Is there a reason why you have to store the shell script in a separate file? Typically, you would put it inline, within the AppleScript code. As far as I know, the “do shell script” command only operates on text, not on a script at a file path. If you give it a variable that contains a path, it will try to run that path as a command. It won’t run the contents of the file as a command.
Here is an example of an AppleScript that runs an inline shell script and puts the results in TextEdit:
property theShellScript : "#!/bin/bash
echo Hello World"
tell application "TextEdit"
activate
set theScriptResult to do shell script theShellScript
make new document
set the text of document 1 to theScriptResult
end tell
… you can of course replace the above shell script with the contents of your own shell script.
If you do need to keep the script in a separate file, the best way to do that is probably to save your AppleScript as an Application, and put the shell script within the Application bundle. “Path to me” is the path of the application that is running the script — not to the script itself — but if you save your AppleScript as an Application, then it runs its own script, and “path to me” works as you originally expected.
Here is an example of an AppleScript that runs a shell script contained within a file that is stored within its own application bundle:
property theApplicationPath : the path to me as text
property theShellScriptPath : theApplicationPath & "Contents:Resources:Scripts:bash.sh"
tell application "TextEdit"
open alias theShellScriptPath
set theShellScript to the text of document 1
set theScriptResult to do shell script theShellScript
make new document
set the text of document 1 to theScriptResult
end tell
With the above script Copy/Pasted into a new document in AppleScript Editor, hold down the Option key and choose File ▶ Save As, and in the Save dialog box, on the File Format pop up menu, choose “Application” and of course give your application a name and click Save. Then in Finder, navigate to where you Saved your application, and 2-finger tap (or right-click) on your application and choose “Show Package Contents.” That opens your application up as a folder, exposing the file system within. Put your shell script file named “bash.sh” inside the folder “Contents/Resources/Scripts” within your application and then close the window that represents your application.
Now when you run your application from anywhere in the file system, it will still be able to find and run its incorporated shell script.