concatenate a string and a variable into a string in applescript

Question

I have to write an Applescript to automount a folder depending on the user. Applescript Editor throws this error.

A end of line can’t go after this identifier.

Here the portion of the script that is throwing the error.

try
    set short_name to do shell script "whoami"
    set path to "afp://fileserver.local/Faculty/" & short_name
    mount volume path as user name short_name
end try

I should add that the short_name at the end of line 3 is highlighted. — jeremyjjbrown
– jeremyjjbrown, Commented Aug 26, 2011 at 20:25
A quick side note: You shouldn't be seeing any errors since your script is in a try block. — fireshadow52
– fireshadow52, Commented Aug 27, 2011 at 13:15

Bertrand Marron · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-26 20:35:04Z

29

path can't be a variable name.

try
    set short_name to do shell script "whoami"
    set p to "afp://fileserver.local/Faculty/" & short_name
    display dialog p
end try

Works fine.

answered Aug 26, 2011 at 20:35

Bertrand Marron

22.3k8 gold badges63 silver badges95 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

regulus6633 · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-27 06:49:09Z

12

I agree with Bertrand, your problem is with using "path" as a variable. Some words have a special meaning to applescript and can't be used as a variable, path being one of them. You'll notice that when you compile your code that path doesn't turn green like other variables indicating it's special.

If you still wanted to use "path" as the variable you can though. In applescript you can put "|" around the variable to indicate to applescript that it is a variable. So this would work.

try
    set short_name to do shell script "whoami"
    set |path| to "afp://fileserver.local/Faculty/" & short_name
    mount volume |path| as user name short_name
end try

Note that using this technique you can actually have one variable in several words like...

set |the path| to "afp://fileserver.local/Faculty/" & short_name

One last comment... there is an applescript method to get the short user name of a person...

set short_name to short user name of (get system info)

edited Aug 27, 2011 at 6:49

answered Aug 27, 2011 at 6:41

regulus6633

19.1k5 gold badges44 silver badges52 bronze badges

2 Comments

Bertrand Marron Over a year ago

+1, but I'll disagree with you on set short_name to short user name of (get system info). On my machine it takes about 2 seconds to run.

jeremyjjbrown Over a year ago

I agree (get system info) is very slow. "do shell script "whoami" " is much faster

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

concatenate a string and a variable into a string in applescript

2 Answers 2

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

Comments

2 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related