How to make a droplet on mac osx with automator?

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+1 Q:

How to make a droplet on mac osx with automator?

I readed some tutorials about making droplets with apple script or with automator's help. First, I need to know if these droplets only works with the drag n drop file action, or if you can do the action in the current directory you are.And if the last answer is yes, how to do with automator? This was a general question.

In my case. I need a droplet in my finder toolbar that when I click on in it search for all file with a specific extensions and drop to trash. I try with automator but I can't fine the action for selecting files in the current directory, only found the general find. Because I will can be in any other possible directory I need to know how to do this. It's not a problem writing some applescript, I don't know it but I can learn:)

+1 A:

To create a droplet with Automator, you select application, when Automator asks you what you want to create.

The description given by the application, when you select application is the following:

Applications are self-running workflows. Any files or folders dropped onto an Application will be used as input to the workflow.

I think it means that only dropped files / directory will be passed to the workflow. I tested it, and I can confirm it works in that way.

kiamlaluno 2010-06-21 18:33:55

so, there is any way to modify the automator script with not drop function, but in the current directory? Which way I have to choose?

Kreker 2010-06-21 19:35:51

@Kreker: I looked inside the application created by Automator, and I didn't find any script to alter. You can try creating a script Applescript that finds the files contained in the directory, and passes them to an Automator workflow.

kiamlaluno 2010-06-21 19:56:40

In pure Applescript, getting the currently-viewed directory is done with something like this: "set the source_folder to (folder of the front window) as alias". I don't know much about Automator, but I do know you can add custom scripts to a workflow. Perhaps that will help.

Philip Regan 2010-06-22 12:41:51

I should say that my answer applies for Mac OS X 10.6, which introduced new Automator features. In Snow Leopard, the input of the workflow is automatically set basing on the type of workflow being created. I remember that in Mac OS X 10.5 the first action to add in the workflow should be the one to select the arguments.

kiamlaluno 2010-06-22 13:23:50

Also, the other difference between Snow Leopard, and previous versions, is that in previous versions you decide in which format to save the workflow after you created it; in Snow Leopard, the type of the workflow (and then, in which format it is saved) is decided before to create the workflow.

kiamlaluno 2010-06-22 13:27:16

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How to make a droplet on mac osx with automator?

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