Applescript

⚠️ I will not be adding many new files to this repo until I am able to test the current scripts with the latest versions of MacOS (Mojave and Catalina). Feel free to open a pull request if you would like to add a new script file.

This repository serves as a collection of Applescript snippets that can be used individually or part of a larger project. Many of these snippets were written as I was learning to use Applescript, and may not represent the best method of undertaking a particular task. Feel free to open an issue or pull request if you find that any of these files do not work for you. You may also open a pull request if you would like to add a script or snippet.

Copies of this repository exist at Github and Gitlab.

Script Categories

• Application Services
• Display Settings
• File and Folder Actions
• Location Helper Scripts
• Markdown Tools
• Notational Velocity
• Pandoc and Textutils
• Reminders App
• Snippets
• Sound Scripts
• Temperature Conversion
• Terminal
• Time and Date
  
  

Links/Dependencies

• Caffeine App - a menu bar application that prevents your monitor from sleeping. There are also several other applications that achieve the same goal.
  • If you don't want an extra application in your menubar you can use pmset noidle
    • this command must be run as do shell script "/usr/bin/pmset noidle > /dev/null 2>&1 &" to prevent the script from waiting for the shell command to complete.
  • Or if you're on 10.8+ you can use the built-in caffeinate command, though it may be broken after Yosemite (10.10).
  • caffeinate and pmset noidle can be run via the do shell script Applescript command.
• Pandoc and Textutil - document conversion via the command line.
• Youtube-Post.scpt requires GoogleCL, which is also useful for blogger, google calendar, and contacts
  • GoogleCL is sadly defunct. Any associated scripts remain for posterity.
• I have also created a few Gists for more specific applescript/bash related tasks.

Other Applescript Resources/Libraries

Tools for Developing Scripts

Free

• Location Helper - use core location in applescripts.
• Twitter Scripter - interact with Twitter via applescript.
• Platypus - package applescripts with various other scripts (Shell, Python, etc) to create native MacOS applications.

Paid

• CursorCoordinates - get x,y coordinates for clicking and window positions.
• Dialog Maker - tool to help create dialog boxes
• Script Debugger - An integrated development environment for Applescript

A non-exhaustive list of interesting Applescript resources on Github:

Github Applescript Projects

Note Taking/Task Management

• OmniFocus and Evernote (and etc)

Coding

• iTerm and Sublime Text
• Custom Iterm Applescripts for Alfred
• Execute Applescript with Node.js
• Execute Applescript with Go

Productivity

• Window Layouts with Alfred and Applescript
• Time Tracking with Omnifocus, Tyme, and Fantastical 2

Other useful Applescript resources / tutorials / etc

• Basics of Applescript
  • Free ebook covering the foundations of applescript scripting. Published in 2014.
• Introduction to AppleScript Language Guide
• MacOSX Automation/Applescript
  • written by Sal Soghoian, the former Apple product manager for automation technologies
• MacScripter Forums
• MacRumors/Mac Programming Forum
  • not explicitly applescript related, but searching for "Applescript" provides some useful results
• A thorough explanation of "do shell script" in Applescript

For JavaScript Users

• JavaScript for Automation Cookbook
  • JavaScript was added as a MacOS automation tool in version 10.10. If you are familiar with (or would prefer to learn) JavaScript, this cookbook is a great resource.

Bugs / Contributing

Scripts in this repo were tested on OS X/MacOS Lion through High Sierra. Please open an issue or pull request if a script does not work as intended.

If you have a script, snippet, or resource that you'd like me to include in this repo, feel free to open a new pull request.

To Do

To be completed as I have time

• [ ] Reorganize repo and readme
• [ ] Use more descriptive filenames
• [ ] Use variable names that make more sense in context
• [ ] Test scripts on 10.14 and 10.15