AppleScript: Menu bar item click (but no AXDescription) - applescript

I'd like to AppleScript to click a menu bar icon (not a system process) and then click on one of the menu items. I'm using OS X 10.10.
I've read that I can use the Accessibility Inspector to find the AXDescription of the item, however, I can't find it anywhere in the inspector (in fact none of the items I inspected seemed to have this property).
I also tried the method described here but get an error on line 10:
ignoring application responses
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Webcam Settings"
click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Webcam Settings"
tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
click menu item "Show Webcam Settings Panel" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
System Events got an error: Can’t get menu 1 of menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2 of process "Webcam Settings". Invalid index.

There are some menu bar apps which you can click and show menu with applescript regardless of if they appear in dock.
But I am afraid you can’t access the menubar of “Webcam Settings” with applescript.
Because there isn’t key named “isAccessbiliyFocused” in the attributes.
Menu bar apps you can show their menu with applescript have that key and its value is “Yes”.
I am not quite sure about my answer but as far as I investigate this issue, my answer is probably right.

Related

OSX tick menu bar checkbox

For my application MuteSpotifyAds I wan't to add a feature that automatically enables the Private Session mode.
To do so, I wan't to toggle the menu bar item Private Session in the menu Spotify of the OSX menu bar. I use the following applescript, which works:
Source: https://stackoverflow.com/a/16497564/6286431
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Spotify"
tell menu bar item 2 of menu bar 0
click
click menu item "Private Session" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
The problem is that I have to check if the checkbox is already ticked, because else I would disable the Private Session.
Is there a way to check if the menu checkbox is already ticked?
I've already tried this, but seems to only work for checkboxes in actual windows.
If you have a solution that does not use applescript, that's also good!
The information if the menu item is checked is in the attribute "AXMenuItemMarkChar" of the menu item
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Spotify"
tell menu bar item 2 of menu bar 1 -- AppleScript indexes are 1-based
tell menu item "Private Session" of menu 1
set isChecked to value of attribute "AXMenuItemMarkChar" is "✓"
if not isChecked then click it
end tell
end tell
end tell

Applescript to click on a specific application in the Mac Status Bar

I have an OS X application that runs as a status bar app. I am trying to do a test automation. Is there a way to click the status bar app using Apple Script?
The script given below works only on native apps.
tell application "System Events" to tell process "SystemUIServer" to click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 1
I am looking for a similar functionality on custom apps.
Not all Menu Bar Extras (or status icons) can be accessed through UI Scripting. You have to experiment with whether they can be called through a unique description or other value.
Play with code like this to see if you can figure it out:
tell application "System Events" to tell process "SystemUIServer"
tell (menu bar item 1 of menu bar 1 where description is "clock")
click
click menu item "Open Date & Time Preferences…" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
If you can't find it there, you can try menu bar 2 for Status items.

Applescript to click on a specific icon in the Mac Menu Bar

Sometimes I use PdaNet to tether using my iPhone. The desktop client for OSX is not as rich as the one for windows. One of the chief differences is, that the OSX does not allow to automatically connect to iPhone as soon as the latter is plugged in.
Would you know of a way using Applescript to click on the PdaNet icon on the Menu Bar and then select and click the 'Connect' option on it ?
Here is what the 'PdaNetMac' application's menu bar icon looks like:
I have looked at the following questions but am an applescript newbie and am not sure how to search for PdaNet's icon on the menu bar:
Click menu item on Mac OSX Lion using AppleScript
Applescript: on clicking Menu Bar item via gui script
Accessing dock icon right-click menu items with AppleScript
I have confirmed that 'Enable Access for assistive devices' is enabled.
Based on the second question above, Here is my current attempt at doing this:
ignoring application responses
tell application "System Events" to tell process "PdaNet"
click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "PdaNet"
tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
click menu item "Connect" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
Interestingly, the above script works for me fine when I change PdaNet to Flux.
Thanks!!
You were very close !!
I just downloaded the PdaNet application to test this, and the only edit I had to make to your script was change PdaNet to 'PdaNetMac` ( I was thinking that this is the Process Name and so used the process name displayed in Activity Monitor).
So this works for me:
ignoring application responses
tell application "System Events" to tell process "PdaNetMac"
click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "PdaNetMac"
tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
click menu item "Connect" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
Hope this works for you too !!
(Very useful script, btw. Cheers !)

Applescript to Launch Chrome (with specifics)

I'm really struggling with creating some method of launching a browser window (chrome) on osx with specifics such as window size, no tabs etc. Traditionally I've used vb script through windows with IE which is a pretty simple exercise but I'll be the first to admit, when it comes to macs I struggle greatly.
So here is my wish list.
I need to be able to open a window (ideally in chrome, but any other browser except safari), that has no status bar, no address bar with a given URL, and a specific window size. I did manage something in safari using do javaScript, and attempted the same with chrome using execute javascript and 'window.open' but this failed continually...
Help!
I didn't find any way to hide the toolbar in Chrome, but try something like these scripts:
tell application "Google Chrome"
open location "http://example.com"
tell window 1 to enter presentation mode
end tell
tell application "Google Chrome"
tell (make new window)
set URL of active tab to "http://example.com"
set bounds to {0, 22, 1200, 900}
end tell
activate
end tell
tell application "Safari"
make new document with properties {URL:"http://example.com"}
tell window 1
set bounds to {0, 22, 1200, 900}
end tell
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Safari"
tell menu "View" of menu bar 1
if exists menu item "Hide Toolbar" then click menu item "Hide Toolbar"
if exists menu item "Hide Status Bar" then click menu item "Hide Status Bar"
if exists menu item "Hide Tab Bar" then click menu item "Hide Tab Bar"
if exists menu item "Hide Bookmarks Bar" then click menu item "Hide Bookmarks Bar"
end tell
end tell

Applescript: hiding manipulation of gui when running a gui applescript

I'm working on an applescript that clicks menu items in an application menu bar. I'd like to run this script without it displaying the whole process of clicking the target menu item. For example, here's some code below to click the disable for an hour menu item in the menu bar for the F.lux application
ignoring application responses
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Flux"
click menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
end tell
end ignoring
do shell script "killall System\\ Events"
delay 0.1
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Flux"
tell menu bar item 1 of menu bar 2
click menu item "Disable for an hour" of menu 1
end tell
end tell
How do I go about preventing the display of the gui manipulation when running the this script?
You cannot do this. For AppleScript GUI scripting to work the UI elements must be front and key as they would be for the human.

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