Folder actions are an efficient way to “attach” a script (or scripts) to a folder and have AppleScript take action on any items added or removed from that folder. The most common thing beginners forget about folder actions is that the folder must be open for the Finder to recognize that changes have taken place. Since things can go wrong with trying to keep folders open, here are three quick ideas to insure things go right.
(1) Make the folder a popup window; the Finder sees the window as being open.
(2) Write a small script to keep the window open, and place it in an idle handler that checks the folder every few seconds, opening it if it was inadvertantly closed.
(3) Install the extension Folder Actions Plus by Eric Grant, available at www.eagrant.com. This allows folder actions to work with closed folders.