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AppleScript: The Missing Manual

Name: AppleScript: The Missing Manual
Author: Adam Goldstein
ISBN: 9780596008505

by Adam Goldstein

January 2005

Beginner to intermediate

350 pages

10h 26m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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A Note Regarding Supplemental Files
The Missing Credits
About the AuthorAbout the Creative TeamAcknowledgmentsThe Missing Manual Series
Foreword
Introduction
Uses for AppleScriptAdvantages and DisadvantagesAbout This BookWhat You’ll NeedAbout the OutlineAbout → These → ArrowsAbout MissingManuals.comThe Very Basics
I. AppleScript Overview
1. Setting Up AppleScript
1.1. The Script Menu1.1.1. Address Book Scripts1.1.2. Basics1.1.3. ColorSync1.1.4. Finder Scripts1.1.5. Folder Actions1.1.6. FontSync Scripts1.1.7. Info Scripts1.1.8. Internet Scripts1.1.9. Mail Scripts1.1.10. Navigation Scripts1.1.11. Printing Scripts1.1.12. Script Editor Scripts1.1.13. Sherlock Scripts1.1.14. UI Element Scripts1.1.15. URLs1.1.16. Customizing the Script Menu1.1.16.1. Adding new scripts1.1.16.2. Rearranging submenus1.2. Working with the Scripts You Have1.2.1. Opening a Script1.2.2. Analyzing How It Works1.2.3. Changing What It Does
2. Using Script Editor
2.1. The Script Editor Look2.1.1. The Toolbar2.1.1.1. Record2.1.1.2. Stop2.1.1.3. Run2.1.1.4. Compile2.1.1.5. Customizing the toolbar2.1.2. The Script Field2.1.3. The Info Field2.1.3.1. Description2.1.3.2. Result2.1.3.3. Event Log2.2. Script Formats2.2.1. Script Files2.2.2. Applications2.2.3. Plain Text Documents2.3. Setting Script Editor’s Preferences2.3.1. General2.3.2. Editing2.3.3. Formatting2.3.4. History2.3.5. Plug-ins
3. Building a Script from Scratch
3.1. Getting Started3.1.1. Displaying a Simple Dialog Box3.1.2. Displaying Numbers3.1.3. More than One Command3.2. Commanding Other Programs3.2.1. Using tell Statements3.2.2. Opening a Dictionary3.2.3. Looking for the Commands You Want3.2.3.1. Checking whether the folder is already there3.2.3.2. Displaying the other dialog box3.2.4. Displaying a Window in the Finder
II. Everyday Scripting Tasks
4. Manipulating Text
4.1. String Notation4.2. Getting Text Back from Dialog Boxes4.3. Linking Strings Together4.4. Multiline Strings4.5. Scripting TextEdit4.5.1. Create a New TextEdit Document4.5.2. Adding Text to a New Document4.5.3. Adding Formatting4.5.3.1. Inserting a new line after the date4.5.3.2. Changing the font and size4.6. Adding Word Count4.6.1. Employing the Text Suite4.7. Commanding Microsoft Word4.7.1. Adapting a TextEdit Script4.7.2. Shrinking Documents by a Page4.7.3. Repeating the Shrinking4.7.4. Shrinking a Variable Number of Times4.8. Running Scripts from Text4.8.1. Get Result of AppleScript4.8.2. Make New AppleScript4.8.3. Run as AppleScript

