Using a data file to build a list

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

How do I get AppleScript to build a list from a data file, csv or similar.
Once the list is built I then want to copy PostScript files according to that list into various folders, then combine them into PDF. :shock:

#2

Maybe something like this will work:

set foo to read file "path:to:file" using delimiter {","} as list

– Rob

#3

I have another question on forming a list. I have been working on a script that will get a list of all the running applications and then allow the user to choose one or more and “kill” them. I use a very simple shell script to return the list of applications and PID’s to applescript.

[PowerBook867:~] tugboat% cat multikill
#!/bin/sh

script to parse out pid’s and application names

ps -awwx | grep -v grep | grep psn_ | awk '{
pid_num = $1
gsub (/^.//,“”,$0)
gsub (/-psn.$/,“”,$0)
print pid_num," " $0

}’

Anyway, the applescript starts out with :

set shell_sc to “~/multikill”
set app_list to do shell script shell_sc

This give me the data I want with the format:
PID Application
2345 iTunes
xxxx another_app
and etc.

What I would like to do is put this in the form of a list, and use the “choose from list” feature to select one or more items and then kill them. I cannot figure out how to turn the data into a list. I am sure this is so simple, I just can’t get it.

Thanks for looking
Andy

#4

Is a PID always 4 digits long?

#5

No, They are one or more digits. I was just using that as an example. Any user launched program would have a pid of 3 digits or more. Perhaps testuser (StaticInnerClass) would remind us of pid numbering convention.

#6

If I understand what you want to do, this should be close. The variable ‘tids_’ will contain a list of the PID numbers that have been selected for killing.

set shellResult to "PID       Application 
2345  iTunes
4567  iMovie"

set pidList to paragraphs of shellResult as list
set chosen_ to choose from list pidList with multiple selections allowed
set tids_ to {}

set oldDelims to AppleScript's text item delimiters
try
	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {" "}
	repeat with item_ in chosen_
		try
			copy (text item 1 of item_ as number) to end of tids_
		end try
	end repeat
	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oldDelims
on error
	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to oldDelims
end try
tids_

– Rob

#7

Rob,

You are fast and awesome. It works perfectly for me. I just could not figure out the list issues.

Andy H