Folder Object¶

Represents a file-system folder or directory in a platform-independent manner. All properties and methods resolve file system aliases automatically and act on the original file unless otherwise noted.

Folder Object Constructors¶

Folder( [path] ); // Can return a File object
new Folder( [path] ); // Always returns a Folder object

To create a Folder object, use the Folder function or the new operator. The constructor accepts full or partial path names, and returns the new object.

Parameter

Type

Description

path

String

Optional. The absolute or relative path to the Folder associated with this object, specified in platform-specific or URI format; see Specifying paths. The value stored in the object is the absolute path.

The path need not refer to an existing Folder. If not supplied, a temporary name is generated.

If the path refers to an existing file:

The Folder function returns a File object instead of a File object.
The new operator returns a Folder object for a nonexisting folder with the same name.

Warning

In After Effects on MacOS, if path.length is more than 1002, After Effects crashes.

This has been reported on MacOS 10.11.6 and After Effects 13.8 and 14.0.

Folder Class Attributes¶

These properties are available as static properties of the Folder class. It is not necessary to create an instance to access them.

Folder.appData¶

Folder.appData

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder that contains application data for all users.

In Windows, the value of %PROGRAMDATA% (by default, C:\ProgramData)
In Mac OS, /Library/Application Support

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.appPackage¶

Folder.appPackage

Description¶

The Folder object for the folder that contains the bundle of the running application.

In Windows, for example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe ExtendScript Toolkit CC\
In Mac OS, for example: /Applications/Adobe ExtendScript Toolkit CC/ExtendScript Toolkit.app

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.commonFiles¶

Folder.commonFiles

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder that contains files common to all programs.

In Windows, the value of %CommonProgramFiles% (by default, C:\Program Files\Common Files)
In Mac OS, /Library/Application Support

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.current¶

Folder.current

Description¶

A Folder object for the current folder. Assign either a Folder object or a string containing the new path name to set the current folder.

Type¶

Folder

Folder.desktop¶

Folder.desktop

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder that contains the user's desktop.

In Windows, C:\Users\[username]\Desktop
In Mac OS, ~/Desktop

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.fs¶

Folder.fs

Description¶

The name of the file system.

One of:

Windows,
Macintosh, or
Unix

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.myDocuments¶

Folder.myDocuments

Description¶

A Folder object for the user's default document folder.

In Windows, C:\Users\[username]\Documents
In Mac OS, ~/Documents

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.startup¶

Folder.startup

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder containing the executable image of the running application.

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.system¶

Folder.system

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder containing the operating system files.

In Windows, the value of %windir% (by default, C:\Windows)
In Mac OS, /System

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.temp¶

Folder.temp

Description¶

A Folder object for the default folder for temporary files.

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.trash¶

Folder.trash

Description¶

In Mac OS, a Folder object for the folder containing deleted items.
In Windows, where the Recycle Bin is a database rather than a folder, value is null.

Type¶

Folder or null. Read only.

Folder.userData¶

Folder.userData

Description¶

A Folder object for the folder that contains application data for the current user.

In Windows, the value of %APPDATA% (by default, C:\Users\[username]\Appdata\Roaming)
In Mac OS, ~/Library/Application Support

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder Class Methods¶

These functions are available as a static methods of the Folder class. It is not necessary to create an instance in order to call them.

Folder.decode()¶

Folder.decode(uri)

Description¶

Decodes the specified string as required by RFC 2396.

All special characters must be encoded in UTF-8 and stored as escaped characters starting with the percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, the string "my%20file" is decoded as "my file". Special characters are those with a numeric value greater than 127, except the following:

``/ - _ . ! ~ * ' ( )``

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`uri`	String	The encoded string to decode.

Returns¶

String

Folder.encode()¶

Folder.encode(name)

Description¶

Encodes the specified string as required by RFC 2396.

All special characters must be encoded in UTF-8 and stored as escaped characters starting with the percent sign followed by two hexadecimal digits. For example, the string "my%20file" is decoded as "my file". Special characters are those with a numeric value greater than 127, except the following:

``/ - _ . ! ~ * ' ( )``

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`name`	String	The string to encode.

Returns¶

String

Folder.isEncodingAvailable()¶

Folder.isEncodingAvailable(name)

Description¶

Checks whether a given encoding is available.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`name`	String	The encoding name. Typical values are `"ASCII"`, `"binary"`, or `"UTF-8"`. See File- and Folder-supported encoding names.

Returns¶

Boolean. true if your system supports the specified encoding, false otherwise.

Folder.selectDialog()¶

Folder.selectDialog([prompt])

Description¶

Opens the built-in platform-specific file-browsing dialog, and creates a new File or Folder object for the selected file or folder. Differs from the object method selectDlg() in that it does not preselect a folder.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`prompt`	String	Optional. The prompt text, if the dialog allows a prompt.

Returns¶

If the user clicks OK, returns a File or Folder object for the selected file or folder.

If the user cancels, returns null.

Folder Object Attributes¶

These properties are available for Folder objects.

