AppleScript bizarre error

I like to print out what is passed to unix. So, I do:

set unix_input to "cd " & selectedPath & "; say -v \"Samantha\" \"" & typeText & "\"" & finalName & " -o \"" & fileName & "\""

log "unix_input=" & unix_input

do shell script unix_input with administrator privileges

I cannot make much sense of this. It seems you have a cd then a say command. Don't know why this needs admin.

and you do have the problem of funnie characters in the filename. Use "quoted form". Manual quoting may not be enough. Here is the way:

(*

It is easier to diagnose problems with debug information. I suggest adding log statements to your script to see what is going on. Here is an example.

Author: rccharles

For testing, run in the Script Editor.

1) Click on the Event Log tab to see the output from the log statement

2) Click on Run

For running shell commands see:

http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/technotes/tn2002/tn2065.html

*)

on run

-- Write a message into the event log.

log " --- Starting on " & ((current date) as string) & " --- "

-- debug lines

set desktopPath to (path to desktop) as string

log "desktopPath = " & desktopPath

set unixDesktopPath to POSIX path of desktopPath

log "unixDesktopPath = " & unixDesktopPath

set quotedUnixDesktopPath to quoted form of unixDesktopPath

log "quoted form is " & quotedUnixDesktopPath

try

set fromUnix to do shell script "ls -l " & quotedUnixDesktopPath

display dialog "ls -l of " & quotedUnixDesktopPath & return & fromUnix

on error errMsg

log "ls -l error..." & errMsg

end try

end run

stevejobsfan0123 wrote:

So if I use log, then do I go to the Console utility to view its output?

No. It appears in the event log tab in apple script editor.

For testing, run in the Script Editor.

1) Click on the Event Log tab ( when run you will see the output from the applescript log statement )

2) Click on Run

You need to print out each of your variables with the log statement to see what the actual value is.

log "selectedPath = " & selectedPath

if for some reason you get a error on this statement do

log "selectedPath = "

log selectedPath

If you need administrative privileges, you must be looking a privileged file.

Is this an issue with the say command only?

What happens when you echo out to a file in the same path?

do shell script "cd " & selectedPath & "; echo 'something' > " & fileName

Also does using the full path make any difference?

e.g /Users/WHATEVER/Desktop/VR_Ringtones

The difference is unclear to me, I just thought it could be something in how say operates inside Applescript.

Are you echoing with '-o' ? That is not an option echo supports 🙂

Double check your home folder in case the cd is failing & there is junk being echoed into home (or your admins home).

I get this from a test…

…

set selectedPath to "~/Desktop"

set fileName to "thefile"

do shell script "cd " & selectedPath & "; echo 'something' > " & fileName

Is there something screwy about the folder you are creating?

(P.S. grab this bookmarklet to fix the lousy negative indent that this forum creates when pasting from Script Editor, it cleans up the form)

http://marklets.com/De-indent.aspx

This works for me on 10.9.5

set selectedPath to "~/Desktop"

set fileName to "thefile"

set typeText to "typeText"

set finalName to "finalName"

do shell script "cd " & selectedPath & "; echo 'something' > " & fileName

log "Our variables: " & typeText & " " & finalName & " " & fileName

do shell script "cd " & selectedPath & "; say -v \"Alex\" \"" & typeText & "\"" & finalName & " -o \"" & fileName & "\"" --with administrator privileges

I get a text file with 'something' & an aiff with Alex saying "typeText finalName".

No admin privileges are needed, I don't have Samantha installed, try other voices.

How bizarre. Maybe there is a dictionary of known voices that is failing for Applescript alone. I have to wonder if permissions may be at play for the voices or other supporting files.

The /System and /Applications paths will be restricted, so I understand why they would require admin permissions, try /Users/Shared of a 'safe place' to test.

What does Terminal output - any sign of Samantha?

say -v?

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man1/say.1.html

~/Desktop/VR_Ringtones

😠 You cannot use ~ as a shortcut to your home folder in a do shell script. I do not understand the reason for this restriction. Also, you should realize that your bash profile is not run in a do shell script.

You need to specify the path to your home folder/directory.

    set homePath to (path to home folder) as string
    log "homePath = " & homepPath

    set unixhomepPath to POSIX path of homePath
    log "unixhomePath = " & unixhomePath

the unix command for finding the current path is:

pwd

the shell will be in the home folder/directory.

Robert