File Fun

This script shows how to open files, open projects, collect names of the Comps in the scene, prompt a user for where to write a file, write to a text file, and save the text file. It is useful only as an example of how the individual methods and attributes operate; it doesn't serve any useful production purpose.

// First, close any project that might be open.
if (app.project != null){
    // 3 choices here, CloseOptions.DO_NOT_SAVE_CHANGES,
    // CloseOptions.PROMPT_TO_SAVE_CHANGES, and CloseOptions.SAVE_CHANGES
    app.project.close(CloseOptions.DO_NOT_SAVE_CHANGES);
}
// Prompt the user to pick a project file:
// First argument is a prompt, second is the file type.
var pfile = fileGetDialog("Select a project file to open", "EggP aep");
if (pfile == null){
    alert("No project file selected. Aborting.");
} else {
    // Open that file. It becomes the current project.
    var my_project = app.open( pfile );
    // Build a default text file name from the project's filename.
    // Remove the ".aep" file extension (if present), then add
    //_compnames.txt.
    var default_text_filename;
    var suffix_index = pfile.name.lastIndexOf(".aep");
    if (suffix_index != -1){
        default_text_filename = pfile.name.substring(0,suffix_index);
    }else {
        default_text_filename = pfile.name;
    }
    default_text_filename += "_compnames.txt";
    // Create another file object for the file we'll write out.
    // First argument is the prompt, second is a default file name, third is
    //the file type.
    var text_file = filePutDialog("Select a file to output your results",
    default_text_filename, "TEXT txt");
    if (text_file == null){
        alert("No output file selected. Aborting.");
    } else {
        // opens file for writing. First argument is mode ("w" for writing),
        // second argument is file type (for mac only),
        // third argument is creator (mac only, "????" is no specific app).
        text_file.open("w","TEXT","????");
        // Write the heading of the file:
        text_file.writeln("Here is a list of all the comps in " +
        pfile.name);
        text_file.writeln();
        for (var i = 1; i <= app.project.numItems; i++){
            if (app.project.item(i) instanceof CompItem){
                text_file.writeln(app.project.item(i).name);
            }
        }
       
        text_file.close();
       
        alert("All done!");
    }
}