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I'm no Automator expert, but when I tried to run it as described above, nothing happened. No tags, no nothing. Only when I set the Options to "Show this action when the workflow runs" did I get a prompt to let me enter the tags I wanted.

Also, the Automator app as described above only handles user-selected files, By preceding Set Spotlight Comments with Get Folder Contents (with "Repeat for each subfolder found'), I can enter comments for all the files in a folder and all its subfolders, which is a real time saver.

Last but not least, auto-tagging within a folder also works with existing folders. Simply specify that file at the top of the Folder Action window. Unfortunately, it doesn't change files that already exist within that folder, only ones that are added later.

Thanks for a handy script. Since I often keep projects inside specific folders, this'll let me tag them all properly. I only wish Apple would fix spotlight tagging. Currently, it's so clumsy, almost no one uses it. Spotlight tagging ought to be either:

1. Part of the standard Save window.

2. Better yet, as part of a separate dialogue box inside all document-based applications that'd include all the parameters we're currently forced to use Cmd-I in the Finder to get at. That'd include changing Spotlight tagging, open with options, and Finder color, along with information about a document's creation date etc.

At the very least, Apple could add a "Show Information" option to the File menu, even if it only calls up the Finder's own Information display.

Inkling, on 28 May 2012 - 07:55 AM, said:

Huh, so you entered a comment in the action and it did nothing?

I prefer to create a service then it shows up under Services when I right click on the selected file(s). Personally, I find this more useful than Folder Actions. Ticking Options "Show this action when the workflow runs" forces it to prompt for the comment. You can then also choose to overwrite or append to any existing comments.

This is very useful. Using a variable in the Set Spotlight Comments step ( instead of a fixed text string) makes this Automator Action even better. Someone more knowledgeable than me may have a more elegant way of doing this but here's how I did it.

1. Create a variable called "Comment" ( could be any other name )
2. Insert three Actions ABOVE the set Spotlight Comments action in the following order.

A. Ask for Text ( drag variable "Comment" into this step.)
B. set Value of Variable . Drag variable "Comment" into this step
C. Ask For Finder Items. Enable "allow Multiple Selection.

This modification makes this workflow more flexible. Each time it's run, the User can easily change the comments he/she wants added to the file.

As Inkling mentioned above,

Quote

and you will get the same capability: whenever a file(s) is dropped on the application, you will get a dialogue window that will let you enter a unique comment.

Your way works, but too much effort for me!! ;-)