Toggle Hidden Files Mac OS X Post: 302212573

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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Toggle Hidden Files Mac OS X Post 302212573 by Omniwheel on Monday 7th of July 2008 11:35:55 PM

07-08-2008

Registered User

Toggle Hidden Files Mac OS X

Hi all,

I have been using Ubuntu for 2 years now, and a few days ago I bought a Macbook. This is my first time using a Mac, so I have spent the better of two days learning the user interface, and configuring my Macbook. One thing I noticed is that there is no easy way to turn on and off hidden files, so I wrote a shell script to make it easy.

This is my first time ever making a script (I have previously never written a script on any OS), I hope you guys can comment on it, tell me whats good, bad, and how it can be done differently.

Specifically:

-Why does my terminal not close after the script is complete?

-Whats the best way to restart an application, ie one example has killall, the other uses osascript and envokes the quit command?

-Which application is safer?

-I named these files .command files so they can execute on double click, is the the best way to do it?

-Why do I have to execute 'open -a Finder' twice?

Code:

Example 1
#!/bin/sh
# This Application Makes Hidden Files Visible
# Note: The Application Will Close All Finder Windows
echo Warning This Application Will Close All Finder Windows!
echo Type y/n to Continue?
read answer
if [ "$answer" = "y" ]
then
    filesVisible=$(defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles)
    if [ "$filesVisible" = "0" ]
    then
        defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
        killall Finder
    else
        defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false
        killall Finder
    fi
else
    exit
fi
exit

Code:

Example 2
#!/bin/sh
# This Application Makes Hidden Files Visible
# Note: The Application Will Close All Finder Windows
echo Warning This Application Will Close All Finder Windows!
echo Type y/n to Continue?
read answer
if [ "$answer" = "y" ]
then
    filesVisible=$(defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles)
    if [ "$filesVisible" = "0" ]
    then
        defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
        osascript -e 'tell app "Finder" to quit'
        open -a Finder
        open -a Finder    
    else
        defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false
        osascript -e 'tell app "Finder" to quit'
        open -a Finder
        open -a Finder
    fi
else
    exit
fi
exit

Thanks,
Omniwheel

Omniwheel

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perlmacos

PERLMACOS(1)						 Perl Programmers Reference Guide					      PERLMACOS(1)

NAME

       README.macos - Perl under Mac OS (Classic)

SYNOPSIS

       This document briefly describes perl under Mac OS (Classic).  If you are running perl under Mac OS X, you don't want to be here (unless you
       are in the Classic environment under Mac OS X).

       When we say "Mac OS" below, we mean Mac OS 7, 8, and 9, and not Mac OS X.

DESCRIPTION

       The latest perl source itself builds on Mac OS, with some additional pieces. Support for Mac OS is now in the perl core, and MacPerl is
       kept in close sync with regular perl releases.

       To build perl for Mac OS (as an MPW tool), you will need the addition of the macos subdirectory, distributed separately.  It includes extra
       source files, config files, and make files.  It also includes extra Mac-specific modules.

       To build the MacPerl application, you will also need the macperl directory, which includes the source files for creating the application
       itself.

       All of this is available from the development site, via HTTP (in the MacPerl Installer, which includes all the source and binaries) and
       anonymous CVS.

	       http://dev.macperl.org/

       The source is also in the main perl repository in the macperl branch (the 5.6 source is in the maint-5.6/macperl branch).

       You will also need compilers and libraries, all of them freely available.  These are linked to from the SourceForge site. Go that site for
       all things having to do with MacPerl development.

       MacPerl 5.6.1 and later are supported on Mac OS 8.1 and later, for 68040 and PowerPC architectures.  The MPW tool may be used on Mac OS
       7.5.5 and 68030 computers.

       MacPerl 5.2.0r4 is also available, on the CPAN and on SourceForge.  It is based on perl 5.004, and works with Mac OS 7.5.5 and 68030 com-
       puters.

AUTHOR

       perl was ported to Mac OS by Matthias Neeracher <neeracher@mac.com>.  It is currently maintained by Chris Nandor <pudge@pobox.com>.

DATE

       Last modified 2002.05.02.

perl v5.8.0							    2003-02-18							      PERLMACOS(1)