User level: Level 3 (873 points)Universal name for home folder in Applescript
In an effort to use various scripts on multiple macs, I am trying to find a way in this script that would replace users/**** with whatever would make it universal to all macs or how the script must be changed.
I assume it would work on Golden Gate as well ….though assumptions are dangerous 😀
tell application "Finder"
open POSIX file "/Users/****/Desktop/ICONS"
end tell
Thanks
Posted on Oct 29, 2026 9:53 PM
User level: Level 10 (131,878 points)Oct 30, 2026 5:12 AM in response to mrokloricred37
Other variations:
use scripting additions
property USER : short user name of (system info)
tell application "Finder" to open ((path to desktop) & "SVG:") as text
set afolder to "/Users/" & USER & "/Desktop/PDF"
tell application "Finder" to open folder (POSIX file afolder as alias)
tell application "Finder" to open folder ((path to home folder as text) & "Library:") as alias
User level: Level 10 (756,437 points)Oct 29, 2026 10:06 PM in response to mrokloricred37
Use:
tell application "Finder"
open file "ICONS"
end tell
If you need a full path for items not on the desktop, use 'home' to refer to it.
If you need an UNIX-style path, use ~ instead of /Users/username.
(265395)
User level: Level 3 (873 points)Oct 29, 2026 11:12 PM in response to Niel
Hi,
This doesn't seem to work:
tell application "Finder"
open file "ICONS"
end tell
Don't I need to substitute either the Users/**** with something to make it generic to all macs or rework the script?
Replacing Users/**** with ~ or home doesn't work either
tell application "Finder"
open POSIX file "/Users/****/Desktop/ICONS"
end tell
User level: Level 3 (873 points)Oct 29, 2026 11:57 PM in response to Niel
Think I got it:
tell application "System Events"
set targetFolder to folder "~/DESKTOP/ICONS"
tell application "Finder" to open targetFolder
end tell
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256385679