macOS Append Text to Text File in Applescript

[BobRon]

Hi,
I have this applescript code that I need to be able to add text to the end of a .txt file. My current code is:

set theFile to (POSIX file "/Library/Application Support/PWRSaver/exclude.txt")
open for access theFile
set fileContents to (read theFile)
close access theFile
tell application "TextEdit"
	open "Library:Application Support:PWRSaver:exclude.txt"
	set text of exclude to (fileContents & "hi")
end tell

It always gives me errors. Any Ideas?

 

[chown33]

What error does it give you? Be specific; post the exact text of the error message.


There is a far simpler way of appending to a text file:

do shell script "echo hi >>/Library/Application Support/PWRSaver/exclude.txt"

If this doesn't work, then post the error message you get.

If you need something other than "hi" appended to the file, then tell us exactly what you want appended. The 'do shell script' command follows the shell's rules for quoting, so if what you want appended contains certain characters, then you must use correct quoting.

One reason it might not work would be the permissions on the target file. So if you get an error message, then copy and paste this into a Terminal window, then copy and paste the complete output into a reply here:

ls -l /Library/Application Support/PWRSaver/exclude.txt

 

[kryten2]

The result of your first statement set theFile to ... is an HFS path, which takes the form "disk:item:subitem:subsubitem:...:item". For example, "Hard_Disk:Applications:Mail.app" is the HFS path to the Mail application, assuming your boot drive is named "Hard_Disk". You don't need open for access and close access to read a file. Your open "Library:Application SupportWRSaver:exclude.txt" statement is missing your boot drive.
Look at the colors of your compiled script, especially the set text of exclude to statement. Is exclude a variable or subroutine? You haven't defined it so that will throw up an error as well.

Example :

set theFile to (POSIX file "/Library/Application Support/PWRSaver/exclude.txt")
set fileContents to (read theFile)
tell application "TextEdit"
	--open "Library:Application Support:PWRSaver:exclude.txt"
	set myDocument to open theFile
	set text of myDocument to (fileContents & "hi")
end tell