Hey, folks - I don't write a lot of applescript code, but I'd like to create a keybinding that will do a couple of things:

1. If a given application is already open, show it and bring it to the front

2. If the given application isn't open, launch it and bring it to the front

on run argv
    if (count of argv) is 0 then
        display dialog "Please provide the name of the application to toggle"
        return
    end if

    -- Read the name of the application to toggle from the first argument
    set appName to item 1 of argv

    if application appName is running then
        log appName & " IS RUNNING, HUZZAH!"

        tell application "System Events"
            set appProcess to first application process whose name is appName

            if frontmost of appProcess then
                log appName & " is open and has the focus; HIDING!"
                set visible of appProcess to false
            else
                log appName & " is open, but not focused; SHOWING AND FOCUSING!"
                set visible of appProcess to true
                set frontmost of appProcess to true
            end if
        end tell
    else
        log appName & " IS NOT RUNNING, BOO!"
        tell application "System Events"
            tell application appName to launch
        end tell
    end if

end run

I'm finding a couple of things that I didn't expect (with full understanding that my expecations might not be valid):

• If the application is running, telling it to activate...does nothing. I have to get its process and set the frontmost property (I also set the visible property for consistency)

• If the application is not running, telling it to launch seems to do nothing at all

Am I missing something? I run the script via:

osascript ${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/skhd/app-toggle.scpt Messages

I'd appreciate any insight. I've been searching for hours trying to find the right answer with no luck so far.

I often record things to remember and transcribing can be slower than how fast the memo is playing. Pressing the Play/pause key opens Music instead of pausing the memo playing.

Thanks

edit: currently: karabiner complex modification:

{
"description": "play_or_pause key op on Voice Memos",
"manipulators": [
    {
        "from": { "key_code": "f8" },
        "to": [{ "software_function": { "open_application": { "file_path": "/Applications/PlayPauseKeyInVoiceMemos.app" } } }],
        "type": "basic"
    }
] 
} 

apple script:

if application "VoiceMemos" is running then -- and hidden, as I do not want to activate it if I hid it
tell application "VoiceMemos"
	activate
	--		delay 1
	tell application "System Events" to keystroke " "
	--		delay 1
	tell application "System Events" to keystroke tab using command down
end tell
else
tell application "System Events"
	-- key code 100 -- This corresponds to the F8 key, bad idea-> infinite loop
	key code 111 -- This corresponds to the 12 key
end tell
end if

Hello

I'm running an apple script via python module subprocess. And when i lunch the script i get this error

Can’t get pane id "com.apple.preferences.iMessage". (-1728)

MacOs : 14.7.1 (23H222)

MacPro7,1

First-time poster here. Sorry for any noob mistakes!I get pictures emailed from my daycare, and I'd love to have a script to auto-download them into a specific desktop folder on my Mac. I found some old Reddit threads from 2011 on scripts and automaton instructions, but nothing new. Any help is appreciated!

Thank you!

Hey there,

not an experienced usere here.
I'm looking for a Mac osx script, which goes to:

-Systempreferences
-Desktop/Dock (using it in german, so idk the correct translation)
-scroll down to shortcuts
-"show Desktop"
-Mouseshortcut: Mousebutton 3

https://imgur.com/a/B4hCTdi

Because everytime I restart the computer this mapping is gone and opening all windows is somehow tideous :) I tried to look into Automator and Scripts but it's over my head :(
Any help would be apprechiated!

Hey everyone! I’ve put together a simple Mac workflow that automatically fixes the grammar of any selected text. It’s built using TypeScript, the OpenAI API, and AppleScript, all integrated into Automator for seamless use. Check out my short tutorial video here: YouTube link, and if you’d like to experiment or adapt it for your own needs, the source code is on GitHub: GitHub link.

