Get the folder currently in focus in Finder

[Gary King]

If I have a Finder window open and in focus, how can I get that folder's location in a workflow that I run in Alfred? Is it possible at all? Either within Alfred or via any programming language?

[vitor]

It’s possible with AppleScript and JavaScript for Automation. Here’s code for both languages.

With this method, if any Finder window is open it’ll return the path to the frontmost one, else it’ll return the path to the desktop.

AppleScript:

tell application "Finder" to return (quoted form of POSIX path of (insertion location as alias))

JavaScript:

unescape(Application("Finder").insertionLocation().url()).slice(7).slice(0, -1)

With this method, if a Finder window is the frontmost window app it’ll return the path of the frontmost one, else it’ll return the path to the home directory.

AppleScript:

tell application "System Events"
    if (name of first process whose frontmost is true) is "Finder" then
        tell application "Finder" to return (POSIX path of (folder of the front window as alias))
    else
        return (POSIX path of (path to home folder))
    end if
end tell

JavaScript:

if Application("Finder").frontmost() {
    unescape(Application("Finder").finderWindows[0].target.url()).slice(7).slice(0, -1)
} else {
    unescape(Application("Finder").home.url()).slice(7).slice(0, -1)
}