I posted that the handler works.  I've tested that. 

Why can't I embed tells?  I'm building arrays inside that main iteration in itunes.  The script works just fine without the handler.  According to Apple's docs, the handler should be available everywhere.

My suggestion, which works on my computer:

Applescript:

tell application "Podcasts"
   --blah blah blah
   tell application "Finder"
       set myVar to replace_chars("xxx xxx", " ", "_") of me --> "xxx_xxx"
   end tell
end tell

on replace_chars(this_text, search_string, replacement_string)
   -- replace_chars(message_string, "string_to_be_replaced", "replacement_string")
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the search_string
   set the item_list to every text item of this_text
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the replacement_string
   set this_text to the item_list as string
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
   return this_text
end replace_chars

The need for "of me" is explained in the AppleScript Language Guide as:

https://developer.apple.com/library/arc … 6-CJBIDBJH

FWIW, it's generally accepted that you should not have one tell statement inside another--perhaps you have some particular reason for doing this. Also, Script Editor changes iTunes to Podcasts on Catalina.

Last edited by peavine (2020-11-29 10:32:57 pm)

I tried "of me" and it threw the same error.  I'm in El Capitan.  The reason I embedded it is because other languages won't allow the definition of the local variable outside the method.  Hence my recognition that setting a variable inside an application "tell" would lose scope outside that tell. 

Just tried using this handler and it didn't work after splitting up my tells.  The handler works in a test script just fine.

I'm rewriting a lot of this as I need to spoonfeed AS.  Tell blocks need to handle variables set in other tell blocks.  That's how data works. 

Apple has documentation saying handlers can be anywhere.  I have even tried them at the top.  I will include them in the top if I need to repost. 

I have tried "of me" and it gave me the same error.  A bit into the new rewrite, the handler isn't working still, but I'm still pushing.

This isn't a good idea, because you're concatenating and alias and text, and it will use whatever your text item delimiters are at this point. It's inherently fragile. Instead, use:

Applescript:

set desktoppath to path to desktop as text
set target to desktoppath & "tfolder"

That's because target is a term defined in Finder's dictionary. If you look at your script, you'll see it's formatted differently there.

your instruction was fine except for the terminology clash. Change the variable to something like theTarget and see.

Then either your AppleScript formatting is poorly set-up in that it's not showing the distinction, or there's something wrong on your Mac.

Target is a property of a Finder window. On my computer with Script Editor, target color-formats as a variable outside the Finder tell statement and it color-formats as a property inside the Finder tell statement.

Last edited by peavine (2020-11-30 12:40:04 am)

Some notes:

• "Macintosh HD:Users:me:Desktop:" is a string/text, also called an HFS path
• "/Users/me/Desktop/" is a string/text, also called a POSIX path
• Important: The Finder doesn't support POSIX paths (however System Events does).
• To work with file system objects in the Finder you have to add specifiers to get a reference, either alias, alias file, disk, (document) file, folder or item which is a generic term for all previous specifiers for example

Applescript:

tell application "Finder"
   folder "Macintosh HD:Users:me:Desktop:"
end tell"

• alias is a global specifier, the others are only related to the Finder (and System Events)
• Only alias can be coerced to POSIX path (as POSIX path).
• All Finder specifiers can be coerced to HFS path (as text) to be able to concatenate path components for example

Applescript:

set theFile to (path to desktop as text) & "file.ext"

This can be coerced back to a reference

Applescript:

tell application "Finder" to delete file theFile

Special case: As the desktop folder of the current user is the root folder of the Finder you need only the file name

Applescript:

tell application "Finder" to delete file "file.ext"

So a filesystem object UUID?  Essentially an untouchable item that I need to coerce to text for proper use?  Ruby has the same type of object notation.

Applescript:

tell application "Finder" to set mything to the first item
log mything

tell application "Finder"
    get item 1
        --> document file "Current.gpx" of desktop
    (*document file Current.gpx of desktop*)
end tell

So it is the object, of which a single property is the path of that object.  Using as text is a method that calls for the path. 

OK, any comment on why there are the two types of path references (both being texts)?  POSIX and the normal colon notation...switching back and forth is confusing as to why it's even there to begin with. 

So file -> path (POSIX path text or colon path text) -> alias

Is the path considered just a string, or is it fully representing its file as an object?

Some apps require POSIX paths, an example being shell commands. I suspect that's the primary reason for their use. If desired for some reason, they can be used in other circumstances, such as:

Applescript:

tell application "TextEdit" to open POSIX file "/Users/Robert/Working/New Text File.txt"

Last edited by peavine (2020-11-30 10:45:16 am)

OK, thanks for the post on AS.  Back to the issue.  I'm having the same issue with that handler.  So first, I've tested the handler that works:

Applescript:

on replace_chars(this_text, search_string, replacement_string)
   -- replace_chars(message_string, "string_to_be_replaced", "replacement_string")    
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the search_string
   set the item_list to every text item of this_text
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the replacement_string
   set this_text to the item_list as string
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
   return this_text
end replace_chars

set f to "alpha bravo charlie delta echo"
log f -- (*alpha bravo charlie delta echo*)
replace_chars(f, " ", "_") -- works, but no output
log f -- no change to f, output (*alpha bravo charlie delta echo*)
log replace_chars("alpha bravo charlie delta echo", " ", "_") -- (*alpha_bravo_charlie_delta_echo*)
log replace_chars(f, " ", "_") -- (*alpha_bravo_charlie_delta_echo*)

Full list of Events:

(*alpha bravo charlie delta echo*)
(*alpha bravo charlie delta echo*)
(*alpha_bravo_charlie_delta_echo*)
(*alpha_bravo_charlie_delta_echo*)

Here's my test script for modifying new foldernames, replacing " " with "_":

Applescript:

on replace_chars(this_text, search_string, replacement_string)
   -- replace_chars(message_string, "string_to_be_replaced", "replacement_string")    
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the search_string
   set the item_list to every text item of this_text
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to the replacement_string
   set this_text to the item_list as string
   set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ""
   return this_text
end replace_chars

set mylists to {"test 1", "another test 2", "third test playlist"}
set desktoppath to path to desktop
set basepath to (desktoppath & "tfolder") as text
log basepath

tell application "Finder"
   try
       delete folder basepath
       -- delay 2
   end try
   make new folder at desktoppath with properties {name:"tfolder"} -- This works
   
   repeat with this_playlist in mylists
       set myCompliantFolder to replace_chars(this_playlist, " ", "_") -- This is the highlighted method upon error
       set tester to basepath & this_playlist
       log myCompliantFolder
       log tester
       make new folder at basepath with properties {name:replace_chars(this_playlist, " ", "_")}
-- I've also tried the method in the first parameter placement, also doesn't work.
   end repeat
end tell

error, same result in both set myCompliantFolder and the first parameter inside the new folder property {name}:

error "Finder got an error: Can’t continue replace_chars." number -1708

So after cleaning it up, the error remains.  Not sure how to implement it as the previous one works.

OK, thank you.  My previous attempt at using that didn't work for some reason.

Works now.