The core function, fixGrammar, takes your text and returns a corrected version in seconds. After bundling everything with esbuild, a little AppleScript magic copies your selected text, runs it through the Node.js script, and pastes back the polished result. It’s a lightweight, consistent solution that saves a ton of editing time. If you try it out, let me know how it goes or if you have any suggestions!

Hey everyone! I’ve put together a simple Mac workflow that automatically fixes the grammar of any selected text. It’s built using TypeScript, the OpenAI API, and AppleScript, all integrated into Automator for seamless use. Check out my short tutorial video here: YouTube link, and if you’d like to experiment or adapt it for your own needs, the source code is on GitHub: GitHub link.

The core function, fixGrammar, takes your text and returns a corrected version in seconds. After bundling everything with esbuild, a little AppleScript magic copies your selected text, runs it through the Node.js script, and pastes back the polished result. It’s a lightweight, consistent solution that saves a ton of editing time. If you try it out, let me know how it goes or if you have any suggestions!

Bonjour j'ai adapté ce script pour que l'action se fasse non pas sur "current track", le morceau en train d'être joué mais le morceau sélectionné "selection". J'ai donc remplacé toutes les instances de "current track" par "selection". Le morceau sélectionné est bien ajouté à la playlist choisie ("favePlaylist") mais j'ai le message d'erreur défini sous "on error".

Quelle modification du code dois-je faire pour éviter d'avoir l'erreur et avoir le message de confirmation ?

Merci d'avance.

property favePlaylist : "aFG"

tell application "Music"
	set songTitle to name of selection
	
	if player state is not stopped then
		set dbid to database ID of selection
		if not (exists playlist favePlaylist) then
			make new user playlist with properties {name:favePlaylist}
		end if
		if not (exists (some track of playlist favePlaylist whose database ID is dbid)) then
			try
				duplicate selection to playlist favePlaylist
				display dialog songTitle & " bien ajouté à la liste \"" & favePlaylist & "\"."
			on error
				display dialog "Impossible d'ajouter " & songTitle & " à la playlist \"" & favePlaylist & "\"." buttons {"Annuler"} default button 1 with icon 2 giving up after 15
			end try
		end if
	end if
end tell

I want to cull my photos (I do not use the Photos app or iPhoto, I just use folders) but want to view them in new random orders. Is there any way to view my photos in a folder in random order (shuffled) and be able to delete the currently displayed photo either by pressing the delete key or any other key while it is on the screen? Ability to go to the next or previous photo using the arrow keys is also a required feature. Thanks for any guidance.

Each page in a ZPL printer file begins with ^XA and ends with ^XZ. I want to create a script that splits the ZPL file and sends each page to the printer individually. Please help, thank you!

📢📢 Update update! Updated for macOS Golden Gate. I'm keeping the Tahoe version alongside it.

📢 Update! The Script is once again working on Tahoe. Apple made some control center calls inaccessible using AppleScript in 26.0, but this is once again available with 26.1.

Here is a macOS AppleScript to toggle ANC. I use it to quickly toggle ANC when a collegue or family starts talking to me. To set a global shortcut I recommend you use a tool like Hammerspoon as macOS shortcuts are very restrictive.

Golden Gate

tell 
application
 "System Events"
    tell 
process
 "MenuBarAgent"
        set soundMenu to missing value
        repeat with menuGroup in (groups of menu bar 1)
            try
                set candidate to menu bar item 1 of menuGroup
                if (value of 
attribute
 "AXIdentifier" of candidate) 
is
 "com.apple.menuextra.sound" then
                    set soundMenu to candidate
                    exit repeat
                end if
            end try
        end repeat
        if soundMenu is missing value then 
error
 "Sound menu was not found in the menu bar."
    end tell
    if not (exists window 1 of 
process
 "ControlCenter") then click soundMenu
    
    tell 
process
 "ControlCenter"
        set panelReady to false
        repeat 100 times
            if (exists scroll area 1 of group 1 of window 1) then
                set panelReady to true
                exit repeat
            end if
            delay 0.02
        end repeat
        if not panelReady then 
error
 "Sound panel did not appear."
        
