Help with Write Finder Comment

[sepulchra]

I'm trying to build a workflow that writes my keywords argument to the current file selected in the finder. This is what I have, but I keep getting a "cannot get object error":

 

 

 

 

 

this is the error from the debugger

 

[15:55:05.596] Finder Comment[Automation Task] Running task 'Get Selection in Finder' with no arguments
[15:55:05.747] Finder Comment[Automation Task] Processing complete
[15:55:05.762] Finder Comment[Automation Task] Passing output '(
    "/Volumes/master archive/Extreme 510/01 filed/tracks/2018 april modulars very late"
)' to Automation Task
[15:55:05.766] Finder Comment[Automation Task] Running task 'Write Finder Comment' with arguments (
    "/Volumes/master archive/Extreme 510/01 filed/tracks/2018 april modulars very late"
)
[15:55:05.918] ERROR: Finder Comment[Automation Task] Task Error: ../.common/finder-comment: execution error: Error: Error: Can't get object. (-1728)

 

 

Am I misunderstanding how to use these objects?

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by sepulchra

[sepulchra]

Ok -- I got the above to work but only if the files are not on an external volume. If run the above worklflow on files in my home folders, documents etc -- totally works.  But if the file lives on an external volume i get the  "can't get object (-1728) error.

 

Any ideas? Alfred does have full disk access.

 

I'm on 13.2.1 and the latest version of alfred. I've tested this on two different machines.

 

 

Thanks!

Edited March 4, 2023 by sepulchra

[pixelgeek]

Is that volume included in the search options in the Alfred Settings?

[sepulchra]

no but i don't see why that should matter because that automation object is seeing the path and passing it -- but i did just include it in the search scope and still fails. So we ruled that one out. 😄

 

It is the last object that seems to be failing because the path to the file is being passed in:

 

this is the debugger on my second machine with a different external volume. Same error.

[11:24:32.897] Finder Comment[Automation Task] Running task 'Write Finder Comment' with arguments (
    "/Volumes/dbox v3/TNB Template v2.ptxt"
)
[11:24:33.071] ERROR: Finder Comment[Automation Task] Task Error: ../.common/finder-comment: execution error: Error: Error: Can't get object. (-1728)

 

EDIT with some more troubleshooting

If you run the "write finder comment" object with path and comment pre-populated and just fire it with a keyword and no argument (removing all other variables and automation tasks) it will work on a file on the desktop for example .... but if the the pre-populated path is on  a external volume it produces the same error. 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by sepulchra

[vitor]

Thank you for looking into it further, it helped to narrow down the problem and track the cause. Dealing with Finder comments requires quite arcane and archaic solutions. Indeed it happens with external volumes. This will be fixed on the next released of ATs.

[sepulchra]

I’m not at all surprised. I’m assuming the code is from os9! 🤣

[sepulchra]

In case anyone comes across this, finder tags are a good temporary work around for this since you can have text based finder tags..... and @vitor are finder tags embedded into the metadata of each file? from what i read comments aren't consistently maintained when files are copied across machines and volumes.

 

Thanks!

[vitor]

19 hours ago, sepulchra said:

from what i read comments aren't consistently maintained when files are copied across machines and volumes.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised. Ever seen those ._ prefixed files when copying to external drives? Those have extra information.

 

In general tags seem better supported than Finder comments (which seem mostly abandoned). If your use case allows it, you’ll probably be better served (and have less macOS headaches) with tags.

[sepulchra]

Thank you. This is incredibly helpful and I've since rebuilt those workflows with finder tag automation tasks instead of finder comments.