5. Controlling Files
5.1. File Path Boot Camp5.2. Displaying Folders5.2.1. Opening a Folder with AppleScript (Reprise)5.2.2. Changing a Finder Window’s View5.2.3. More Finder Window Settings5.2.4. Working with More than One Window5.2.5. Subroutines5.2.5.1. Defining a subroutine5.2.5.2. Running a subroutine5.2.5.3. Variables in subroutines5.2.5.4. Writing the appropriate subroutine5.3. Moving Files Around5.3.1. Transferring Items from One Folder to Another5.3.1.1. Creating the destination folder5.3.1.2. Eliminating the “already an item with that name” error5.3.1.3. Moving the files and folders5.4. Backing Up Files5.4.1. The duplicate Command5.5. Deleting Files5.5.1. An Example: Clearing Out Safari’s Icon Cache5.6. Picking a File from a Dialog Box5.6.1. Showing When a File was Created5.7. Saving Files5.7.1. An Example: Saving in TextEdit5.7.2. Forgoing the Dialog Box5.7.3. Saving All Documents at Once
6. Creating Lists
6.1. Common List Commands6.2. Displaying Lists6.2.1. Getting the Selected Item6.3. The Ever-Useful every Keyword6.3.1. An Example: Displaying a List of Running Programs6.4. List Processing6.4.1. Batch Renaming6.5. Joining Lists Together6.5.1. Merging File Lists6.6. Inputting Lists6.6.1. Adding Items One at a Time6.6.2. Adding Multiple Items at Once6.7. Getting Lists from Other Programs6.7.1. TextEdit6.7.1.1. Listing documents6.7.2. Microsoft Word
7. Organizing and Editing Graphics
7.1. Scripting iPhoto7.1.1. Accessing Pictures by Certain Criteria7.1.2. Getting Random Pictures7.1.2.1. Getting some item7.1.3. Showing Slideshows7.2. Controlling Photoshop7.2.1. Recording Actions7.2.2. Wrapping Actions in an AppleScript7.2.3. Other Photoshop Commands7.2.4. Filtering Images7.2.4.1. An example: Making an image look surreal7.2.4.2. Mixing your two Photoshop scripts7.3. Image Events7.3.1. Getting Image Dimensions7.3.2. Padding an Image7.3.3. Creating a Droplet7.3.3.1. Adapting your script7.3.4. Converting Images from One Format to Another
8. Playing Sound and Video
8.1. Scripting iTunes8.1.1. Playing Tracks8.1.2. Rating Songs8.1.3. Skipping Tracks8.1.4. Converting Song Files8.2. Speaking and Listening8.2.1. Speaking from a Script8.2.1.1. Linking your script to a keyboard shortcut8.2.2. Making a File Speak8.2.2.1. Converting Clipboard text into audio8.2.2.2. Reading multiple emails into a file8.2.3. Speaking to a Script8.3. Scripting QuickTime8.3.1. Getting Started8.3.2. Presenting a Movie Full-Screen8.3.3. Including a Movie with Your Script8.3.4. Rotating a Movie
9. Internet and Network Scripting
9.1. Internet Connect9.1.1. Dialing Up to the Internet9.1.2. Finding AirPort Signal Strength9.2. Safari9.2.1. Opening Web Sites9.2.1.1. Opening Web sites within the same window9.2.2. Viewing a Site’s Code9.2.3. Viewing a Site Without Formatting9.2.4. Running AppleScripts from Safari9.2.4.1. Scripts that appear on Web pages9.2.4.2. Mini-scripts in the Address bar9.2.4.3. Saved scripts in the Favorites bar9.3. Address Book9.3.1. Finding Contacts9.3.2. Adding Contacts to a Group9.4. Mail9.4.1. Checking for New Messages9.4.2. Mailboxes, Etc.9.4.2.1. Finding mailboxes with unread messages9.5. iChat Control9.5.1. Notifying iChat when the Screensaver’s On9.5.2. Displaying a Random Status Message9.6. URL Access Scripting9.6.1. Downloading a File Quickly9.6.2. Uploading a File9.7. Recalling Passwords
10. Organizing Information in Databases
10.1. Record Notation10.2. Making a Simple AppleScript Database10.2.1. Searching an AppleScript Database10.3. Getting File Information10.3.1. Useful Properties10.4. Scripting FileMaker Pro10.4.1. Creating a New FileMaker Database10.4.2. Entering Information into a FileMaker Database10.4.2.1. Enter your information manually10.4.2.2. Use an AppleScript to enter your information10.4.3. Sorting FileMaker Records
III. Power-User Features
11. Linking Scripts to Folders with Folder Actions
11.1. Enabling Folder Actions11.2. Built-in Actions11.2.1. Attaching a Folder Action11.2.2. The Included Folder Action Scripts11.2.3. Viewing and Changing an Action’s Code11.2.3.1. An example: shortening button names in a folder action’s dialog box11.2.4. Removing an Action11.2.4.1. Removing all actions11.3. Running Your Own Actions11.3.1. When a Folder Opens11.3.2. When You Add Files to a Folder11.3.2.1. An example: Sending files to the Trash can11.3.2.2. Moving old desktop files
12. Scripting Programs That Don’t Have Dictionaries
12.1. Enabling GUI Scripting12.2. GUI Scripting Basics12.3. Controlling Menus12.4. Clicking Buttons12.4.1. Clicking Tab Buttons12.5. Deciphering Interface Hierarchies12.6. Fake Typing12.6.1. Zooming In and Out
13. Mixing AppleScript and Unix
13.1. Terminal13.1.1. Changing System Settings13.1.2. Unix Text Editing13.2. Unix Without Terminal13.2.1. Getting Program Results Back13.3. Running Superuser Commands13.4. Running AppleScripts from Unix13.5. Scheduling AppleScript Commands
14. Testing and Debugging Scripts
14.1. First Line of Defense: The Compiler14.2. Noting Important Events14.2.1. The Event Log14.2.2. The Event Log History14.2.2.1. Navigating logs14.2.2.2. The toolbar14.3. Preventing Errors14.4. Isolating and Handling Errors14.4.1. Using try14.4.1.1. Multiple commands in a try statement14.4.2. Discovering Errors14.5. The Xcode Debugger14.5.1. Obtaining and Installing the Developer Tools14.5.2. Creating a New Project14.5.3. Changing the Script14.5.4. Stepping Through the Code
15. AppleScript Studio
15.1. What Is AppleScript Studio?15.2. Making a Program15.2.1. Creating a Project15.2.2. Designing the Interface15.2.3. Writing the Code15.2.4. Running the Program
IV. Appendixes
A. AppleScript Support in Common Programs
A.1. DatabasesA.2. Email ProgramsA.3. Graphics EditorsA.4. Page Layout ProgramsA.5. Plain Text EditorsA.6. Word ProcessorsA.7. Web Browsers
B. Moving from HyperCard to AppleScript
B.1. Data TypesB.2. Dialog BoxesB.3. ExistenceB.4. NumbersB.5. PausingB.6. RangesB.7. Repeat StatementsB.8. SubroutinesB.9. Variables
C. Where to Go from Here
C.1. Web SitesC.1.1. AppleScript SitesC.1.2. Other Mac Programming SitesC.2. Discussion ListsC.3. Books
About the Author
Colophon
Copyright

