Programming

Let me tell you all something. I've a Masters Degree in Software Engineering. I build big, complex programs like Mechanical Engineers build factory machines. Every day I deal with difficult to understand abstract concepts. So you would think that I would have no problem getting AppleScript to copy a folder or two on my harddrive. Well, it's been 3 hours now and I haven't gotten far at all. I'm trying to love the mac, but I'm not having much luck with it.

So, since I lost everything on my old mac when it went down (hours and hours of hand converted emails and contacts and quicken data and the like) I decided that this time I would be prepared. I decided that I would do a daily backup and move that over to my server.

I do this with my work. Every day at about 4:45pm I run a series of routines I created to backup the application I'm working on (usually thousands of files in hundreds of folders) to a synchrnoized folder which I then synch up with a CVS system on a server back at the home office. Basicly, everything I do every day is checked to see if it differs from yesterdays versions and any changes are uploaded to the work server. This way I can go back to any day and "see" my app as it was on that day. This is useful for a number of reasons, but that's not why I'm telling you all this. So I'll continue.

I was excited about the mac becasue they have had this AppleScript deal which I was led to believe would allow me to 'script' or emulate commands that I would normally do via point and click and typing. In most cases I have found this to be true, but not all cases and that's just not cool. Anyway, in Tiger (mac's new OS) there is this new tool called Automator that claims to reduce repetative tasks by simply creating these 'workflows' that do things for me. Kind of like a AppleScript for the masses. Neither of them do what I want to do.

Well, that's not true. They may, I just haven't figured out how yet.

So what do I want to do? I want to create a folder on my desktop with a simple name like "backup - may 15, 2005" and then copy a series of files and folders into it. I would love if it would move it to my server for me but that just seems way too complex so I've decided that I would do that part manually. My plan is that once I have the script, I'd make it run when I logged off every day.

Well, so far I've been able to create a folder with the name "backup" (can't get the date figured out yet) and I've been able to copy a file into it. And it has been 3 hours.

I thought this mac thing was supposed to be easy. Let me say that on the PC, I could spend 1 hour and create an ant script that will do everything for me with no hassles. Hmn.. that gives me an idea.. I may be able to get ant for the BSD OS under the mac OS..

Well, I'd still have to run it in some autmated way and that would require AppleScript.. hmn.. what a drag.. this shit should be easier than my job, not harder...

duh.. mac crap.