Mac Automater: from a string, get a file

Question

I'm trying to make a shortcut via an automater service that will move the selected file(s) up a directory. It goes as follows:

1. Get Selected Finder Items

2. Get Value of Variable Path

3. Run Applescript:

   on join(someList, delimiter)
   set prevTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
       set AppleScript's text item delimiters to delimiter
       set output to "" & someList
       set AppleScript's text item delimiters to prevTIDs
       return output
   end join
   to split(someText, delimiter)
       set AppleScript's text item delimiters to delimiter
       set someText to someText's text items
       set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {""}
       return someText
   end split
   on run {input, parameters}
       set pathToMe to POSIX path of (item 1 of input as text)
       set newPath to split(pathToMe, "/")
       set revPath to reverse of newPath
       set restList to rest of revPath
       set restList to rest of restList
       set joinPath to join(reverse of restList, "/")
       set source to POSIX file joinPath
       return source
   end run
   

4. Set Value of Variable Parent

5. Move Finder Items To Parent

The Applescript parses the first file path in the Path in order to find the item's grandparent, returning it as a POSIX file string. The problem is that the "Move Finder" action only accepts Files/Folders. How can I select the target parent folder with the resulting string in order to pass it to the "Move Finder" action?

Things I've tried:

• Using mv in a Run Bash Script: the Run Applescript action doesn't seem to return anything to the Run Bash Script; set to input as arguments, "$@" is always empty.
• Doing a tell finder in Run Applescript. No error or warning, just nothing happens.
• Manually setting the value of the parent variable.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

return a path of type alias in a list instead of a posix file

on run {input, parameters}
    set pathToMe to (item 1 of input) as text
    set f to my getParent(pathToMe, ":")
    return {f as alias}
end run

to getParent(someText, delimiter)
    set prevTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters
    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to delimiter
    set n to -2
    if someText ends with ":" then set n to -3
    set t to text 1 thru text item n of someText
    set AppleScript's text item delimiters to prevTIDs
    return t
end getParent

Answer 2

I prefer to do this all in applescript so try this code. I didn't test it but it should work. You can still add this to automator with an applescript action but you don't need all the other actions. It will do everything itself. Good luck.

tell application "Finder"
    set theSelection to get selection
    set parentFolder to container of (item 1 of theSelection)
    move theSelection to parentFolder
end tell