Content preview from AppleScript: The Missing Manual

Chapter 3. Building a Script from Scratch

So far, you’ve been on a quick tour of all the AppleScript stuff that comes with Mac OS X. You’ve learned how to add the Script Menu to your menu bar, how to use Script Editor, and even how to tweak one of the Script Menu’s scripts. Now, you’ll finally break free from the limits of your built-in scripts and start creating your own AppleScripts from scratch.

When most people refer to “scripting,” this is what they’re talking about: writing a new script all by themselves. With Script Editor as your trusty tool, you can link commands in the order you prefer, making it possible to create totally customized scripts to deal with the tasks you perform every day.

Before you can write the next blockbuster AppleScript, though, you first need to learn the basics. That’s what this chapter’s for: teaching you how to create your first simple script from the ground up.

Note

The example scripts from this chapter can be found on the AppleScript Examples CD (see Sidebar 2.1 for instructions).

Getting Started

Just as you can’t surf the Web without a Web browser, you can’t create AppleScripts without a script-editing program. The aptly named Script Editor (in your Applications → AppleScript folder) is the simplest program for the job, but feel free to try any of the other editors listed on Sidebar 2.6.

Before you start diving into the following sections, the first thing you’ll need to do is launch Script Editor (Chapter 2). With this blank scripting slate before you, ...

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