Open Selected Files

[Stephen Marsh]

I know how to open a single file from a dialog (code snippet):

var selectFile = app.openDialog();

I also know how to open a folder and get all the files in that top-level folder (code snippet): 

var selectFolder = Folder.selectDialog("select folder");

However, I can't find or work out how to have the user select multiple files (but not all files). Can somebody please enlighten me? Thank you in advance!

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

Does this help? 

var aFile = selectFile(true)
alert (aFile.join("\n"));
////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////
////// select file //////
function selectFile (multi) {
if (multi == true) {var theString = "please select files"}
else {var theString = "please select one file"};
if ($.os.search(/windows/i) != -1) {var theFiles = File.openDialog (theString, '*.jpg;*.tif;*.psd;*.png', multi)}
else {var theFiles = File.openDialog (theString, getFiles, multi)};
////// filter files  for mac //////
function getFiles (theFile) {
    if (theFile.name.match(/\.(jpg|tif|psd|png)$/i) || theFile.constructor.name == "Folder") {
        return true
        };
	};
return theFiles
};

[Stephen Marsh]

Thank you, it might help when I can give it some time, I'm going to have to work at it though as it is not "out of the box". At least I can see that unlike opening a file or a folder full of files, it is not cross-platform and is more complex than 1-3 lines of code.

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

If you only work on one platform you can limit the code considerably, on windows it comes down to 

var theFiles = File.openDialog (theString, '*.jpg;*.tif;*.psd;*.png', true)

I guess. 

[Stephen Marsh]

Thank you c.pfaffenbichler for you reply, I got there in the end using the same loop as in my reply to Shulipa. Some many wasted hours, but I'm "happy" now!

/* open selected files from folder */

var aFile = selectFile(true);
for (var i = 0; i < aFile.length; i++) {
    open(File(aFile[i]));
}
////// select file //////
function selectFile(multi) {
    if (multi === true) { var theString = "Please select the files:" }
    else { var theString = "Please select one file" }
    if ($.os.search(/windows/i) != -1) { var theFiles = File.openDialog(theString, '*.jpg;*.tif;*.psd;*.png', multi) }
    else { var theFiles = File.openDialog(theString, getFiles, multi) }
    ////// filter files  for mac //////
    function getFiles(theFile) {
        if (theFile.name.match(/\.(jpg|tif|psd|png)$/i) || theFile.constructor.name == "Folder") {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return theFiles
}

[Shulipa Bernad · Accepted solution]

A few weeks ago I needed this feature and found something that solved my problem on a javascript forum on the internet.
For me he decided:

selectFile = File.openDialog("please select files", Multiselect = true);
alert(decodeURI(selectFile))

[Stephen Marsh]

Thank you Shulipa Bernad for your reply!

You wouldn't believe how many hours it took me to make that work, I don't "know" JS so it can take me some time and a lot of frustration to get there!

The following appears to work on both Mac and Win:

selectFile = File.openDialog("Please select the file/s:", Multiselect = true);

for (var i = 0; i < selectFile.length; i++) {
    var openFiles = app.open(File(selectFile[i]));
}

My next stumbling block is getting .sort to work correctly...

[c.pfaffenbichler]

What kind of array are you trying to sort?  

[Stephen Marsh]

The list of items from the File.openDialog step... Whether it is .sort(); or .sort.reverse(); it would be helpful to have the option in there. I have been trying with both your function or with the shorter code from Shulipa without success.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

That is an array of the selected files’ paths as strings? Are they all located in the same folder? 

Are you just trying to sort them alphabetically or according to something else? 

[Stephen Marsh]

OK, I'm starting to get an inkling here when you mention path that it is not as easy as I was hoping...

Yes, all in the same source directory. For example:

file001.jpg

file002.jpg

file003.jpg

If one introduced a variableName.sort.reverse(); the expectation is that the processed files would open in the reverse order:

file003.jpg

file002.jpg

file001.jpg

I always like to explicitly consider sort order as Mac and Win may handle this in different ways if not explicitly set.

[Stephen Marsh]

wrong topic, sorry!

[Manoj32824813540j]

Please send me a screen recording 

[Stephen Marsh]

Please send me a screen recording 

By @Manoj32824813540j

You have replied to a 3-year-old topic with an incomplete sentence.