AppleScript zip-to-mail stops working

When I run this script, there appear to be a couple of errors in the log, maybe someone can help me resolve them. I'd be happy to post the entire code (it's a short script), but they are as follows:

1.

current date

--> error number -10004

2.

make new attachment with properties {file name:"/Users/robertb/Desktop/some_file.zip"} at before last paragraph of content of outgoing message id 4

--> missing value

Thanks.

Well, let’s start with the first error. Does

current date

1. Run Script Editor.

2. Create a new script (File > New).

3. Enter

   current date

   as the script.

4. Run it.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

That works fine with the following result:

date "Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 8:01:32 PM"

It’s curious that it’s then failing in your main script. In your main script, are you trying to run

current date

tell

tell application "Mail"
    current date
end tell

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

The problem isn't the date. The date is correctly inserted into the outgoing mail. The problem is that the attachment no longer gets attached to the message. The script is short so I'll post the whole thing. The problem seems to be happening near the bottom. I've made a couple of change to anonymize the script (the parts in italic: my_name, etc.).

----

set aFile to (choose file)

set zipFilePath to fileZipper(aFile)

--Handler to make .zip files (from file or folder path)

on fileZipper(myFile)

-- deal with folders

if (myFile as text) ends with ":" then

set {TIDs, AppleScript's text item delimiters} to {AppleScript's text item delimiters, {":"}}

set myFile to (text items 1 thru -2 of (myFile as text) as text)

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to TIDs

end if

set zipFile to (myFile & ".zip") as text

try

do shell script "/usr/bin/ditto -c -k -rsrc --keepParent " & (quoted form of (POSIX path of myFile)) & " " & (quoted form of (POSIX path of zipFile))

on error theError

display dialog theError

end try

--

tell application "Finder"

set shortname to name of file (zipFile)

set theSubject to shortname & " enclosed -- " & (current date) as text

set theBody to "Zip archive enclosed."

set theName to "my_name"

set theAddress to "my-email@gmail.com"

set theSender to "firstname_lastname <me@myisp.com>"

set theAttachment to POSIX path of zipFile

tell application "Mail"

set newMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:theSubject, content:theBody & return & return}

tell newMessage

-- Default is false. Determines whether the compose window will

-- show on the screen or whether it will happen in the background.

set visible to true

set sender to theSender

make new to recipient at end of to recipients with properties {name:theName, address:theAddress}

tell content

make new attachment with properties {file name:theAttachment} at before the last paragraph

end tell

end tell

-- Bring the new compose window to the foreground, in all its glory

activate

send newMessage

end tell

end tell

--the following line deletes the recently created zipFile

do shell script "rm " & (quoted form of (POSIX path of zipFile))

end fileZipper

--end

--

If I run this and look at the log, I find the following:

make new attachment with properties {file name:"/Users/robertb/Desktop/test-file.pdf.zip"} at before last paragraph of content of outgoing message id 4

--> missing value

The problem isn't the date. The date is correctly inserted into the outgoing mail.

Did you fix it? Because otherwise I’m confused by your 13 Apr post, where you specifically called out two problems, one of which was the date.

*shrug*

Anyway, with regards your attachment issue, try the following:

set fileToAttach to POSIX file "/Users/quinn/Desktop/tmp.txt"
tell application "Mail"
    make new outgoing message
    set m to the result
    tell content of m
        make new attachment with properties {file name:fileToAttach} at after the last paragraph
    end tell
end tell

On my machine this creates a message and adds the file as an attachment [1].

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

[1] It also triggers a TCC alert to grant Script Editor access to the desktop and you have to agree to that.

Okay, I'll try the code you provided and will report back.

Concerning the date. I reported it because if I run the script in the Script Editor and view the log, there is an error message after that line, as in the April 13 message. I do not know why it is there. Could it be that this script predates Sierra?

Thanks.

Well, I inserted the code you provided and it does insert a zipped file into a mail message, but it ignores the first half of the script and doesn't actually mail the file, which the original script did. If I rearrange the code to insert the send to address and subject line, I get an error message and it doesn't add the attachment.

If I rearrange the code to insert the send to address and subject line, I get an error message and it doesn't add the attachment.

I think you’ll have to debug this at your end. Try each segment of the code in isolation to confirm that it works by itself, and then try assembling these segments, one at a time, until you get to a point where things fail.

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

OK. I'll try that soon as I have some time. Thanks for the assistance.

Okay! With a bit of fussing, it's working correctly now. However, I'm still getting those nag messages from Mojave about an application that wants to control Mail and then Finder. I have given the script the required privileges in the Automation pane of the Security and Privacy menu, but that doesn't seem to be enough. Does it need to appear Accessibility as well? I'm not sure if I want the script to "control my computer." The script will work but I have to click through the security warnings, both of them.

I'm still getting those nag messages from Mojave about an application that wants to control Mail and then Finder.

Those messages should only show up once for any given combination of source and target app. I suspect what’s happening here is that your script is unsigned, so the system can’t accurately track the source app from run to run.

You can code sign your script using the File > Export sheet. If you don’t have a code signing identity, you can get one by using Xcode to set up a Personal Team (just sign in with your Apple ID, you don’t need to join a paid developer programme).

Share and Enjoy
—
Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Hmmm, okay. Although I don't have Xcode either to my knowledge. I don't have a signing identity. Thanks for the tip though.

Eskimo said:

>Those messages should only show up once for any given combination of source and target app. I suspect what’s happening here is that your script is unsigned, so the system can’t accurately track the source app from run to run.

Signing is not required, though. The problem is that AppleScript apps are self-modifying if the value of any top-level variable changes, and such changes invalidate authorization.

The solution is either to re-write to avoid top-level variables, which usually means putting all the existing top-level code in a handler and calling that, or marking the file execute-only, using something like `chmod a-w` on the applet's executable (/Contents/Resources/Scripts/main.scpt).