I'm using a third party application to copy an image to the clipboard. I would then like to perform an AppleScript that opens Preview, creates a New Document which will then use the clipboard as the content, then save this to a specified location.
I'm 99% of the way there - just can't get the document to save. I'm on OS X 10.9.5.
Here's my script so far:
set the save_location to the quoted form of "/Users/freddy/Documents/test.png"
tell application "Preview"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Preview"
keystroke "n" using {command down}
end tell
end tell
tell application "Preview"
activate
save front document as "PNG" in POSIX file save_location
end tell
I can't find the correct syntax for saving a Preview document. It will be the only document open at the time.
Try the following - note the comments:
# Do not use `quoted form of` - only needed and useful with `do shell script`
set the save_location to "/Users/jdoe/Documents/test.png"
tell application "Preview"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Preview"
keystroke "n" using {command down}
end tell
end tell
tell application "Preview"
# Wait until the new window appears.
# Trying to save before the window has appeared will fail.
# Note: - This assumes that NO window was initially open.
# - The code should be made more robust to eventually time out.
repeat until (count of windows) > 0
delay 0.3
end repeat
activate
# Save the document; `as "<format>"` doesn't seem to work, but the
# format is *implied* by the filename suffix (extension).
save front document in POSIX file save_location
end tell
This script works to save an image in the clipboard to disk, using Preview in OS 10.11.6 on a 2010 Mac Mini:
--CONDITIONS: Finder's clipboard has an image in it
tell application "Preview"
launch
activate
end tell
delay 2 --tweak the delays to what works
tell application "System Events" --not as elegant as "tell application...to tell process", but clearer, chronologically
keystroke "n" using command down --Preview creates a new window.
delay 1
keystroke "v" using command down --Finder's clipboard image is pasted into Preview window.
end tell
delay 1
tell application "System Events"
set the clipboard to "Joe Blow" --for name of forthcoming Preview file
delay 1
keystroke "w" using command down --Forces prompt of Preview to save image.
delay 1
keystroke "v" using command down --Pastes new filename into Preview's save window.
delay 1
key code 36 --"Return" key saves the new file.
end tell
--RESULT: A new image exists in your default folder, named "Joe Blow.png" (or whatever extension)
Related
How to write the code correctly?
I run the application Photoshop in the automator
I'm waiting for it to fully load
Then I press 10 times Tab and press Enter.
I've tried that:
enter image description here
Looks like that part doesn't work. Because Tab starts to click before the application is fully loaded. What's wrong? Thanks!
repeat until application launch
delay 0.5 end repeat delay 0.5
Most likely, the OP does not understand the main thing: GUI scripting (in this case, sending 10 tabs, and then Enter, that is, keystroke tab and keystroke return in AppleScript language) only works with the frontmost window. And the launch command launches an application without bringing its window to the front.
The correct approach is 1) use the activate application "Photoshop" command 2) use the make new document command, 3) check if the new window exists, 4) send keystroke commands. In the Automator, the Run AppleScript action should be something like this:
on run {input, parameters}
tell application "Photoshop"
activate
make new document with properties {name:"myNewDocument"}
repeat until window "myNewDocument" exists
delay 0.1
end repeat
end tell
tell application "System Events"
repeat 10 times
delay 0.1
keystroke tab
end repeat
keystroke return
end tell
return input
end run
NOTE: not tested, because PhotoShop.app is not installed on my Mac. I am ready to correct my script, if needed. In general, the question is not quite clear.
I don't know much about Photoshop, but I know that it has a loading screen. I tried the following code in Affinity Photo which is a similar product to Photoshop.
tell application "Photoshop"
launch
set theBool to false
repeat until theBool
tell application "System Events" to ¬
if menu item "Close" of ¬
menu 1 of ¬
menu bar item "File" of ¬
menu bar 1 of ¬
application process "Photoshop" exists then ¬
set theBool to true
delay 0.2
end repeat
end tell
The repeat until theBool checks if the loading screen is over by checking if some menu item exists which isn't available when the loading screen is open. If the "Close" and the "File" don't work in Photoshop, you may choose something else.
This is the answer:
tell application "Your app"
launch
activate
end tell
"Clear buffer" is a menu option under Iterm2's "Edit" menu (command-K) . I'd like to script this to clear Iterm's buffer.
I've tried, based on another site's suggestions,
tell theSession
select
tell application "System Events" to tell process "iTerm2"
click menu item "Clear Buffer" of menu 1 of menu bar item "Edit" of menu
bar 1
end tell
end tell
I've also tried
tell theSession
select
tell application "System Events"
delay 0.1
keystroke "L" using command down
end tell
end tell
Neither seems to do anything. Any ideas?
Tested under macOS 10.13.5 using iTerm2 Build 3.1.7, the default keyboard shortcut for the Clear Buffer command is ⌘K, as shown in the image below.
The following example AppleScript code will activate iTerm, and act on the frontmost window to clear the buffer:
tell application "System Events"
click UI element "iTerm" of list 1 of application process "Dock"
delay 0.25
try
keystroke "k" using command down
end try
end tell
Or use:
tell application "iTerm" to activate
delay 0.25
tell application "System Events"
try
keystroke "k" using command down
end try
end tell
Note that lowercase k is used even though the menu shows an uppercase K. If you have modified the Clear Buffer keyboard shortcut to use ⌘L, then use a lowercase l.
