Applescript: add a custom tag to a folder?

The original Finder label index is still there for backward compatibility, but to set tags you will need to use the xattr shell utility to set a property list attribute, or some AppleScriptObjC. An AppleScriptObjC example would be something like:

use AppleScript version "2.4" -- at least Yosemite
use framework "Foundation"
use scripting additions

on run -- example
  set theFile to POSIX path of (choose folder)
  set theTags to (choose from list {"Testing", "Violet", "Important", "Steph", "Rouge"} with multiple selections allowed)
  if theTags is not false then my addTags:theTags forFile:theFile
end run

on addTags:tagList forFile:posixPath -- add to existing tags
  set theURL to current application's |NSURL|'s fileURLWithPath:posixPath -- make URL
  set {theResult, theTags} to theURL's getResourceValue:(reference) forKey:(current application's NSURLTagNamesKey) |error|:(missing value) -- get existing tags
  if theTags is not missing value then -- add new tags
    set tagList to (theTags as list) & tagList
    set tagList to (current application's NSOrderedSet's orderedSetWithArray:tagList)'s allObjects() -- delete duplicates
  end if
  theURL's setResourceValue:tagList forKey:(current application's NSURLTagNamesKey) |error|:(missing value)
end addTags:forFile:

I have revised your script, and the following works on my macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 system using one of my custom tag names. I have "hardened" the script because if an existing Finder window is not open when the script runs, it will not be able to retrieve the target of window 1 and generate an error. Now, it works.

use framework "Cocoa"

use AppleScriptversion "2.4" -- Yosemite or later

use scripting additions

property NSArray : a reference to current application's NSArray

property |NSURL| : a reference to current application's |NSURL|

property NSURLTagNamesKey : a reference to current application'sNSURLTagNamesKey

tell application "Finder"

-- target of window 1 will fail if no Finder window present, so make one if needed.

if not exists window 1 then make new Finder window to home

set projectClient to text returned of (display dialog "Nom du client:" default answer "CLIENT")

set projectName to text returned of (display dialog "Nom du projet:" default answer "PROJET")

set projectFolder to projectClient & " | " & projectName

set currentDirectory to (target of Finder window 1)

set newFolder to makenewfolderatcurrentDirectorywith properties {name:projectFolder}

set tagName to {"Seb"}

set thisFolder to (newFolder as text)'s POSIX path

my set_tag(thisFolder, tagName)

end tell

return

on set_tag(afolder, atag)

set tagArray to NSArray'sarrayWithArray:atag

set fileURL to |NSURL|'sfileURLWithPath:afolder

fileURL'ssetResourceValue:tagArrayforKey:NSURLTagNamesKey|error|:missing value

end set_tag

Unfortunately, there aren't any Automator actions to add tags, so you will need to roll your own, but fortunately, this can be done in Automator by using the Run AppleScript action. Both of our posted scripts essentially do the same thing, but it would be helpful to provide some context and/or details of the tags you are wanting to add and the actions you will be using to provide input.

[Update:] The Finder Scripting Dictionary does not provide an arrange by tags feature. There is an arrange by label, but it does nothing. You will have to manually reset the arrangement in the Finder window toolbar by tags after each time that you run the script. Désolé pour ça.

Actually, the following produces identical results to running the whoami (or id -un) command, and never has to leave the Bash shell to produce identical results:

set tagName to (do shell script "printf '%s' $USER") as list

Result:

{"seb"}

Hi VikingOSX,

I'm a newbie to AppleScript and I was attempting a similar solution for my movie collection. Adding custom tags to Folders. I run my movie files through filebot which leaves me with this example folder/file output:

Avatar (2009) 1080p / Avatar (2009) 1080p DTS x264.mp4

After renaming using filebot I currently manually tag 1080p movies with the custom tag "1080p" and then delete the text" 1080p" from the foldername. Same process for 720p movies.

I'd like to make this process automatic 😀

I've been playing around with your script and it works for custom tagging but only for one at a time. I would like to skip the dialog box and be able to parse multiple items at once. I tried to change "set afolder to get selection" (the current selected folder/s in finder) but a can't get it to work.

Can you help me?

