Opening text file with TextEdit

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hi Again!

We work with template files for our digital press. They are .jlt files, which of course, the MAC doesn’t recognize as an editable file really. I have a script that goes out on the network, searches a specific folder for a file called “XXXXXX.jlt” where the X’s represent a job number. If the script finds a matching file, it copies it to the desktop.

I would like to extend the capabilities of this script to actually open the .jlt file using textedit, search for a specific string and alter that string, then save the file under a new job number.

On OS-Ventura I have the file copying:

copy file ThisJob to desktop

but when I try to open it,

tell application “TextEdit”
activate
open “Macintosh HD:Users:proofdepartment:Desktop:” & JobNum & “.jlt”
end tell

I get a error dialog that says the file can’t be opens because I don’t have permission. If I click the ok button on that error, then go to my desktop and drop that file directly onto TextEdit, it opens it without a problem.

Is there some other way I can open the .jlt file and not get this error?

thanks
David

#2

Try the following.

set JobNum to "12345" -- just for testing
set theFile to ("Macintosh HD:Users:proofdepartment:Desktop:" & JobNum & ".jlt") as alias

tell application "TextEdit"
	activate
	open theFile
end tell
#4

Try this, the Desktop folder is the root folder of the Finder

set fileName to (JobNum as text) & “.jlt”
tell application "Finder"
    open file fileName using application file id "com.apple.TextEdit"
end tell