Script to open the latest of multiple files from subfolders quickly from a list

[jackdaw_1066]

Im trying to write a script that i can point to a project folder. The script then populates a list with subfolders for me to select from. If the subfolder is selected it searches through the subfolder to open the latest .psb file with 'BG' in the filename. It does this for each of the subfolder selected in the list.

I managed to get it to work selecting a single subfolder but as soon as i try to make it work with multiple subfolders it fails. It currently fails even with single subfolder selected

The error i get is "Error: Selected subfolder is undefined." but no mater what i add to debug in visual code i get the same error.

Any idea how to fix it? 

// Save this script as OpenLatestBGFileWithUI.jsx

// Function to find the latest BG PSB file in a folder
function findLatestBGFile(folder) {
    try {
        var files = folder.getFiles("*.psb");
        var latestFile = null;
        var latestDate = new Date(0);

        if (files) { // Check if files is defined
            for (var i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
                var file = files[i];

                // Check if the file name contains "BG"
                if (file.name.indexOf("BG") !== -1) {
                    var fileDate = file.modified;

                    // Compare file modification date to find the latest one
                    if (fileDate > latestDate) {
                        latestDate = fileDate;
                        latestFile = file;
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        return latestFile;
    } catch (e) {
        // Log any error during file search
        $.writeln("Error finding latest BG file: " + e);
        return null;
    }
}

// Prompt user to select a project folder
var projectFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the project folder");

if (!projectFolder) {
    alert("No project folder selected. The script will now exit.");
} else {
    // Get a list of subfolders
    var subfolders = projectFolder.getFiles(function (file) {
        return file instanceof Folder;
    });

    // Create UI
    var ui = new Window("dialog", "Select Subfolders");
    var list = ui.add("listbox", [0, 0, 200, 200], undefined, { multiselect: true });

    for (var i = 0; i < subfolders.length; i++) {
        list.add("item", subfolders[i].name);
    }

    var button = ui.add("button", [0, 210, 200, 240], "Open Latest BG");

// Event handler for button click
button.onClick = function () {
    try {
        var selectedSubfolderIndices = list.selection;

        if (!selectedSubfolderIndices || selectedSubfolderIndices.length === 0) {
            alert("No subfolders selected. Please select one or more subfolders.");
            return;
        }

        for (var i = 0; i < selectedSubfolderIndices.length; i++) {
            var selectedSubfolderIndex = selectedSubfolderIndices[i];

            $.writeln("Selected Subfolder Index: " + selectedSubfolderIndex);

            try {
                // Get selected subfolder using array indexing
                var selectedSubfolder = subfolders[selectedSubfolderIndex];

                if (!selectedSubfolder) {
                    alert("Error: Selected subfolder is undefined.");
                    continue; // Skip to the next iteration
                }

                $.writeln("Selected Subfolder: " + selectedSubfolder.name);

                // Find all PSB files in the selected subfolder
                var psbFiles = selectedSubfolder.getFiles("*.psb");
                $.writeln("Found PSB files in '" + selectedSubfolder.name + "': " + psbFiles.length);

                // Find the latest BG PSB file in the selected subfolder
                var latestBGFile = findLatestBGFile(selectedSubfolder);

                if (latestBGFile) {
                    // Log the file path to check if it's correct
                    $.writeln("Opening file: " + latestBGFile.fsName);

                    // Open the latest BG PSB file in Photoshop
                    app.open(latestBGFile);
                } else {
                    alert("No BG PSB files found in the selected subfolder.");
                }
            } catch (subfolderError) {
                // Log any error during subfolder processing
                $.writeln("Error processing subfolder: " + subfolderError);
            }
        }

        ui.close();
    } catch (e) {
        // Log any error during button click
        $.writeln("Error during button click: " + e);
        alert("An error occurred. Check the ExtendScript Toolkit console for details.");
    }
};

    // Show UI
    ui.show();
}

[r-bin · Accepted solution]

Replace

var selectedSubfolderIndex = selectedSubfolderIndices[i];

with

var selectedSubfolderIndex = selectedSubfolderIndices[i].index;

[jackdaw_1066]

Thanks, that fixed it!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Please mark @r-bin ’s post as »Correct Answer« if it resolved the original issue. 

[jackdaw_1066]

I decided to try to make the script more universally useful so added a search box to choose which files are opened within the subfolders.

Im struggling with the logic though.

I want the script to search the subfolders and open files that match the search term, if the checkbox is also checked it only opens the latest file of the match search term. This currently works.

What doesn't work is if i put multiple search terms in which are comma seperated.

For example, a subfolder has x6 files in it, x3 with FG in the filename and x3 with BG in the filename.

If i add 'FG,BG' to the search terms and check the 'open latest only' checkbox then 2 files should open from this subfolder. The latest 2 files with FG and BG in the filename.

