(*
some additional info can be found on the orginal page for this file type and creator type script. this one works in panther (os x 10.3).

it will display the file type and creator of the first file in your selection, and display it asking what to change it to. if all you wanted to do is find out what type some file was, hit cancel. a lot of files in OS X will not have a file type and/or creator, so it will say "missing value" for those. if you enter file type and creator values (always four characters each), it will change ALL FILES that you've dropped in to those values, so be careful which files you drop into it. here are some possible values:

PhotoShop JPEG:
JPEG 8BIM
PhotoShop GIF:
GIFf 8BIM
Simpletext Text:
TEXT ttxt
Picture Viewer JPEG:
JPEG ogle
BBEdit Text:
TEXT R*ch

*) 


global folderList

on open fileList
	
	--	display dialog (item 1 of fileList as string)
	set folderList to {}
	
	set typesReturn to typecreator(fileList) of me
	set newFileType to item 1 of typesReturn
	set newCreatorType to item 2 of typesReturn
	activate
	display dialog ("Will set all files to file type: '" & newFileType & "'
creator type: '" & newCreatorType & "'")
	
	stepthru(fileList, newFileType, newCreatorType) of me
	
	repeat until folderList = {}
		tell application "Finder"
			set fileListfolders to every item of item 1 of folderList
		end tell
		set folderCount to the number of items in folderList
		if folderCount < 2 then
			set folderList to {}
		else
			set folderList to items 2 through folderCount of folderList
		end if
		stepthru(fileListfolders, newFileType, newCreatorType) of me
		
	end repeat
	
	delay 0.5
	beep
	say "ok"
	
end open

on stepthru(fileList, newFileType, newCreatorType)
	if newFileType = "" then
		set theNewNewFileType to missing value
	else
		set theNewNewFileType to ""
		repeat with eachLetter in newFileType
			set thenum to ASCII number of eachLetter
			set theNewNewFileType to theNewNewFileType & (ASCII character thenum) as string
		end repeat
	end if
	if newCreatorType = "" then
		set theNewnewCreatorType to missing value
	else
		set theNewnewCreatorType to ""
		repeat with eachLetter in newCreatorType
			set thenum to ASCII number of eachLetter
			set theNewnewCreatorType to theNewnewCreatorType & (ASCII character thenum) as string
		end repeat
	end if
	repeat with iFile in fileList
		tell application "Finder"
			
			set iFileInfo to iFile as string
			--	set iFileInfoFolder to file creator of iFileInfo
			if the last character of iFileInfo = ":" then
				set folderList to folderList & iFile
				--	display dialog iFileInfo
			else
				--display dialog newFileType & ":" & newCreatorType
				set file type of iFile to theNewNewFileType
				set creator type of iFile to theNewnewCreatorType
				
			end if
		end tell
		
	end repeat
end stepthru


on typecreator(fileList)
	
	repeat with iFile in fileList
		tell application "Finder"
			set iFile to iFile as alias
			set iFileInfo to iFile as string
			--	set iFileInfoFolder to file creator of iFileInfo
			--display dialog iFileInfo
			if the last character of iFileInfo = ":" then
				--set folderList to folderList & iFile
				--set filesInFolder to the files in iFile
				set filesInFolder to files in (iFile)
				--display dialog filesInFolder
				set fileList2 to filesInFolder
				--	display dialog iFileInfo
			else
				
				set theFIletype to file type of iFile
				set theCreatortype to creator type of iFile
				if theFIletype = missing value then
					set theFileTypeStr to ""
				else
					set theFileTypeStr to theFIletype as string
				end if
				if theCreatortype = missing value then
					set theCreatortypeStr to ""
				else
					set theCreatortypeStr to theCreatortype as string
				end if
				set typesReturnType to text returned of (display dialog "Current Type & Creator: " & theFIletype & ":" & theCreatortype & return & "Set File Type to:" default answer theFileTypeStr)
				set typesReturnCreator to text returned of (display dialog "Current Type & Creator: " & theFIletype & ":" & theCreatortype & return & "Set Creator Type to:" default answer theCreatortypeStr)
				set typesReturn to {typesReturnType, typesReturnCreator}
				return typesReturn
			end if
		end tell
	end repeat
	set Type2 to typecreator(fileList2) of me
	return Type2
	--display dialog "huh"
end typecreator
-- applescript page