Automatic file copy?

[Earendil]

Alright, this might be a strange question but does anyone know of a way to set up a folder so the contents will automatically copy into another folder, like mirrored folders?

[macdevin]

Originally Posted by Earendil

Alright, this might be a strange question but does anyone know of a way to set up a folder so the contents will automatically copy into another folder, like mirrored folders?

Yep....take alook at automator. This is very...very simple.

For more info look at
http://www.automator.us/

Devin

[Earendil]

How about pre tiger, OS 10.3.9?

[MarkDouma]

You'll most likely want to use "Folder Actions" and AppleScript. Basically, you attach an Applescript to a folder, and then any files that are added to that folder (only the folder itself, not any folders which might be inside of it) can be manipulated by the script.

Open Script Editor (in /Applications/Applescript/) and paste in the script below:


property destinationFolder : missing value

on adding folder items to thisFolder after receiving theseItems
?????if destinationFolder = missing value then
??????????set destinationFolder to (choose folder with prompt "Choose the folder you want to move the files to:")
?????end if
?????try
??????????repeat with i from 1 to (count of theseItems)
???????????????set thisItem to item i of theseItems
???????????????tell application "Finder"
????????????????????move thisItem to destinationFolder
???????????????end tell
??????????end repeat
?????on error errorMessage number errorNumber
??????????display dialog errorMessage & return & return & errorNumber
?????end try
end adding folder items to

Choose File > Save and save it as a .scpt into /Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/. Then find the folder you want to "watch", Control-click on it in the Finder and choose Attach a Folder Action.... In the dialog, choose to attach the script you just saved. Add a file to the folder and you'll be prompted (by the script) to choose the destination folder. Then whenever files are added to this watched folder, they'll be moved to the destination folder automatically.

This is a really basic script and could easily be customized to do whatever you'd like.

Hope this helps....

P.S. The actual application that handles this is "System Events" (in the /System/Library/CoreServices/ folder). You may notice it's added automatically to your login items, so don't let it alarm you.

[BigD]

I want to do the same thing but from an ftp site.

Anyone got an auto copy solution for FTP?

It would need to work on Windows 2000......

D.

[mattbeals]

Use CaslonFlow or FullSwitch from Gradual Software. It can automatically receive from an FTP site and distrubite the contents in multiple directions including decompression and a great deal of automatic processing.

There's a ton of things that you can do with CaslonFlow or FullSwitch besides just basic file moving. For example, watch a FTP directory, download the contents, decompress the files, move the PDFs to PitStop Server for processing high res files, make a low res version of the same PDF and email it as a proof to the customer, send the high res PDF to a proofers hot folder and then to the RIP.

Replicate a folder structure from one place to another.

Receive files via email from a customer and keep them sorted by customer.

Submit a file for softproofing and have the softproof automatically emailed.

Receive a InDesign CS2 document, route it to InDesign CS2 on the Caslon/Switch server, have it output a PDF or PostScipt.

Build automatic simple impositions with PDF Enhancer, like saddle stiched books, N-up processing or step and repeat, plus color conversions and proof stamping all in one process.

There are TONS of things you can do with it.

Buzz me if you would like more information or a online demo.[/u]

[BigD]

Cool - thanks for the info Matt - i will check it out.

D.