Dec 08, 2008 The Automator in Mac OSX is a great tool for you that allows you to automate your daily mundane task with little effort. You don’t need to have any programming background or expertise to create your own automation workflow/application. All you need to do is simply drag and drop the necessary actions and export the.
About Mac Scripting
Scripting allows you to automate complex, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks by writing scripts that interact with apps, processes, and the operating system. A script consists of a series of statements, each of which performs a specific operation. These statements work together to automate tasks. Through scripting, you can create powerful workflow solutions that enhance productivity, reduce errors, save time, and save money.
There are many different scripting languages. On the Mac, the primary ones used for automation are AppleScript and JavaScript.
Note
OS X also includes Automator, an app for building workflows that run prebuilt, configurable actions to perform tasks in apps and throughout the operating system. Automator doesn’t require you to write any code, but can be extended through scripting. Because Automator uses preconceived actions and operates in a linear manner, it’s more limited in functionality than scripting. Automator is great for performing simple tasks involving a small number of sequential steps or apps. Scripting is a better choice for performing advanced, branching, or complex tasks.
Python and Perl are other examples of scripting languages.
AppleScript
AppleScript is a mature scripting language developed by Apple. It’s relatively easy to learn in relation to other scripting and programming languages, has been around since System 7.1, and has been widely adopted in both enterprise and personal workflows. While the AppleScript scripting language uses an English-like terminology which may appear simple, it is a rich, object-oriented language, capable of performing complicated programming tasks.
The core fundamentals of AppleScript are described in AppleScript Language Guide, as well as in numerous third-party books. Skype download for mac os x 10.5 8.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a popular cross-platform scripting language. Historically, it’s been most commonly used to implement features on websites and in web-based apps that are accessed through browsers. However, some apps implement JavaScript-based scripting models for the purpose of automation. In OS X 10.10, JavaScript became a peer to AppleScript in OS X. There are many third-party websites and books that document the JavaScript language.
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For fundamentals on JavaScript as a scripting language for automation in OS X, see JavaScript for Automation Release Notes. For information about the JavaScript language, see Mozilla’s official JavaScript documentation.
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Calling Command-Line Tools
In AppleScript, the
do shell script command is used to execute command-line tools. This command is implemented by the Standard Additions scripting addition included with OS X.
Note
The Terminal app in
/Applications/Utilities/ is scriptable and provides another way to execute command-line tools from scripts.
Executing Commands
The direct parameter of the
do shell script command is a string containing the shell code you want to execute, as demonstrated in Listing 39-1, which simply lists a directory.
APPLESCRIPT
Listing 39-1AppleScript: Executing a simple shell command that lists the contents of a directory
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Since the direct parameter of
do shell script is a string, you can concatenate it with other strings at run time. Listing 39-2, for example, concatenates a shell command to a previously defined parameter value.
APPLESCRIPT
Listing 39-2AppleScript: Concatenating a command with a value
Quoting Strings
The shell uses space characters to separate parameters and gives special meaning to certain punctuation marks, such as
$ , ( , ) , and * . To ensure that strings are treated as expected—for example, spaces aren’t seen as delimiters—it’s best to wrap strings in quotes. This process is known as quoting. If your string contains quotes, they must also be escaped (preceded by a / character) so they are interpreted as part of the string. Listing 39-3 shows an example of an error occurring as a result of a parameter that contains a space.
APPLESCRIPT
Listing 39-3AppleScript: An error resulting from a string containing a space
The easiest way to quote a string is to use the
Listing 39-4AppleScript: Quoting a string to prevent errors
quoted form property of the text class, as demonstrated in Listing 39-4. This property returns the string in a form that’s safe from further interpretation by the shell, regardless of its contents.
More Information
For more information about the
do shell script command, see Commands Reference in AppleScript Language Guide Mac os x 10.6.8 browsers. and Technical Note TN2065.
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