How to set checkbox in Mission Control? - applescript

I'm trying to set checkbox in Mission Control pane in System Preferences. So far I'm able to open MC but I have no idea how to click on checkbox. I tried everything I found on Internet but with no luck...
How can I do it?
tell application "System Preferences" activate set current pane to
pane "com.apple.preference.expose" end tell

This will click the first checkbox of the pane only if it is currently not checked:
tell application "System Preferences"
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.expose"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
set firstCheckbox to checkbox 1 of group 2 of window 1
set checked to value of firstCheckbox as boolean
if (not checked) then
click firstCheckbox
end if
end tell
end tell

Related

How to click a checkbox of a drop-down tab in System Preferences

I'm trying to make an AppleScript to change an option in System Preferences. The checkbox is revealed by clicking "Mouse Options..." in the "Mouse and Trackpad" menu of the "Accessibility" pane. The script I have written so far is able to navigate through System Preferences so that the desired checkbox is visible to be clicked. However, I can't find a way to click the checkbox, seemingly because the checkbox is within a sort of 'drop down tab' on the window. None of the tutorials I have found online deal with this specific issue.
My code so far-
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
get the name of every anchor of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
reveal anchor "Mouse" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click button 5 of window "Accessibility"
end tell
end tell
The desired checkbox is "Scrolling". I expected that the following code would work, but it does not- it clicks checkboxes in the background, not the one in the tab.
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click checkbox 1 of window "Accessibility"
end tell
This is my first time using AppleScript, I should mention. Any help would be much appreciated.
The 'drop down tab' is called a sheet:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
reveal anchor "Mouse" of pane id "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click button 5 of window 1
click checkbox 1 of sheet 1 of window 1
end tell
end tell

Applescript Select Checkbox Enable Access for accessibility devices

I am trying to automatically select the checkbox that will enable access for accessibility devices.
Below is my code which is opening the correct settings window. However, it is not setting the checkbox.
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
end tell
tell application "System Events"
set theCheckbox to checkbox "Enable access for assistive devices"
tell theCheckbox
if not (its value as boolean) then click theCheckbox
end tell
end tell
you just need to set it to enabled
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.universalaccess"
end tell
tell application "System Events" to set UI elements enabled to true

Use AppleScript to change System Preferences without being visible?

I would like to change settings in System Preferences without the user seeing things happen.
If I have a script that starts like:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.sound"
end tell
the System Preference window will be shown to the user.
I'd like to know if there is a way to do it in the background somehow, or at least keep the window minimized.
(Example script can be found in this question.)
You can just remove the activate command. System Events can perform actions in hidden windows.
tell application "System Preferences"
reveal anchor "keyboardTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
click checkbox 1 of tab group 1 of window 1
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
If you open menus, they will be visible though.
tell application "System Preferences"
reveal anchor "TTS" of pane "com.apple.preference.speech"
end tell
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
tell pop up button 1 of tab group 1 of window 1
delay 0.1
click
if value is "Alex" then
click menu item "Kathy" of menu 1
else
click menu item "Alex" of menu 1
end if
end tell
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"
The brightness of displays can also be changed with brightness.c.
You might be able to do what you want with with the command line app defaults, there are some other command line apps that can manipulate other system stuff also like, pmset
Some things can be set using scripting additions also, for example the systems volumn can be set using the standard additions, you also you may be able to find other scripting additions to add more stuff.

Verify a checkbox before clicking with Applescript

I'm facing an issue with one of my applescript.
I'm trying to create an applescript that check/uncheck the checkbox that call the password after the mac wake up or the screensaver stop in the mac security pannel.
I'm using this with proximity.app, with the idea that when i'm back home and my phone is in range, proximity.app remove the password, but when i'm out of range, it put the password back.
Well... I'm forced to do it using UI scripting, because of the new security policy in Mountain Lion.
So there is the code when out of range :
tell application "System Preferences"
set current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.security"
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
tell first window
tell first tab group
click radio button 1
if not 1 then click checkbox 1
click menu item 6 of menu of pop up button 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
quit
end tell
and when in range :
tell application "System Preferences"
set current pane to pane id "com.apple.preference.security"
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
tell first window
tell first tab group
click radio button 1
click checkbox 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
quit
end tell
What i want to improve, is a way to first verify if the box is check or uncheck before checking or unchecking it.
Thanks for your help.
Just check the value of the checkbox.
0 = Uncheck, 1 = check
tell application "System Preferences" to ¬
reveal anchor "Advanced" of pane id "com.apple.preference.security"
tell application "System Events"
tell first tab group of first window of process "System Preferences"
tell checkbox 1 to if value is 0 then click -- checkbox was not checked.
end tell
end tell
quit application "System Preferences"

Dropdown in Monitor System Preferences

tell application "System Events"
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.displays"
set theWindows to windows
set win2 to item 2 of theWindows
tell win2
set index to 1
set visible to false
set visible to true
end tell
set value of combo box 1 to "90°"
end tell
end tell
I'm trying to change the Rotation of the External Screen via Applescript, but I do
not find out how to access this dropdown menu. Google seems to give me a lot about combo box and pop menu, but under Lion at least all this stuff doesn't work.
This worked for me on 10.8.
tell application "System Preferences"
reveal anchor "displaysDisplayTab" of pane "com.apple.preference.displays"
end tell
tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"
tell pop up button 1 of tab group 1 of window 1
click
click menu item 3 of menu 1
end tell
end tell

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