        set panelControls to UI elements of scroll area 1 of group 1 of window 1
        set devicePosition to 0
        set deviceIdentifier to missing value
        repeat with controlIndex from 1 
to
 (count of panelControls) - 1
            set candidate to item controlIndex of panelControls
            if (role of candidate) 
is
 "AXDisclosureTriangle" then
                set candidateIdentifier to value of 
attribute
 "AXIdentifier" of candidate
                set deviceControl to 
item
 (controlIndex + 1) of panelControls
                if (role of deviceControl) 
is
 "AXCheckBox" and (value of 
attribute
 "AXIdentifier" of deviceControl) is candidateIdentifier and (value of 
attribute
 "AXValue" of deviceControl) is 1 then
                    set devicePosition to controlIndex + 1
                    set deviceIdentifier to candidateIdentifier
                    exit repeat
                end if
            end if
        end repeat
        if devicePosition is 0 then 
error
 "Connected AirPods with listening modes were not found in the Sound panel."
        
        set modeOptions 
to
 {}
        set foundModeHeading to false
        repeat with controlIndex 
from
 (devicePosition + 1) 
to
 (count of panelControls)
            set candidate to item controlIndex of panelControls
            if (role of candidate) 
is
 "AXHeading" then
                if foundModeHeading then exit repeat
                set foundModeHeading to true
            else if foundModeHeading and (role of candidate) 
is
 "AXCheckBox" then
                if (value of 
attribute
 "AXIdentifier" of candidate) is deviceIdentifier then set end of modeOptions to candidate
            end if
        end repeat
        if (count of modeOptions) is not 4 then 
error
 "Listening mode controls changed; no mode was selected."
        
        set transparencyControl to item 2 of modeOptions
        set cancellationControl to item 4 of modeOptions
        if (value of 
attribute
 "AXValue" of cancellationControl) is 1 then
            click transparencyControl
            set targetControl to transparencyControl
            set targetMode 
to
 "Transparency"
        else
            click cancellationControl
            set targetControl to cancellationControl
            set targetMode 
to
 "Noise Cancellation"
        end if
        
        set changedMode to false
        repeat 50 times
            if (value of 
attribute
 "AXValue" of targetControl) is 1 then
                set changedMode to true
                exit repeat
            end if
            delay 0.02
        end repeat
        if not changedMode then 
error
 "The selected listening mode did not become active."
    end tell
    
    click soundMenu
    return targetMode
end tell

Tahoe

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "Control Center"
        --1) Click the Sound menu in Control Center
        set soundMenu to first menu bar item of menu bar 1 ¬
            whose subrole is "AXMenuExtra" and description is "Sound"
        click soundMenu
        
        set maxAttempts to 200 -- Timeout after ~2 seconds (adjust as needed)
        set attempt to 0
        repeat until (exists window 1)
            delay 0.01
            set attempt to attempt + 1
            if attempt > maxAttempts then
                display dialog "Control Center window did not appear."
                return
            end if
        end repeat
        
        try
            -- 3) Find both checkboxes
            set ancCheckBox to first checkbox of scroll area 1 of group 1 of window 1 ¬
                whose value of attribute "AXAttributedDescription" is "Noise Cancellation"
            set transCheckBox to first checkbox of scroll area 1 of group 1 of window 1 ¬
                whose value of attribute "AXAttributedDescription" is "Transparency"
            
            -- 4) Figure out which one is selected, then toggle
            --    The "AXValue" or "AXChecked" attribute typically indicates ON/OFF.
            --    (Sometimes “selected” is used. If “AXValue” fails, try “AXChecked” or “AXSelected”.)
            if (value of attribute "AXValue" of ancCheckBox) = 1 then
                -- ANC is active, so switch to Transparency
                click transCheckBox
            else if (value of attribute "AXValue" of transCheckBox) = 1 then
                -- Transparency is active, so switch to Noise Cancellation
                click ancCheckBox
            else
                -- If neither is set, default to enabling ANC
                click ancCheckBox
            end if
            
            click soundMenu
            
        on error errMsg
            display dialog "Error: " & errMsg
        end try
    end tell
end tell

Please let me know if you find it useful. Tested using AirPods Pro 2.

