Can I make an apple script that auto runs when I put in my flash drive? I want to be able to do this so that when I put my flash drive in the computer at school I can make my presentation automatically play to save time and so i don't have to go through all my files in front of the class. We use macs at school and I have a mac.
There's no way using plain AppleScript to receive events when a drive is plugged in.
What you could do is create a poll timer that checks for the drive at a specified interval:
repeat
set driveName to "YOURDRIVENAME"
set driveExists to (do shell script "ls /Volumes | grep " & driveName)
if driveExists contains driveName then
-- do whatever
end if
delay 5
end repeat
I wrote that off the top of my head, and I haven't tested it, but something along those lines should work. delay 5 tells the script to wait 5 seconds before polling again, change this to suit your needs. I haven't tried anything like this with AppleScript before so it may be taxing on resources.
You can activate a Folder Action applescript to watch for newly attached volumes.
Duplicate the script /Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/add - new item alert.scpt and modify the copy to open your presentation or what-have-you.
Activate the script via /Library/Scripts/Folder Actions/Configure Folder Actions (a link to /System/Library/CoreServices/Folder Actions Setup.app):
Launch Configure Folder Actions and enable it with the top check box.
Click the left plus sign to add a folder to watch.
Hit ⇧g (command-shift-g) to navigate to an invisible folder. Type: /Volumes and hit enter
Hit Enter or click the Open button without selecting anything to attach to the /Volumes directory itself.
Choose your modified add - new item alert.scpt from the Attach pane.
Related
I am trying to finish a product for a client and need to create two aliases on the Desktop and the Dock to make it easy for the end-user to start the two main apps in the product. The installation script finishes off the installation by setting icons to various folders and files. The installation creates a folder under the /Applications folder, and another under the /Users/Shared folder. Each of these folders has an icon applied to them using SetFileIcon (a shareware app). The script then creates two aliases on the desktop and applies an icon to each of these aliases, again using SetFileIcon.
My first problem is that one of the aliases points to an Excel spreadsheet, but this spreadsheet gets replaced each time the update application is run. This leaves the alias pointing to the spreadsheet in the wastebasket and the new file completely unaliased. My updater application is written in Mono - so there is no easy way to call out to the Mac OS to recreate the alias, reset the icon and put it on the desktop and the dock.
I tried to work around this by creating a symbolic alias to the spread sheet using the script command and then applying an icon:
SetFileIcon "/path/to/spreadsheeticonfile" "/path/to/spreadsheet.xls"
ln -s "/path/to/updater" "/Users/$USER/updateralias"
ln -s "/path/to/spreadsheet.xls" "/Users/$USER/spreadsheetalias"
SetFileIcon "/path/to/iconfile" "/Users/$USER/spreadsheetalias"
The first SetFileIcon command works fine, and the Spreadsheet now has a new Icon associated with it. The first "ln -s" also works fine, and a new slias is created with the updater icon associated with it. The second "ln -s" creates an alias to the spreadsheet, but there is a plain white icon, not the icon associated with the spreadsheet. The last SetFileIcon is my desparate attempt to force an icon on the alias - which also does not work.
I have tried creating a bash script that launches the excel spreadsheet, and that seems to accept an icon, but seems to have a similar . But it also leaves a terminal session running, after the excel spreadsheet starts, and the alias to the bash script will also not accept an icon, even when hand-applied.
2 questions:
1. Is there any way to assign an icon to a symbolic alias that works. Even hand setting the icon on the alias using GetInfo does not work.
2. Failing getting an Alias to work, is there any workaround that would allow me at installation time to have a link on the users desktop and their dock which has the nice icon we want to use, rather than a generic excel white square. I just need an easy way to put a link with an icon to a file in another directory on the user's desktop, which will survive that file being updated periodically, and do it at install time. Simple.
Suggestions welcome.
Thanks, Neil
P.S. It probably goes with out saying that I am a MAC newbie - I originally developed this product for the client in the PC World, but he then received repeated requests to translate it for the Mac, and so, here I am struggling to learn development on the Mac.
Symbolic links are not the same as aliases. (And there is no such thing as a "symbolic alias".) You cannot set the icon of a symbolic link, because it is not a normal file, and thus can't have the appropriate properties set on it.
There are a number of ways to create an alias, but one easy one is using AppleScript:
osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to make new alias at (path to desktop folder) to (("/path/to/file") as POSIX file)'
(NB: The path will need to exist for this to work.)
Once you've done this, you should be able to set the icon on that.
I am trying to make a keyboard shortcut to launch terminal in OS X Mountain Lion.
After some research I found out that I can use Automator to achieve this:
http://mac.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tips-shortcuts/how-to-launch-any-app-with-a-keyboard-shortcut/
It works, but I noticed that whenever I launch a terminal using this method, a process called WorkFlowServiceRunner starts and never terminates. To make matters worse when I launch more terminals (or launch different applications using shortcuts, again, through Automator) multiple WorkFlowServiceRunner processes start and quickly eat up the memory.
