1 Correct answer
Bruce Bullis wrote
Here's one way to tell the difference.
var fileOrFolder = new File('/Users/bbb/Desktop/example.epr');
var type = typeof fileOrFolder;
if (fileOrFolder.commonFiles){
alert("It's a folder.");
} else {
alert("It's a file.");
}
Wait, what? Did you test that code?
- You have an unused variable "type" there. If the thought was to get "File" or "Folder" in the type variable, you'd need to use the constructor property: typeof returns "object".
- You are using the "new File()" approach. Using
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Replies
Bruce Bullis wrote
Here's one way to tell the difference.
var fileOrFolder = new File('/Users/bbb/Desktop/example.epr');
var type = typeof fileOrFolder;
if (fileOrFolder.commonFiles){
alert("It's a folder.");
} else {
alert("It's a file.");
}
Wait, what? Did you test that code?
- You have an unused variable "type" there. If the thought was to get "File" or "Folder" in the type variable, you'd need to use the constructor property: typeof returns "object".
- You are using the "new File()" approach. Using the new keyword here will always return a File object.
- Even if you were using the straight File() approach, this would not work. As I outlined in my response, the documentation does not align with actual results (at least on a mac): you need to use Folder('/path/to/test') in order to make the proper distinction.
Indeed, testing in ESTK shows that no matter what you pass to the new File() function you always get "It's a file." as output. In order to make this work, you'd have to use the following code:
var fileOrFolder = Folder('/tmp'); // Use Folder to actually get the switch.
if (fileOrFolder.constructor.commonFiles) { // BAD! HARD TO UNDERSTAND. Adding "!= undefined" would be an improvement.
alert("It's a folder.");
} else {
alert("It's a file.");
}
But, honestly, it is far more clear if you do:
var fileOrFolder = Folder('/tmp');
if (fileOrFolder.constructor == Folder) { // CHECK AGAINST CONSTRUCTOR. Better. This says "I'm verifying the type of the variable."
alert("It's a folder.");
} else {
alert("It's a file.");
}
Then again, you currently claim that something is a folder if it doesn't exist as the Folder() function will still return a Folder object even if there is nothing at the specified path. This would be even better:
var fileOrFolder = Folder('/tmp');
if (fileOrFolder.constructor == Folder) {
if (fileOrFolder.exists) // CHECK THAT THE FOLDER EXISTS.
alert("It's a folder.");
else
alert("It's nothing.");
} else {
alert("It's a file.");
}
The above code works in ESTK (on a mac, at least).
This was all covered in my original answer, and in greater depth. Is there a reason that that answer simply wasn't marked as the correct one? Am I missing something about how this should work? Or is what I wrote mac-specific?
> Did I test that code?
Without that extraneous line you noticed, yes. Sorry, copy-paste bug. 
And yes, it's pretty much what you'd said.
My point was that, with zero changes on Adobe's side, it's possible to detect the result and respond accordingly.
Bruce Bullis wrote
> Did I test that code?
Without that extraneous line you noticed, yes. Sorry, copy-paste bug.
Heh, thought that may be the case! 
That said, how thoroughly did you test your code? The use-case you presented in the code itself should work perfectly. However, based on documentation and testing, passing "/Users" into your test should also return "It's a file."
Bruce Bullis wrote
And yes, it's pretty much what you'd said.
Well, it is and it isn't. You use the new File() approach, which simply shouldn't work according to the documentation (and my own testing lines up with that).
Bruce Bullis wrote
My point was that, with zero changes on Adobe's side, it's possible to detect the result and respond accordingly.
I mean, I pointed that out in my initial response as well. Here is the working code, taken from that post:
function doesPathExist(path)
{
// File() always returns a File object instance.
// Use 'exists' to determine if there is a file system entry at the specified path.
return File(path).exists;
}
function doesFileExist(path)
{
var file = Folder(path); // Returns a File object if the path exists and is a file.
return file.constructor == File;
}
function doesDirectoryExist(path)
{
var dir = Folder(path); // Returns a Folder object if the path is a folder or doesn't exist.
return dir.constructor == Folder && dir.exists;
}
The above code works with zero changes on Adobe's side.
I simply also pointed out that Adobe does have inconsistencies/errors in the documentation and was wondering what the intent of the APIs was... 😜
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