Re: [MacPerl] Selecting files from MacPerl

[Thomas Wegner <toms_email@gmx.de>]

Title: Re: [MacPerl] Selecting files from MacPerl

> I've been lurking for a longtime, keeping
> my eye on the list but not having many questions since I'd generally
> been programming for a Unix box. Anyways, I finally had a project
> that specifically required a Perl program on the Mac and while I got
> most of it working, I ran into a snag. The help files were very vague
> on how to select files to open or save using the standard Mac dialog
> boxes. I hacked a workaround by running an AppleScript from the
> script to choose the file the user wants to manipulate and passing
> the result to the the script:
>

$import_sourcefile = MacPerl::DoAppleScript(<<END_SCRIPT);
      tell application "Finder"
               return choose file of type "TEXT"
       end tell
END_SCRIPT

> A rather inelegant solution I thought.
> For saving the file, I had the script set the name and destination
> for the file rather than letting the user input their own name and
> save location. Even more inelegant.
>
> Well, I'd really like to cleanup the
> script and use MacPerl to let the user pick the input file and save
> the output file in the location of their choice. But I can't seem to
> find any decent help or examples only "Access to Inside Macintosh is essential for proper
> use of these functions. Explanations of terms, processes and
> procedures are provided there." in the help file. Does
> anyone know where I can find a tutorial or have the proper usage of
> open and save dialogs?
>
> Thanks for all the
> assistance,
>
> David Wadson - wadsond@air.on.ca
> Composing Foreman
>
> The Chronicle-Journal
> Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
> www.chroniclejournal.com

Dear David,

examples on how to use the StandardFile dialogs are provided in the :ext:Mac:StandardFile:t folder inside your MacPerl folder. Here is also a little example, just in case the t-files are missing:

__________

#! perl -w

use Mac::StandardFile;
use strict;

# display all files of type 'TEXT', but no file filter function
my $sf_result = StandardGetFile(undef, 'TEXT');

if ($sf_result->sfGood) { # user hasn't cancelled
   print "You've selected ", $sf_result->sfFile, " \n"; # filename
   #
   # do your file opening stuff here
   #
}#if

$sf_result = StandardPutFile("User Prompt", "filename.default");

if ($sf_result->sfGood) { # user hasn't cancelled

   print "You'll save the file as ", $sf_result->sfFile, " \n"; # filename

   #
   # do your file saving stuff here
   #
}#if

__END__

HTH.

Best regards

-- Thomas