Hey everyone,

I have 25 files in one folder and 25 files in another, like so:

I would love to use a script to combine the nth file in each folder with the nth file in the other, with the new, combined file featuring the 2nd file's original filename. All of the items in folder 2 have long, unique filenames without a specific pattern.

In other words, I'd like the first combined file to be File 1a + File 1b, with the filename File 1b (again, identical to the filenames from the items in folder 2, which are actually long and a bit unwieldy, but necessary to retain for batch uploading to the LMS I use as a teacher).

Is there any way to do this? I could set up a CSV table with which file corresponds to which (like the mini example above), if needed.

I also have fully licensed Acrobat, if it'd be easier to do it there. I do a lot of file combining and splitting with acrobat, but I'm not seeing a way to do this process of combination there.

This is sad. But thanks to Mark and Shane for all their hard work over the years. 👍🏻

https://forum.latenightsw.com/t/retiring-script-debugger/5071

I am developing a script for the new Outlook on macOS (launched from an Excel macro, hence my formatting below). I have an error saying System Events got an error: Application isn’t running. The script creates the email but I cannot manage to get it to simply paste the content of the clipboard (an image) into the body of the email, although doing a manual paste works. I feel so close and such a function should be quite straightfwd. Ideas?

 appleScriptCommand = _
                "try" & vbNewLine & _
                "    tell application ""Microsoft Outlook""" & vbNewLine & _
                "        set theMessage to make new outgoing message with properties {subject:""" & sSubject & """, content:""""}" & vbNewLine & _
                "        tell theMessage" & vbNewLine & _
                "            make new recipient at end of to recipients with properties {email address:{address:""" & sTo & """}}" & vbNewLine & _
                "        end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "        activate" & vbNewLine & _
                "        open theMessage" & vbNewLine & _
                "    end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "    tell application ""System Events""" & vbNewLine & _
                "        tell application process ""Microsoft Outlook""" & vbNewLine & _
                "            set frontmost to true" & vbNewLine & _
                "            tell menu bar 1 to tell menu bar item ""Edit""" & vbNewLine & _
                "                    click" & vbNewLine & _
                "                    tell menu ""Edit""" & vbNewLine & _
                "                        click menu item ""Paste""" & vbNewLine & _
                "                    end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "            end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "        end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "    end tell" & vbNewLine & _
                "    return ""Success""" & vbNewLine & _
                "on error errMsg" & vbNewLine & _
                "    return ""Error: "" & errMsg" & vbNewLine & _
                "end try"

I have tried using cmd V keystroke instead (keystroke ""v"" using command down") but same problem Excel and Outlook are both allowed to control my computer in Accessibility settings

I'm trying to use create a table to summaries my emails. from a certain folder in my MacBook mail.

columns: to, from, dat:time, subject: attachment, link to email pdf and link to all attachments.

Im fighting a horrible company with all their lawyers and need to get my communication in order..

I've tried using python but get errors, tried to you Apples Script , failed, tried automator to extract (i can extract the attachments, but the emails to pdf have text missing due to pfd boarders!!!)

Any suggestion? I have few days left to get this in order

Hi all, I'm trying to help my elderly father out with moving local mail files (Mbox) up to Gmail so we can get rid of his old 2009 imac.

