScript: The Missing Manual' solutions:

Solution 01:

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
display dialog "A new FAX has been received" buttons {"OK"} default button "OK" giving up after 3
end adding folder items to

Solution 02:

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
say "A new FAX has been received"
end adding folder items to

Solution 03:

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
set tString to "A new FAX has been received"
say tString
display dialog tString buttons {"OK"} default button "OK" giving up after 3
end adding folder items to

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Save the 'on adding folder items ...' code, as 'Script' in the '/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/' folder.

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To 'Enable Folder Actions', 'Configure Folder Actions...', 'Attach a Folder Action...', etc., please consult ' AppleScript in Mac OS X - Folder Actions'.

I did a 'Find' for 'add new item alert' and nothing appeared. I then 'Google'd 'add new item alert script' - and the 'AppleScript: Missing Manual' link was noted.

Other than to add a folder action script that I have created; I had not explored the contents of the '/Library/Folder Action Scripts/' folder. Well, until now - for your post, and another 'Apple Discussions: AppleScript' folder action script related post.

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Based on your original post - 'I've set up my iMac as a shared fax. Whenever it receives a fax, I have it to save the fax to a folder (called Incoming Fax) on my desktop. Every time a fax comes in, I want an alert to come up on the screen.' - you have to do (write) nothing - AppleScript code wise.

All you have to do is:
01. Open the 'Incoming Fax' folder.
02. Right button click ['control' key - click, if with a single button mouse] on the opened window, and select the contextual menu's 'Attach a Folder Action...' menu item.
03. If you note that 'Enable Folder Actions' is also a menu item (as opposed to 'Disable Folder Actions') - right button click ['control' key - click] on the opened window, and select the contextual menu's 'Enable Folder Actions' menu item.

From this point on, as a file or files are saved to, or dropped on (added to), the 'Incoming Fax' folder, an dialog box will appear stating 'x new items have been placed in folder "Incoming Fax".' (where 'x' is the number of just added items.

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So there you have it, you have used AppleScript without writing a single line of code!

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With respect to 'this_folder' and 'added_items' in 'on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items' - yes, you can replace them with any (non AppleScript reserved) names you prefer.

Mac OS X (10.4.4)

From 'Solution 01:' ...

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
beep
display dialog "A new FAX has been received" buttons {"OK"} default button "OK" giving up after 3
end adding folder items to

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As per 'Standard Additions' dictionary (select 'Script Editor's 'Window, Library' menu item, and from the resultant 'Library' window double click on 'Standard Additions') - 'display dialog' is not an 'alert' window; thus, the reason for just adding 'beep' before the 'display dialog ...' line of code, above.

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As far as AppleScript documentation - if you have installed 'Developer' then just navigate to '/Developer/ADC Reference Library/documentation/AppleScript/', and double click on the 'index.html' file. Or, go to ' AppleScript (on-line)', and / or use ' Google'.

Mac OS X (10.4.4)