I've also tried writing my own applescripts but the problem does not go away. This clearly looks like a memory leak. Is this a bug in OS X Automator? Is there a way to write an applescript so that the WorkFlowServiceRunner terminates after doing its job (e.g. launch a terminal)? Automator seems to be the most "native" way of getting this done and I do not want to use any 3rd party apps.
I have noticed this from time to time.
One way around it would be to make your own service apps with a Cocoa-AppleScript Applet.
It is not very hard to do. And I will try and guide you through it. It should only take you a couple of minutes.
Step 1.
Open your Application Applescript Editor. And go to the "File" Menu -> "New from Template" -> Cocoa-AppleScript Applet.app
Step 2,
Paste this code into the new documents.
property NSWorkspace : class "NSWorkspace"
tell current application's NSApp to setServicesProvider_(me)
NSUpdateDynamicServices()
my runAService()
on runAService()
NSWorkspace's sharedWorkspace()'s launchAppWithBundleIdentifier_options_additionalEventParamDescriptor_launchIdentifier_("com.apple.Terminal", current application's NSWorkspaceLaunchDefault, missing value, missing value)
tell me to quit
end runAService
Step 3,
Compile
(click this to compile)
and Save the app.
*Make sure the show startup screen is unchecked in the Save dialogue.
Giving the app a name like LaunchTerminal.app
Step 4,
Click the "Bundle Contents" button on the top right hand side of the document.
This will open the applications contents view.
Click the Action button and then "Reveal in finder" sub menu.
step 5,
In the contents folder that opens in the finder you will see a file name "info.plist"
Open Terminal.app and type and run this code using the path to this file:
BUT make sure you do not include the ".plist" part of the name when entering it in Terminal.app
/usr/bin/defaults write /Users/YourUserNameHere/myServiceApps/LaunchTerminal.app/Contents/Info NSServices -array-add '{NSMenuItem={default="Launch Terminal";}; NSMessage="runAService"; NSSendTypes=();}'
( You can drag n drop the file into terminal to get the posix path string )
The path part looks like this: /Users/YourUserNameHere/myServiceApps/LaunchTerminal.app/Contents/Info
This code should add an array to the plist file which is part of the apps way of broadcasting it has a service.
step 6,
Compile and Save the App again.
Just to make sure it picks up the changes. ( I found I had to do this even though I should not have to)
step 7,
Double click the app to run it for the first time.
The App will quit straight away. But the first run should have broadcast that it has a service that should be registered with the system
step 8,
Open system Preferences and go to Services -> General (section)
And you will see the "Launch Terminal" service.
Set up your short cut as normal.
Hope this helps..
UPDATE :
I noticed that the tell application "Terminal" to activate. Would not open my default Window groups if I had closed them all and quit Terminal before. The normal behaviour if I have done this is for my default window group to open. ( I have two Tabs open at startup each cd'd to a different path).
So I have change the open application to a cocoa way of doing it.
A do shell script with open the/application/path/. will work also.
Try using Butler or QuicKeys. They both have endless "Trial periods."
I want to run an applescript when a specific folder of mine is opened. Then, depending on the input, close the folder, or leave it open. All that without opening the folder. So, basically:
1) Try to open folder
2) Folder doesn't open, but window pops up
3-A) If user clicks ok folder opens
3-B) If user clicks cancel, it just exits out of script, leaving the folder unopened.
How can I do this? Remember: The folder CAN'T open in the background, it can ONLY open if the user presses OK. Help?
For this task, you'll want to use Folder Actions, which trigger script files. Below are the events involving a folder that could trigger a script, and the special corresponding handlers.
A folder is opened — on opening folder window for this_folder
A folder is closed — on closing folder window for this_folder
One or more items are added to a folder on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving these_items
One or more items are removed from a folder — on removing folder items from this_folder after losing these_itmes
A folder window is moved — on moving folder window for this_folder
The first bullet is what you'll be focusing on in this case. As the bullet implies, the script is triggered only when the folder actually opens. However, you can hack your way around this issue simply by adding this line at the very beginning of your script:
tell application "Finder" to close first window whose target is this_folder
And here is the full script:
on opening folder window for this_folder
tell application "Finder"
close first window whose target is this_folder
-- the window may appear briefly, but at least you've accomplished your goal
display dialog "Open folder " quoted form of the name of this_folder & "?" buttons{"Yes,"No"} default button 1 cancel button 2
-- pressing the "No" button is exactly the same as pressing the "Cancel" button on a regular dialog, and the script terminates
make new Finder window with properties {target:this_folder}
end tell
end opening folder window
SAVE YOUR SCRIPT FILE IN THE FOLDER ACTIONS FOLDER OF YOUR LOCAL SCRIPTS FOLDER. Create the folder yourself if it doesn't already exist. Doing so will allow your script to even run. Now, for this to function properly, you will need to attach the saved script file—not an application/application bundle—to your desired folder. To do this...
Perform a right-click on your desired folder
Click the menu item "Folder Actions Setup" at the bottom
Locate your saved script in the dialog that appears
Click "Attach"
Close the "Folder Actions Setup" window
Once you've done this, your script is ready to go.