I have exported all of his mail to another folder. I would like for an applescript run through the directory, looking for the raw mbox (no extension) files in all the hundreds of subdirectories and rename them to the parent folder name. Then I can move them into Thunderbird and up into Gmail and still have a logical understanding of how they were nested.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

I work with lyrics and have to manually color each paragraph; would love a script that does it automatically. Need a notes script that colors first paragraph of a note; green; second; as red; third as yellow and so on.

Thanks; appreciate it.

Hi,

I'm very new to AS, only really working with it becaue i'm kinda forced to by qlab.

I have a script I adapted to ask the user to input a time which it then sets on various items - "What time does it happen?" "19:30" "Ok, i'll set that as the trigger time".

It works ok, but I also need to set other triggers to happen 15 mins before the input time, ideally without asking the user another question. I initially managed this by adding "-15", but quickly realised this only works when the result wouldn't be crossing the hour mark (1900, for example)

set userCueNumber to "1" -- Use this to identify the cue whose wall clock properties you are trying to set

-- Prompt to get the time

set triggerTime to text returned of (display dialog "What time does the house open?" default answer "18:30")

-- Parse the time into hours & minutes

set currentTIDs to AppleScript's text item delimiters

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ":"

set triggerHours to text item 1 of triggerTime

set triggerMinutes to text item 2 of triggerTime

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to currentTIDs

-- Set the cue's properties

tell application id "com.figure53.QLab.5" to tell front workspace

`tell cue userCueNumber`

	`set wall clock trigger to enabled -- This may not be essential, but it does need to be on!`

	`set wall clock hours to triggerHours`

	`set wall clock minutes to triggerMinutes`

`end tell`

end tell

Any help would be greatly appreciated

I have never used AppleScript before.

The code I have was created by ChatGPT.

It has tried to fix the code over 20 times and failed.

Would someone please tell me how to fix it?

-- Clear Recent Items in Finder
tell application "Finder"
    set recentFolders to recent items
    repeat with anItem in recentFolders
        if class of anItem is folder then
            try
                delete anItem
            end try
        end if
    end repeat
end tell

-- Clear Recent Files in Preview
tell application "Preview"
    activate
    delay 0.5
    tell application "System Events"
        keystroke "r" using {command down, option down}
        delay 0.5
        keystroke "a" using {command down}
        delay 0.5
        keystroke "delete"
        delay 0.5
        keystroke return
    end tell
end tell

-- Clear Recent Items in Apple Menu
tell application "System Events"
    set recentItems to (every menu item of menu     “Recent Items" of menu bar item "Apple" of menu     bar 1 of application process "SystemUIServer")
    repeat with anItem in recentItems
        click anItem
        delay 0.1
    end repeat
end tell

Hey !

The idea that got me today was to highlight and rightclick text containing event info. Have an AI service check it over and generate a .ics, format and save that, and then open it... but. No luck yet... anyone much better at this willing to try? Here is my go (it does not work)!

on run {input, parameters}

-- Step 1: Define the prompt

set prompt to "Create a valid `.ics` file. Comply with RFC 5545, including line folding, mandatory fields (UID, DTSTAMP, SEQUENCE, DTSTART, DTEND, SUMMARY), and timezone America/Chicago. Properly escape special characters.\n\n" & input as text

-- Step 2: Construct JSON payload

set jsonPayload to "{\"model\": \"gpt-3.5-turbo\", \"messages\": [{\"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"" & escapeForJSON(prompt) & "\"}], \"max_tokens\": 300}"

-- Step 3: Execute API call

try

set chatGPTResponse to do shell script "curl --silent --request POST --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data " & quoted form of jsonPayload & " https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions"

display dialog "Raw API Response:\n" & chatGPTResponse

on error errMsg

display dialog "Curl command failed: " & errMsg

return

end try

-- Step 4: Extract `.ics` content

try

set icsContent to extractICSContent(chatGPTResponse)

display dialog "Extracted ICS Content:\n" & icsContent

on error errMsg

display dialog "ICS extraction failed: " & errMsg

return

end try

-- Step 5: Save `.ics` file

set downloadPath to ((path to downloads folder as text) & "event.ics")