// Save this script as OpenLatestFilesWithSearch.jsx

// Function to find the latest PSB files in a folder based on search terms
function findLatestFiles(folder, searchTerms, openLatestOnly) {
    try {
        var files = folder.getFiles("*.psb");
        var latestFiles = [];

        if (files) {
            for (var i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
                var file = files[i];
                var matchCount = 0;

                for (var j = 0; j < searchTerms.length; j++) {
                    var searchTerm = searchTerms[j];

                    // Check if the file name contains the current search term
                    if (file.name.indexOf(searchTerm) !== -1) {
                        matchCount++;
                        if (openLatestOnly) {
                            // Break if only the latest file is needed for this search term
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                }

                if (matchCount === searchTerms.length) {
                    latestFiles.push(file);
                }
            }

            // Sort the files by modification date in descending order
            latestFiles.sort(function (a, b) {
                return b.modified - a.modified;
            });

            if (openLatestOnly && latestFiles.length > 1) {
                // If "Open Latest Only" is checked, keep only the latest file for each search term
                var uniqueLatestFiles = [];

                for (var k = 0; k < latestFiles.length; k++) {
                    var currentFile = latestFiles[k];

                    // Extract the part of the file name before the first underscore
                    var fileNamePrefix = currentFile.name.split('_')[0];

                    // Check if the file name prefix is not already in the unique list
                    var found = false;

                    for (var l = 0; l < uniqueLatestFiles.length; l++) {
                        if (uniqueLatestFiles[l].name.indexOf(fileNamePrefix) !== -1) {
                            found = true;
                            break;
                        }
                    }

                    if (!found) {
                        uniqueLatestFiles.push(currentFile);
                    }
                }

                latestFiles = uniqueLatestFiles;
            }
        }

        return latestFiles;
    } catch (e) {
        // Log any error during file search
        $.writeln("Error finding latest files: " + e);
        return [];
    }
}

// Prompt user to select a project folder
var projectFolder = Folder.selectDialog("Select the project folder");

if (!projectFolder) {
    alert("No project folder selected. The script will now exit.");
} else {
    // Get a list of subfolders
    var subfolders = projectFolder.getFiles(function (file) {
        return file instanceof Folder;
    });

    // Create UI
    var ui = new Window("dialog", "Select Subfolders");
    var list = ui.add("listbox", [0, 0, 200, 200], undefined, { multiselect: true });
    var searchField = ui.add("edittext", [0, 210, 150, 230], "", { multiline: false });
    var openLatestOnlyCheckbox = ui.add("checkbox", [160, 210, 300, 230], "Open Latest Only");
    openLatestOnlyCheckbox.value = true; // Set the checkbox value manually
    var button = ui.add("button", [160, 240, 200, 270], "Open Files");

    for (var i = 0; i < subfolders.length; i++) {
        list.add("item", subfolders[i].name);
    }

    // Event handler for button click
    button.onClick = function () {
        try {
            var selectedSubfolderIndices = list.selection;

            if (!selectedSubfolderIndices || selectedSubfolderIndices.length === 0) {
                alert("No subfolders selected. Please select one or more subfolders.");
                return;
            }

            var searchTerms = searchField.text ? searchField.text.split(',') : [];
            var openLatestOnly = openLatestOnlyCheckbox.value;

            for (var i = 0; i < selectedSubfolderIndices.length; i++) {
                var selectedSubfolderIndex = selectedSubfolderIndices[i].index;

                $.writeln("Selected Subfolder Index: " + selectedSubfolderIndex);

                try {
                    // Get selected subfolder using array indexing
                    var selectedSubfolder = subfolders[selectedSubfolderIndex];

                    if (!selectedSubfolder) {
                        alert("Error: Selected subfolder is undefined.");
                        continue; // Skip to the next iteration
                    }

                    $.writeln("Selected Subfolder: " + selectedSubfolder.name);

                    // Find the latest PSB files in the selected subfolder based on search terms
                    var latestFiles = findLatestFiles(selectedSubfolder, searchTerms, openLatestOnly);

                    if (latestFiles.length > 0) {
                        // Open the latest PSB files in Photoshop
                        for (var j = 0; j < latestFiles.length; j++) {
                            var file = latestFiles[j];
                            $.writeln("Opening file: " + file.fsName);
                            app.open(file);
                        }
                    } else {
                        alert("No PSB files found in the selected subfolder with the specified search terms.");
                    }
                } catch (subfolderError) {
                    // Log any error during subfolder processing
                    $.writeln("Error processing subfolder: " + subfolderError);
                }
            }

            ui.close();
        } catch (e) {
            // Log any error during button click
            $.writeln("Error during button click: " + e);
            alert("An error occurred. Check the ExtendScript Toolkit console for details.");
        }
    };

    // Show UI
    ui.show();
}

[Lumigraphics]

You can get folders in a selected folder with this code as well, it may work better. Then you have an array of just Folder objects.

try{
    var f = []; //empty array to hold Folder objects
    var a = Folder.selectDialog(); //get top folder
    var s = a.getFiles(); //get children
    for(var t = 0; t < s.length; t++){ //loop through children
        if(s[t] instanceof Folder){ test for Folder
            f.push(s[t]); //load folder objects to new array
            }
        }
    //Window.alert(f.toString()); //show folder objects
    }
catch(e){
    Window.alert(e + ' ' + e.line);
    }