I have many untitled TextEdit files. I'd like to use applescript to save each using, as a name, the text of the top line of each document.
The following will select and copy the first line of a document (not elegant, but it works), but I can't figure out how to paste the clipboard into the save dialog box (and hit "save" afterwards). Can anyone help?
tell application "TextEdit" to activate
tell application "TextEdit"
tell application "System Events" to key code 126 using command down
tell application "System Events" to key code 125 using shift down
tell application "System Events" to key code 8 using command down
end tell
There are 2 ways of doing:
1) the method using GUI scripting: this is what you've started to do. You simulate keyboard events like a user. It is not recommended for mainly 3 reasons: It is usually slow (you need to add delays to leave time for system open window, close them,..). During the script, if user hits key/mouse by mistake, your script will fail. And finally, you're hardly dependent of user interface of the application: if the editor (here Apple with TextEdit) changes something, like a short cut key, your script will no longer work.
Despite that, if you still want to use that way, here is the script that does it for you. I recommend that you add comments as I did (how to remember that key code 8 is 'c' !). I added some extra options to select the path to save (go home folder, enter special path,...). Up to you to use them or not:
tell application "TextEdit"
activate
tell application "System Events"
key code 126 using command down -- command up (cursor at start)
key code 125 using shift down -- shift down (select 1st line)
keystroke "c" using command down -- command C (copy)
keystroke "s" using command down -- open save dialog
delay 0.5 -- to let save as dialog time to open
keystroke "v" using command down -- paste the title from clipboard
-- other options
-- keystroke "h" using {command down, shift down} -- go home directory
delay 0.5
keystroke "g" using {command down, shift down} -- go to dialog
delay 0.5
keystroke "Desktop/Sample" -- path from Documents folder to Sample folder on Desktop
delay 0.5
keystroke return -- close the go to dialog
delay 0.5
keystroke return -- close the save as dialog
end tell
end tell
2) the method using Applescript instructions. It is usually much shorter, more elegant script, much faster to run, and user can't break it during execution. The script bellow does same as script above: It selects the first text row and save the document with that title. Line 1 defines the folder where to save:
set myPath to (path to desktop folder) as string -- path where to save file
tell application "TextEdit"
activate
tell front document
set myTitle to first paragraph
set myTitle to text 1 thru -2 of myTitle -- to remove the return at end of paragraph
save in (myPath & myTitle)
end tell
end tell
I hope it helps
I'm trying to automate opening and saving a file in applescript. I can't seem to get consistent results with the save dialog though. Is it possible to change a save dialog to a specific folder in applescript?
This might help you navigate to a folder once the save dialog is raised:
set the clipboard to "/path/to/your/folder"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "SketchUp" -- I'm guessing on SketchUp name
keystroke "G" using {command down, shift down}
delay 1
keystroke "v" using {command down}
delay 1
keystroke return
delay 1
keystroke return
delay 1
end tell
You can do it and keep your clipboard intact, I think. If your save dialog is in TextEdit, if you last saved something to the desktop, for example, the following would change your destination back to Documents. It's easier just to use ⌘+D for that, of course, but you can use substitute pretty much whatever path you need. If you have a path with a folder having non-AppleScript allowable characters in the path (such as quotes), you can escape each with the backslash ("\") character.
tell application "TextEdit"
activate
try
tell application "System Events"
keystroke "g" using {shift down, command down}
do shell script "sleep 0.2"
keystroke "~/Documents"
do shell script "sleep 0.2"
keystroke return
end tell
end try
end tell
Im using system events to control a program that does not have a applescript library.
I am therefor using system events to control it.
I have gotten the program to open a pop up window for it Open File interface and I would like to get it to default to a certain location. Is this possible.
So Far I have :
tell application "App Name"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "App Name"
tell menu bar 1
tell menu bar item "File"
tell menu "File"
tell menu item "Import"
tell menu "Import"
click menu item "XML..."
delay 4
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
The pop up window defaults to its own last visited location. I would like it to default to a given file path like /Users/userabc/Documents/abcd.XML
Thanks
If you have the "posix path" of a location and the dialog box open, you can do the following. Note that the location can be a folder or a file path. If it's a file path then that file will be selected and you would then just have to "keystroke return" to close the dialog box and open that file. Good luck.
set theLocation to path to home folder
set posixLocation to POSIX path of theLocation
tell application "System Events"
keystroke "g" using {command down, shift down}
delay 0.5
keystroke posixLocation
delay 0.5
keystroke return
end tell
The only problem with this method is that autocorrect starts filling in as apple script types into the text box and screws everything up. Work around is to copy/paste into from applescript.
The keystroke command doesn't work for inserting characters that can't be inserted with the current input source. And it doesn't work at all with some input sources.
You could also set the value of the text field:
tell application "System Events" to tell (process 1 where frontmost is true)
keystroke "g" using {shift down, command down}
tell window 1
tell sheet 1
set value of text field 1 to "/usr/share/dict/connectives"
click button 1
end tell
click button "Open"
end tell
end tell