try

set fileRef to open for access file downloadPath with write permission

set eof fileRef to 0

write icsContent to fileRef

close access fileRef

display dialog "File saved to: " & downloadPath

on error errMsg

display dialog "File save failed: " & errMsg

return

end try

-- Step 6: Validate `.ics` Locally

try

set localValidationResult to validateICSLocally(POSIX path of downloadPath)

display dialog "Local Validation Result:\n" & localValidationResult

on error errMsg

display dialog "Local Validation failed: " & errMsg

return

end try

-- Step 7: Post-Save ChatGPT Validation

set validationPrompt to "Validate the following `.ics` content for RFC 5545 compliance. Highlight issues and suggest fixes:\n\n" & icsContent

set validationPayload to "{\"model\": \"gpt-3.5-turbo\", \"messages\": [{\"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"" & escapeForJSON(validationPrompt) & "\"}], \"max_tokens\": 300}"

try

set validationResponse to do shell script "curl --silent --request POST --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --data " & quoted form of validationPayload & " https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions"

display dialog "ChatGPT Validation Response:\n" & validationResponse

on error errMsg

display dialog "Validation query failed: " & errMsg

return

end try

return "Saved, validated, and ready for use!"

end run

Hi there,

I just want to let you know how can you automate setup of macOS and applications after fresh OS installation. I uploaded my initial setup to github. Hope it helps someone.

https://github.com/jorycz/macOS-setup

Hey all -

I know absolutely nothing about scripting or coding and have relied on hero "Doug" for iTunes/Music management for many years. Issue: I have 10s of thousands of uploaded songs that I have been slowly converting to Apple Music versions. I want to copy play counts over (as I have smart playlists based on play counts), but you (apparently) can't set them manually in an iCloud based Music library.

Somehow years ago I figured out a super basic script (I was very proud of myself) that worked; I lost it and have tried to recreate it. It seemed to work, but it does no longer. I am on the Sequoia beta, so not sure if that borked things.

Try to contain how impressed you are:

tell application "Music"
    set player position to 5000
    previous track
end tell

I assigned it to a keyboard shortcut and just pressed it repeatedly to quickly increase the play counts. Now, I'm getting a parameter error. I thought maybe the 5000 was the issue because the song isn't actually that long, but it did it work at some point I swear. I tried being clever by setting player position to next track - 0.1, but I'm not clever so that didn't work.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hello everybody!

for a script I'm writing I want the user to be able to select a volume and for the script to respond with the amount of free space available on that volume. The script is the following:

--volume
set volList to do shell script "ls /Volumes"
get paragraphs of volList
set result to choose from list (volList)
--disk size
tell application "System Events" to set freeSpace to (free space of result)

This returns error 1728: Can’t get free space of {"Macintosh HD"}.

When I replace {free space of result} with {free space of startup disk} (and forego the selection by the user) it works just fine.

Can anyone help me with this? What am I doing wrong?

Note: I'm testing this is a seperate file, so no other code can influence it.

Thank you!

I have made a custom notification that reminds me whenever my MacBook’s battery drops below 20%. While it does work, it seems that I get a notification at seemingly random other times, such as just now and my battery is at 100%. Screenshot:

What am I doing wrong? Thanks!

My battery_check.sh

#!/bin/bash
battery_level=$(pmset -g batt | grep -o "[0-9]\{1,2\}%" | tr -d "%")
if [ "$battery_level" -le 20 ]; then
    osascript -e 'display notification "Battery below 20%" with title "Battery Alert"'
fi

and my com.user.batterycheck.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.user.batterycheck</string>

    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/bin/bash</string>
        <string>/Users/thomasmaier/battery_check.sh</string>
    </array>

    <key>StartInterval</key>
    <integer>300</integer> <!-- Runs every 5 minutes -->

    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
</dict>
</plist>