In what is entirely out of character for me, I have not tested the following AppleScript as there are other demands on my time today, but it shows you how to:

1. Get the folder name from a currently selected folder in the Finder
2. Get a list of movie files in the selected folder, or optionally in its folder hierarchy, that match valid movie extensions.
3. Test each filename for the string "1080p" or "720p" and set the appropriate tag name.
4. Setting the tag name for the selected folder should be straightforward using another conditional block like found in the repeat loop.
5. In the setTag handler, the line fileURL's setResourcValue… is one line that has wrapped in the posted content here.

use framework "Cocoa"

use AppleScriptversion "2.4" -- Yosemite or later

use scripting additions

property NSArray : a reference to current application's NSArray

property |NSURL| : a reference to current application's |NSURL|

property NSURLTagNamesKey : a reference to current application'sNSURLTagNamesKey

property valid_movie : {"mp4", "mv4", "mov", "avi"}

property tag1080p : {"1080p"}

property tag720p : {"720p"}

tell application "Finder"

if not (get selection) = {} then

-- set fObject to POSIX path of (selection as text)

set fObject to (selection as text)

log fObject as text

end if

-- recursive drill into specified folder

-- set imageFiles to (every item in entire contents of folder fObject whose kind is movie and valid_movie contains name extension) as alias list

-- just files in first level of folder

set imageFiles to (every item of folder fObject whose kind is movie and valid_movie contains name extension) as alias list

repeat with anItem in imageFiles

if anItem's name contains tag1080p then

set_tag(POSIX path of anItem, tag1080p)

else if anItem's name contains tag720p then

set_tag(POSIX path of anItem, tag720p)

end if

end repeat

end tell

return

on set_tag(afolder, atag)

set tagArray to NSArray'sarrayWithArray:atag

set fileURL to |NSURL|'sfileURLWithPath:afolder

fileURL'ssetResourceValue:tagArrayforKey:NSURLTagNamesKey|error|:missing value

end set_tag

Since this is the same subject matter, keep using this post for questions and responses.

I will have to review the current code with the arrange by tags, and will update here when I have something.

Provided you already have custom tagnames for each username, the following is a shortcut:

set tagName to (do shell script "whoami") as list

Result:

{"seb"}

AppleScript (and Automator) only know about the default system defined color names by default, not those that we create for practical organizational reasons. There is a way to set a file or folder tag to any Finder tag, including those we create, but it requires AppleScript/Objective-C.

Here is an AppleScript/Objective-C solution that prompts you for the folder to be the tag recipient. The particular tag name is hard-coded (substitute your own) in the script. I also have a larger script that gets all system and user defined tags and places them in a list for your selection — if you want that option.

Copy and paste the following AppleScript into Script Editor (Dock : Launchpad : Other : Script Editor). Click compile, and edit the tagname list item for your particular tag. Then click run.

-- tagit.applescript

-- set one or more system or user defined tags on a file or folder

-- Revision: 1.2, Tested OS X 10.11.6, macOS 10.13.3

-- VikingOSX, 2018-02-03, Apple Support Communities

use framework "Cocoa"

use AppleScriptversion "2.4" -- Yosemite or later

use scripting additions

property NSArray : a reference to current application's NSArray

property |NSURL| : a reference to current application's |NSURL|

property NSURLTagNamesKey : a reference to current application'sNSURLTagNamesKey

property msg : "Choose the folder to receive the tag:"

property aDesktop : (path to desktop) as alias

set tagname to {"mytagname"} -- can set multiple tags at once with more list items

set afolder to (choose folderwith promptmsgdefault locationaDesktop without multiple selections allowed, invisibles and showing package contents)

set_tag(afolder, tagname)

return

on set_tag(theFile, atag)

set tagArray to NSArray'sarrayWithArray:atag

set fileURL to |NSURL|'sfileURLWithPath:POSIX path of theFile

fileURL'ssetResourceValue:tagArrayforKey:NSURLTagNamesKey|error|:missing value

end set_tag

As I mentioned, AppleScript and Automator have no clue about custom Finder tags that you may have created.

You could change:

set label index of newFolder to 1 #orange

to:

set tagname to {"Approuvé", "custom tag 2", "custom tag 3"}

set_tag(newFolder, (item 1 of tagname)) -- "Approuvé"

and add the other AppleScript items related to the use of the set_tag handler to your existing AppleScript.

As you are already using AppleScript, and presumeably, that is how you are creating your new project folder, you already have a folder name that can be passed to the set_tag handler demonstrated above. This handler can be added below your existing AppleScript as done above, and you pass your new folder name, and tagname to the handler.

You can hard-code a list of your custom Finder tagnames, but there needs to be some interaction (see choose from list) between you and the application if you want different tag names applied to folders, or an automated solution where a tagname setting logic in your script applies a specific tagname to a particular kind of project name.

Thoughts?