Folder.absoluteURI¶

folderObj.absoluteURI

Description¶

The full path name for the referenced folder in URI notation.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.alias¶

folderObj.alias

Description¶

When true, the object refers to a file system alias or shortcut.

Type¶

Boolean. Read only.

Folder.created¶

folderObj.created

Description¶

The creation date of the referenced folder, or null if the object does not refer to a folder on disk.

Type¶

Date. Read only.

Folder.displayName¶

folderObj.displayName

Description¶

The localized name of the referenced folder, without the path.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.error¶

folderObj.error

Description¶

A message describing the most recent file system error; see File access error messages.

Typically set by the file system, but a script can set it. Setting this value clears any error message and resets the error bit for opened files. Contains the empty string if there is no error.

Type¶

String

Folder.exists¶

folderObj.exists

Description¶

When true, this object refers to a folder that currently exists in the file system.

Type¶

Boolean. Read only.

Folder.fsName¶

folderObj.fsName

Description¶

The platform-specific name of the referenced folder as a full path name.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.fullName¶

folderObj.fullName

Description¶

The full path name for the referenced folder in URI notation.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.localizedName¶

folderObj.localizedName

Description¶

A localized version of the folder name portion of the absolute URI for the referenced file, without the path specification.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.modified¶

folderObj.modified

Description¶

The date of the referenced folder's last modification, or null if the object does not refer to a folder on disk.

Type¶

Date. Read only.

Folder.name¶

folderObj.name

Description¶

The folder name portion of the absolute URI for the referenced file, without the path specification.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.parent¶

folderObj.parent

Description¶

The Folder object for the folder that contains this folder, or null if this object refers to the root folder of a volume.

Type¶

Folder. Read only.

Folder.path¶

folderObj.path

Description¶

The path portion of the absolute URI for the referenced folder, without the folder name.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder.relativeURI¶

folderObj.relativeURI

Description¶

The path name for the referenced folder in URI notation, relative to the current folder.

Type¶

String. Read only.

Folder Object Methods¶

These functions are available for Folder objects.

Folder.changePath()¶

folderObj.changePath(path)

Description¶

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`path`	String	The new path, absolute or relative to the current parent folder.

Changes the path specification of the referenced folder.

Returns¶

Boolean. true on success.

Folder.create()¶

folderObj.create()

Description¶

Creates a folder at the location given by this object's path property.

Returns¶

Boolean. true if the folder was created successfully.

Folder.execute()¶

folderObj.execute()

Description¶

Opens this folder in the platform-specific file browser (as if it had been double-clicked in the file browser).

Returns¶

Boolean. true immediately if the folder was opened successfully.

Folder.getFiles()¶

folderObj.getFiles([mask])

Description¶

Retrieves the contents of this folder, filtered by the supplied mask.

Parameters¶

Parameter

Type

Description

mask

String or Function

Optional. A search mask for file names.

A string that can contain question mark (?) and asterisk (*) wild cards. Default is "*", which matches all file names.

Can also be the name of a function that takes a File or Folder object as its argument.

It is called for each file or folder found in the search; if it returns true, the object is added to the return array.

Note

In Windows, all aliases end with the extension .lnk; ExtendScript strips this from the file name when found, in order to preserve compatibility with other operating systems. You can search for all aliases by supplying the search mask "*.lnk", but note that such code is not portable.

Returns¶

Returns an array of File and Folder objects, or null if this object's referenced folder does not exist.

Folder.getRelativeURI()¶

folderObj.getRelativeURI([basePath])

Description¶

Retrieves the path for this folder relative to the specified base path or the current folder, in URI notation.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`basePath`	String	Optional. The base path for the relative URI. Default is the current folder.

Returns¶

String

Folder.remove()¶

folderObj.remove()

Description¶

Deletes the empty folder associated with this object from disk, immediately, without moving it to the system trash.

Folders must be empty before they can be deleted. Does not resolve aliases; instead, deletes the referenced alias or shortcut file itself.

Note

Cannot be undone. It is recommended that you prompt the user for permission before deleting.

Returns¶

Boolean. true if the folder is deleted successfully.

Folder.rename()¶

folderObj.rename(newName)

Description¶

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`newName`	String	The new folder name, with no path.

Renames the associated folder. Does not resolve aliases; instead, renames the referenced alias or shortcut file itself.

Returns¶

Boolean. true on success.

Folder.resolve()¶

folderObj.resolve()

Description¶

If this object references an alias or shortcut, this method resolves that alias

Returns¶

A new Folder object that references the file-system element to which the alias resolves, or null if this object does not reference an alias, or if the alias cannot be resolved.

Folder.selectDlg()¶

folderObj.selectDlg(prompt)

Description¶

Opens the built-in platform-specific file-browsing dialog, and creates a new File or Folder object for the selected file or folder.

Differs from the class method selectDialog() in that it preselects this folder.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description
`prompt`	String	The prompt text, if the dialog allows a prompt.

Returns¶

If the user clicks OK, returns a File or Folder object for the selected file or folder.

If the user cancels, returns null.