Disclaimer: I'm very new to this.
I have a number which I retrieved using the count command and now I want to output it to a .txt file using "do shell script echo."
My code so far:
tell application "Things3"
set todayToDos to to dos of list "Today"
count todayToDos
do shell script "echo todayToDos > /Users/nonefirstnonelast/Desktop/Things.txt"
end tell
Console output is:
""
without do shell script "echo todayToDos > /Users/nonefirstnonelast/Desktop/Things.txt" line it is: 27
You have to assign the result of the count line to a variable. Then you have to coerce the integer to text and insert the value of the variable in the shell script line.
tell application "Things3"
set todayToDos to to dos of list "Today"
set numberOfTodos to count todayToDos
end tell
do shell script "echo " & (numberOfTodos as text) & " > /Users/nonefirstnonelast/Desktop/Things.txt"
Related
There is an excellent answer for the reverse, pass several variables from AppleScript to Shell Script but I can't find a comprehensive answer for the opposite when there are two or more variables/arguments and or a bash function.
In Automator I am trying to pass variables like so: Run AppleScript > Run Shell Script > Run AppleScript.
Run AppleScript: which passes a URL as an argument
Run Shell Script: which uses "$#" for that argument
/bin/bash serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000)) /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -i "$#" -c copy bsf:a aac_adtstoasc "/Path/to/file/movie_$serial.mp4" 2>&1 $! exit 0
Run AppleScript: This is where I need to pick up stdout, and the PID of the last executed process ffmpeg from Run Shell Script above. I can't seem to get anything. I have tried adding an automator "Storage Variable" but it's not receiving.
Using AppleScript's Do Shell Script command I couldn't get serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000)) to actually put a serial number in the file name movie_$serial.mp4. The file name was literally output as "movie_$serial.mp4", instead of "movie_1234.mp4".
serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000)) works perfectly in Terminal and in Run Shell Script. Not sure what I am missing to make it work with "Do Shell Script".
do shell script "/bin/bash serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000)); /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -i " & link_ & ffmpegOpt & "'" & sPath & "$serial.mp4" & "'"
Which returns the following for the "do shell script" call:
"/bin/bash serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000)); /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -i urlofmovie -c copy -bsf:a aac_adtstoasc '/Path/to/file/movie_$serial.mp4'"
When using ffmpeg the path on the command line the save path has to be in quotes.
If I read your OP correctly, you actually have two different issue here.
Not knowing how to provide input to a Run AppleScript action from a Run Shell Script action.
Variable parameter expansion is not occurring for you with: $serial
Issue 1:
To return something from a Run Shell Script action to another action. e.g. a Run AppleScript action, set the last line of the Run Shell Script action to, e.g.:
echo "foobar"
Or:
printf "foobar"
For multiple items use, e.g.:
echo "foobar
barfoo"
Or:
printf "foobar\nbarfoo"
Issue 2:
I am not in the position to replicate your do shell script command at the moment; however, the reason variable parameter expansion is not occurring is because the variable has single-quotes around it.
... '/Path/to/file/movie_$serial.mp4'"
Expansion will not take place when a variable has single-quotes around it, so you need to formulate your command so it can be expanded. Or in a separate step, process what's necessary to to accomplish the goal.
For example:
set sPath to "/path/to/file/movie_"
set serial to ((random number from 0 to 32727) mod 10000) as string
set pathFilename to sPath & serial & ".mp4"
Then you can use, e.g.:
... & pathFilename's quoted form
In your do shell script command while adjusting the entire command to work for you.
In other words, you can get rid of, e.g.:
/bin/bash serial=$(($RANDOM % 10000));
And:
& "'" & sPath & "$serial.mp4" & "'"
When running a shell script from Script Editor and wanting to return more than one argument as input; and assign those arguments to variables in your Apple Script:
One method I discovered:
Example shell script:
SHELL_VAR1=$(date)
SHELL_VAR2=$(whoami)
echo "$SHELL_VAR1","$SHELL_VAR2"
The echo command at the end, with a comma for delimiter, will output to Apple Script in this format:
{"January 21, 2022", "john"}
In the Apple Script:
set input to (do shell script "script.sh")
set the text item delimiters to ","
set {var1, var2} to {text item 1, text item 2} of the input
{var1, var2}
If there is another, simpler, method I would love to learn it.
Is there a special notation for multiple arguments that Apple Script can use for input?
i.e. $1 $2 or something similar
I have selected a list of files in Applescript using:
set variableName to do shell script "cd /; cd dev/; ls tty.usb*"
When I print out variableName, it shows this list:
file1
file2
From here, I want to loop through each of them using:
repeat with theItem in variableName
display dialog theItem
end repeat
Instead of showing "file1" and "file2" one by one, it shows "f, i, l, e, 1," and so forth.
How can I loop the list to get a complete file name?
Thanks for the helpful responses! I have found out the solution.
set variableName to do shell script "find /dev/tty.usb*"
display dialog variableName
set testArray to paragraphs of the variableName
repeat with theItem in testArray
display dialog theItem
end repeat
By using paragraphs, I'm able to split by newline and covert the result into a list.