Addendum: If your folder contains confidential information, beware that, as stated by user57368, "it is probably not possible to make the system even remotely secure with AppleScript."
Instead of an ordinary folder, you want an application bundle containing a folder or disk image. If you use an encrypted disk image, it will be more difficult for the user to access the contents without following your preferred procedure, but beware that it is probably not possible to make the system even remotely secure when you're using AppleScript.
If you just want to present a license agreement or other static notice before allowing the user to read the data, just read the hdiutil man page for how to create a disk image that presents a license agreement upon mounting.
XCode doesn't include uninstallation options for their packager. Generally users simply drag the app to the trash if they want to uninstall it - most apps are self contained in the app package.
However, I have a kernel extension which must be uninstalled using a few simple command lines. There is a script that works, but I am required to provide a graphical uninstaller.
I don't expect there's a plug-n-play example code out there that provides a way to run the script while showing a progress bar, but I'm hoping someone has dealt with this or has a few pointers on how to accomplish this quickly and easily
The script is only two lines with no feedback, so we can execute the commands in the app, as long as we can easily request and use root permissions securely (ie, let OS X handle the permissions - we merely ask for OS X to give them to us which should cause it to ask the user for them similar to how it happens with the package installer) inside the app.
There's a reasonably good approach using a Cocoa-Applescript project in xcode to run a shell script here:
http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.22/22.08/GUI-upyourScript/index.html
It covers using a progress bar, handling errors, and getting the correct root permissions to run the shell script.
Unfortunately it's a bit long to cut and paste here, but the general steps are:
Create new xcode project of type Cocoa-Applescript app
Create and test the intended shell script, add it to your project
Edit the MainMenu.nib to add and name a button(theObject) and progress bar(pMainProgress), then edit title and other aspects of the ui to taste
Tie the button to the applescript in the project (in the Inspector with the button selected check the action box and put in myprojectname.applescript)
Edit the applescript to something akin to the following:
on clicked theObject
-- setup
set myPath to POSIX path of (path to me) as string
-- Start progress bar
set uses threaded animation of progress indicator "pMainProgress" of window "wMain" to true
tell progress indicator "pMainProgress" of window "wMain" to start
-- Do it!
try
do shell script quoted form of myPath & "Contents/Resources/backup.sh" with administrator privileges
on error number 255
display dialog "Sorry, an error occurred. I can't make the copy."
end try
-- Stop progress bar
tell progress indicator "pMainProgress" of window "wMain" to stop
set uses threaded animation of progress indicator "pMainProgress" of window "wMain" to false
end clicked
You can further customize the app (name, for instance) and add text boxes to the window to alert the user what step is happening if you're running multiple scripts (put set the contents of text field "efStatus" of window "wMain" to "Copying files..." in your script after adding a text field to the ui with the name "efStatus")
I need to rename image files sequentially as they are added to a folder. ie. image-0001.jpg and image-0002.jpg are in a folder I add test.jpg and it is renamed image-0003.jpg. I have tried automators rename function but it will start over with image-0001.jpg each time a new file is added instead of continuing the sequence.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
You could make this easy on yourself by using a handy application built into the OS called "Folder Actions". Folder Actions contains one or more special handlers, formally known as folder action event handlers, that run when they are triggered by a change in the target folder. I know I'm confusing but I'll do my best.
What you are trying to accomplish requires an adding folder items to event handler. It requires one direct parameter, which can be anything you wish i.e. target_folder. The handler requires an additional parameter as well; after receiving, which should also be a variable name, i.e. these_items. I have composed a script for you that should do the trick. I have added comments that show you what I'm doing when I do it. Here it is:
on adding folder items to the target_folder after receiving these_items
tell application "Finder"
set all_images to every item of the target_folder as list
repeat with i from 1 to the count of these_items --iterates through all the items you dropped in the folder
set this_image to item i of these_items --the current image
set the name of this_image to "image" & (i + the count of all_images) as string --renames the image based on the number of images already in the folder
end repeat
end tell
end adding folder items to
YAY! The script is done! But are WE done? Not quite. We still need to attach the script to a folder (the script won't run if you try to execute it in script editor).
To do this, first save the script as a Script File in the Folder Action Scripts folder in the Scripts folder in either the local Library folder or the current user's Library folder. Create the folder yourself if it doesn't already exist. Next, launch the Folder Actions Setup application by double-clicking it in the AppleScript folder in the Applications folder. In the window that comes up, click the + button under the table on the left (click the "Enable Folder Actions" checkbox if it isn't already checked) to open a standard file browser sheet, navigate to your desired folder, and click "Open". The Choose a Script to Attach sheet automatically opens, listing all the scripts in all of the Folder Action Script folders. Choose the newly-created script, click "Attach", and BAM you are done!
To see the script in action, drag an image onto the folder. The image is instantly renamed, regardless of if the folder window is open. If you have any questions, or if the script doesn't work, just ask me. :)
well without digging through some code and handin you an answer I'll tell you want you want to do
is create a while loop that checks for the existence of image-000 & i where i is a variable of course and if it exists increment i then when the file doesn't exist rename your file.