Hello ya'll, I'm getting ready to abandon OS 9 altogether (aside from M$ Orifice for OS X (Classic version is sufficient for my needs), all my regular apps are X native or Carbonised) & the *last* thing holding me back is AppleScript & the OS X Finder.
Two problems: (1) scripting (AppleScript?) of OS X "Finder" functions (move, copy, delete, shutdown) (2) I need (would like) OS 9 Energy Saver functionality in OS X. i.e. I'd like to be able to set the "turn computer on" setting from within OS X and not have to boot into OS 9 to do that. QUESTIONs (description of my script below): 1. Is the OS X Finder AppleScriptable (my experience says no)? 2. How does one launch Unix script files (make them launchable?) with AppleScripts? (i.e. so I can move files to a new directory and "shutdown" the computer (as per the Unix shutdown or halt commands) 3. Is there a simplified Unix script procedure that I can use to automate the moving of files into a *new* directory from an old one (e.g. of Unix commands I foresee some code to create a unique folder & allow that name to be used in the rest of the script md ~/Documents/Weather/someuniquetimebasedfoldername mv ~/Documents/Weather/Downloads/* ~/Documents/Weather/someuniquetimebasedname/ [all one line] shutdown )? 3.5 A way to generate a unique folder name using time to be used in the directory string. 4. If ya'll don't know either, does anyone know of a mailing list/web forum where people would? Comment: I vaguely remember that I could create "batch" files (like the DOS .bat files) in mach unix back in 1993/4/5 but it's been so long that I don't remember how to do that or have the people on-hand to ask (I'm the most computer literate person around me... no computer programmers & unix geeks around me anymore :(. DESCRIPTION of my Script: I have an AppleScript that automagically downloads a number of web pages (detailed weather information) at 02:00. 1. My B&W G3 to turns itself on (Energy Saver control panel) at 02:30, 2. it boots into OS 9 (default OS), 3. launches the script located in the Startup Items folder, 4. downloads the pages with iCab (great AppleScriptable app), 5. then I tell the Finder to duplicate the folder into which I download the pages (to ensure each day is separate and doesn't over-write the previous day's data), 6. and, finally the script tells the Finder to shutdown the computer. 7. If something doesn't work properly (e.g. script fails to launch or computer fails to turn off) the computer will turn itself off at 03:30. This whole procedure takes <5 minutes, thereby leaving my computer turned off for 23:55 (saving a *lot* of energy and wear & tear on the computer's circuitry... fans & mobo still chew up a 50-100 W of energy, even in Sleep mode)). And, the beauty is that I can leave the city for days on end and come back to a complete data record (the only gaps are when the server end has problems :) :) :). The problem is that when I work on the computer I *first* have to boot into OS 9 before I can reboot into OS X. Then, at the end of the day I have to remember to set OS 9 as the startup disk before I turn off the computer. This works only because it is now ingrained in me but does cause a lot more restarts and basically means that no one else is permitted to touch my computer lest they screw it up (a little bit of a problem). Thanks very much for your help, Eric. -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
