Execute Applescript from Cocoa App with params - cocoa

Question

I would like to know how to execute an applescript from a cocoa application passing parameters.
I have seen how easy is to execute applescripts with no parameters in other questions here at stackoverflow, however the use NSAppleScript class, in which, i haven't seen no method that solve my problem. Does anyone have any idea.
I would like a Cocoa code with the same effect o this shell:
osascript teste.applescript "snow:Users:MyUser:Desktop:MyFolder" "snow:Users:MyUser:Desktop:Example:"
So it may run this AppleScript.
on run argv
set source to (item 1 of argv)
set destiny to (item 2 of argv)
tell application "Finder" to make new alias file at destiny to source
0
end run
Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Look at my GitHub repository, I have a category of NSAppleEventDescriptor that makes it much easier to create NSAppleEventDescriptor to call different AppleScript procedures with arguments, and coercion to and from many AppleScript typed.
NSAppleEventDescriptor-NDCoercion

Answer 2

I found easier to follow this piece code. I took a code from here and modified it to my purpose.
- (BOOL) executeScriptWithPath:(NSString*)path function:(NSString*)functionName andArguments:(NSArray*)scriptArgumentArray
{
BOOL executionSucceed = NO;
NSAppleScript * appleScript;
NSAppleEventDescriptor * thisApplication, *containerEvent;
NSURL * pathURL = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:path];
NSDictionary * appleScriptCreationError = nil;
appleScript = [[NSAppleScript alloc] initWithContentsOfURL:pathURL error:&appleScriptCreationError];
if (appleScriptCreationError)
{
NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:#"Could not instantiate applescript %#",appleScriptCreationError]);
}
else
{
if (functionName && [functionName length])
{
/* If we have a functionName (and potentially arguments), we build
* an NSAppleEvent to execute the script. */
//Get a descriptor for ourself
int pid = [[NSProcessInfo processInfo] processIdentifier];
thisApplication = [NSAppleEventDescriptor descriptorWithDescriptorType:typeKernelProcessID
bytes:&pid
length:sizeof(pid)];
//Create the container event
//We need these constants from the Carbon OpenScripting framework, but we don't actually need Carbon.framework...
#define kASAppleScriptSuite 'ascr'
#define kASSubroutineEvent 'psbr'
#define keyASSubroutineName 'snam'
containerEvent = [NSAppleEventDescriptor appleEventWithEventClass:kASAppleScriptSuite
eventID:kASSubroutineEvent
targetDescriptor:thisApplication
returnID:kAutoGenerateReturnID
transactionID:kAnyTransactionID];
//Set the target function
[containerEvent setParamDescriptor:[NSAppleEventDescriptor descriptorWithString:functionName]
forKeyword:keyASSubroutineName];
//Pass arguments - arguments is expecting an NSArray with only NSString objects
if ([scriptArgumentArray count])
{
NSAppleEventDescriptor *arguments = [[NSAppleEventDescriptor alloc] initListDescriptor];
NSString *object;
for (object in scriptArgumentArray) {
[arguments insertDescriptor:[NSAppleEventDescriptor descriptorWithString:object]
atIndex:([arguments numberOfItems] + 1)]; //This +1 seems wrong... but it's not
}
[containerEvent setParamDescriptor:arguments forKeyword:keyDirectObject];
[arguments release];
}
//Execute the event
NSDictionary * executionError = nil;
NSAppleEventDescriptor * result = [appleScript executeAppleEvent:containerEvent error:&executionError];
if (executionError != nil)
{
NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:#"error while executing script. Error %#",executionError]);
}
else
{
NSLog(#"Script execution has succeed. Result(%#)",result);
executionSucceed = YES;
}
}
else
{
NSDictionary * executionError = nil;
NSAppleEventDescriptor * result = [appleScript executeAndReturnError:&executionError];
if (executionError != nil)
{
NSLog([NSString stringWithFormat:#"error while executing script. Error %#",executionError]);
}
else
{
NSLog(#"Script execution has succeed. Result(%#)",result);
executionSucceed = YES;
}
}
}
[appleScript release];
return executionSucceed;
}

Answer 3

Technical Note TN2084
Using AppleScript Scripts in Cocoa Applications
Even though your application is written in Objective-C using Cocoa, you can use AppleScript scripts to perform certain operations. This Technical Note explains how to integrate and execute AppleScripts from within your Cocoa application. It discusses how to leverage the NSAppleScript class and the use of NSAppleEventDescriptor to send data to the receiver.
https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/technotes/tn2084/_index.html
https://applescriptlibrary.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/technical-note-tn2084-using-applescript-scripts-in-cocoa-applications.pdf
Swift 4 version, modified from the code here:
https://gist.github.com/chbeer/3666e4b7b2e71eb47b15eaae63d4192f
import Carbon
static func runAppleScript(_ url: URL) {
var appleScriptError: NSDictionary? = nil
guard let script = NSAppleScript(contentsOf: url, error: &appleScriptError) else {
return
}
let message = NSAppleEventDescriptor(string: "String parameter")
let parameters = NSAppleEventDescriptor(listDescriptor: ())
parameters.insert(message, at: 1)
var psn = ProcessSerialNumber(highLongOfPSN: UInt32(0), lowLongOfPSN: UInt32(kCurrentProcess))
let target = NSAppleEventDescriptor(descriptorType: typeProcessSerialNumber, bytes: &psn, length: MemoryLayout<ProcessSerialNumber>.size)
let handler = NSAppleEventDescriptor(string: "MyMethodName")
let event = NSAppleEventDescriptor.appleEvent(withEventClass: AEEventClass(kASAppleScriptSuite), eventID: AEEventID(kASSubroutineEvent), targetDescriptor: target, returnID: AEReturnID(kAutoGenerateReturnID), transactionID: AETransactionID(kAnyTransactionID))
event.setParam(handler, forKeyword: AEKeyword(keyASSubroutineName))
event.setParam(parameters, forKeyword: AEKeyword(keyDirectObject))
var executeError: NSDictionary? = nil
script.executeAppleEvent(event, error: &executeError)
if let executeError = executeError {
print("ERROR: \(executeError)")
}
}
For running the apple script:
on MyMethodName(theParameter)
display dialog theParameter
end MyMethodName

Answer 4

I'm not all too familiar with AppleScript, but I seem to remember that they are heavily based on (the rather crappy) Apple Events mechanism which dates back to the days where the 56k Modem was the coolest Gadget in your house.
Therefore I'd guess that you're looking for executeAppleEvent:error: which is part of NSAppleScript. Maybe you can find some information on how to encapsulate execution arguments in the instance of NSAppleEventDescriptor that you have to pass along with this function.