Automator Command to Refresh ALL Finder/all Finder Windows

Question

I'm using automator with applescript (no text, in finder) to toggle hidden folders on/off. I'm trying to do this without relaunching finder, so I just want to refresh every finder window. I want to apply the refresh to the entire finder/every window, NOT just the top-most window.

With the script as it currently is, I have to manually go to a different folder and return to show hidden files. I want to automate the refresh. Right now I have it asking for permission > if yes, then toggle hidden files > (And here's where I want to refresh all finder.)

Code:

on run {input, parameters}

    set cur_state to do shell script "defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles"
    if cur_state = "TRUE" then
        do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE"
    else
        do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE"
    end if

    return input
end run 

Answer 1

Hmm,

In the old days ( Mac OS 9) early (Mac OS 10) I think you could have used the update command. But it works differently now.

I am doing this on ML which I just realised you do not need to relaunch the finder for the changes to take place. You just need to make the window redraw. Like if you have a finder window in list view and make the change to show hidden files.

You can toggle a sub folders disclosure triangle and you will see the change.

The only way I can think of doing it without relaunching the whole of finder and on all windows is to flip the view to a different one and back again.

tell application "Finder"
    set theWindows to every window
    repeat with i from 1 to number of items in theWindows
        set this_item to item i of theWindows
        set theView to current view of this_item
        if theView is list view then
            set current view of this_item to icon view
        else
            set current view of this_item to list view

        end if
        set current view of this_item to theView
    end repeat


end tell

In my tests this works so well for me I will use it to replace my current toggle script which uses the killall finder