I have been trying to figure out how to pass multiple parameters from an Applescript to a Terminal Command Script. For example when running a terminal command file you are able to receive parameters programatically like so:
#!/bin/bash
var=$1
var=$2
The Applescript Code that I have been working with is below for reference:
tell application "System Events" to set app_directory to POSIX path of (container of (path to me))
set thisFile to "Dev"
set testTarget to "/Users/lab/Desktop/TestTarget/"
do shell script "/Users/lab/Desktop/TempRoot/mycommand.command " & thisFile & testTarget with administrator privileges
Where I think I have gone wrong is the input of the second parameter. When I only had one parameter it went through just fine:
do shell script "/path/to/command/mycommand.command" &var with administrative privileges
I am curious as to what the correct syntax would be for passing in this second parameter. If anybody has any suggestions please let me know! Also if you need more information I would be happy to provide it!
You just need to add a space between your arguments. Right now, there is no space being added between thisFile and testTarget. Your command looks like this:
/Users/lab/Desktop/TempRoot/mycommand.command Dev/Users/lab/Desktop/TestTarget/
Change your shell script line to:
do shell script "/Users/lab/Desktop/TempRoot/mycommand.command " & thisFile & space & testTarget with administrator privileges
Something that I find helpful when building a script is to make sure my shell commands are correct before running them. So instead of building it directly, store the command in a variable and log it. Later, replace the logging statement with the do shell script command.
set shellScript to "/Users/lab/Desktop/TempRoot/mycommand.command " & thisFile & space & testTarget with administrator privileges
log shellScript
-- do shell script shellScript
I'm using AppleScript to launch a quick-and-dirty shell script:
tell application "Terminal"
activate
do script "$(" & quoted form of MyScriptPath & ")"
end tell
Which properly launches a Terminal window and inputs what I would expect:
~$ $('/my script path/myscript.sh')
However, it seems that anything outputted to STDOUT (via echo) is evaluated as if it was inside the $( ) when evaluating/calling the script in the first place:
#!/bin/sh
echo "foobar"
produces:
-bash: foobar: command not found
I've searched far and wide and have not really found a suitable way to escape spaces in the path (rather than using "quoted form of") in AppleScript before sending the script location to Terminal, but I'd much prefer that. I'm using "do script" rather than "do shell script" because the script launching in Terminal is interactive and needs to be focused.
How can I echo to STDOUT when calling the script through $( )?
You don't need $(...) to run a command, only to include the output of that command in another string. You simply need
tell application "Terminal"
activate
do script "/my script path/myscript.sh"
end tell
I have the following script
#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/osascript << EOT
set myfile to choose file
EOT
no_ext=$(python -c "print '$myfile'.split('.')[0]")
### this works - just need to know how to pass the arg
R CMD Sweave no_ext.Rnw
pdflatex no_ext.tex
open no_ext.pdf
Can anyone point me to "how to pass the variable myfile correctly" ?
EDIT
Thx for all the suggestions!
Don't know what to accept, all of your answers really helped me since I learned a lot from everybody.
The following problems exist in your script:
A variable set in the AppleScript section does become defined in the enclosing shell script. You have to do the data exchange with the shell script by using command substitution.
AppleScripts invoked from a shell script aren't allowed to do user interaction because they do not have an application context. You can use the helper application "AppleScript Runner" to run user interaction commands.
Here is a revised version of your script where those problems are fixed:
#!/bin/bash
myfile=$(/usr/bin/osascript << EOT
tell app "AppleScript Runner"
activate
return posix path of (choose file)
end
EOT)
if [ $? -eq 0 ]
then
echo $myfile
else
echo "User canceled"
fi
First, you need to get the contents of the myfile variable from Applescript to bash. I don't know Applescript, so I'll make a shot in the dark as to how to write to its standard output. Then the python part is just unnecessary complexity (and likely wrong anyway, you were throwing away everything after the first . rather than the last). Next you need a $ before the variable name in bash syntax. I think the following script does what you want:
#!/bin/sh
set -e
myfile=$(osascript <<EOT
set myfile to choose file
write myfile to stdout
EOT
)
no_ext="${myfile%.*}"
R CMD Sweave "$no_ext.Rnw"
pdflatex "$no_ext.tex"
open "$no_ext.pdf"
(set -e at the beginning makes the shell exit immediately if an error occurs, instead of trying to execute pdflatex even though no .tex file has been produced or somesuch.)
Realize that applescript paths are colon ":" delimited. You need slash delimited in bash so in applescript terms that's the "posix path". Also, when using osascript it can't open dialog windows. You must tell an application to open the window. Next, you "return" something from the applescript... that's what goes to bash. Finally, in bash to execute a command and assign the result to a variable use `` around the command. So knowing this here's a shell script to use an applescript to get the myFile variable.
#!/bin/bash
myFile=`/usr/bin/osascript << EOT
tell application "Finder"
activate
set myfile to choose file with prompt "Select the file to use in bash!"
end tell
return (posix path of myfile)
EOT`
echo $myFile