Zip a folder using apple script

Question

I am attempting to use applescript to copy a folder to my desktop, zip it, then move the .zip file elsewhere but I can't get the zipping part to work.

I've looked everywhere for ways to zip a file/folder in applescript and I don't know what I'm doing wrong but none of them have worked for me.

I would also rather not have to choose the folder after it's been copied and the folder after it's been zipped but I thought I'd leave them till the zipping is fixed.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

This is my code: (updated after help from djbazziewazzie)

set workspace to (path to desktop as text) --"Users:produser:Desktop"

tell application "Finder"

display dialog "Select a folder to be zipped"
set inputFolder to choose folder
set inputFolderProperties to properties of inputFolder
set inputFolderName to name of inputFolder

duplicate inputFolder to workspace with properties --copy input folder to workspace
{name:inputFolderName} --keep the same name

--set copiedFile to (workspace & inputFolderName) 
display dialog "Select the folders desktop copy"
set copiedFile to choose folder --select the file copy thats on the workspace

tell current application
    set qpp to quoted form of POSIX path of copiedFile
    do shell script "zip -r " & qpp & ".zip " & qpp -- zips the file (or not...)
end tell

display dialog "Select the .zip file" --select the new .zip file
set zipFile to choose file
display dialog "Select the output folder"
set outputFolder to choose folder --moves zipped file
move zipFile to outputFolder

end tell

dj bazzie wazzie dj bazzie wazzie · Accepted Answer · 2014-04-30T14:56:48

Applications are directories so you need the -r option with zip to add all the files of the folder to the zip files. In Mac OS X directories ending with .app are shown as files instead of folders.

Also using a do shell script inside an tell application "Finder" violates the scripting addition security policy. do shell script should only be used when the target is set to the constant current application. Every code that isn't targeted to an application is by default targeted to current application

tell current application
 do shell script "zip -r " & qpp & ".zip " & qpp -- zips the file (or not...)
end tell

EDIT 1: showing working code

EDIT 2: Updated the do shell script to work with relative paths

set workspace to (path to desktop as text)

tell application "Finder"
    set inputFolder to choose folder with prompt "Select a folder to be zipped"

    set copiedFile to (duplicate inputFolder to workspace) as string
    set copiedFile to text 1 thru -2 of copiedFile --remove the trailing ":" 

    tell current application
        set qpp to quoted form of POSIX path of copiedFile
        do shell script "cd $(dirname " & qpp & ")
    zip -r  \"$(basename " & qpp & ").zip\" \"$(basename " & qpp & ")\""
        set zipFile to copiedFile & ".zip"
    end tell

    set outputFolder to choose folder with prompt "Select the output folder"
    move zipFile to outputFolder
end tell

Zip a folder using apple script

1 Answers