Mac Script Library

02.06.2020

Automating the User Interface

Free Script Library
Microsoft Powershell Script Library
Mac Script Library Software
The Script Lab Library

2018-9-21 Consider adding this directory to PATH or, if you prefer to suppress this warning, use -no-warn-script-location. 解决思路根据报警第4段提供的解决方法：Consider adding this directory to PATH，很明显是让我们把文件目录加到Mac环境路径中，那这里就要. 2020-4-6 How to make a simple bash script (Mac) The first step to make a simple bash script is writing the script. Open Text Edit, found in Applications, once in Text Edit, click “New Document”. Next, write the Bash Script, as below: #!/bin/bash tells the terminal that you are using bash shell echo hello world prints out “hello world” in the terminal Once you have written the script. 2016-6-13 Creating a Script. Generally, most scripts are written in Script Editor documents. Scripts can also be written in Xcode, but this is typically for scripts that require advanced user interfaces.

Unfortunately, not every Mac app has scripting support, and those that do may not always have scripting support for every task you want to automate. You can often work around such limitations, however, by writing a user interface script, commonly called a UI or GUI script. A user interface script simulates user interaction, such as mouse clicks and keystrokes, allowing the script to select menu items, push buttons, enter text into text fields, and more.

Enabling User Interface Scripting

User interface scripting relies upon the OS X accessibility frameworks that provide alternative methods of querying and controlling the interfaces of apps and the system. By default, accessibility control of apps is disabled. For security and privacy reasons, the user must manually enable it on an app-by-app (including script apps) basis.

Launch System Preferences and click Security & Privacy.
Click Accessibility.
Choose an app and click Open.

When running an app that requires accessibility control for the first time, the system prompts you to enable it. See Figure 37-1.

Attempting to run an app that has not been given permission to use accessibility features results in an error. See Figure 37-2.

Note

To run a user interface script in Script Editor, you must enable accessibility for Script Editor.

Admin credentials are required to perform enable user interface scripting.

Targeting an App

User interface scripting terminology is found in the Processes Suite of the System Events scripting dictionary. This suite includes terminology for interacting with most types of user interface elements, including windows, buttons, checkboxes, menus, radio buttons, text fields, and more. In System Events, the process class represents a running app. Listing 37-1 shows how to target an app using this class.

APPLESCRIPT

Listing 37-1AppleScript: Targeting an app for user interface scripting

tell application 'System Events'
tell process 'Safari'
-- Perform user interface scripting tasks
end tell
end tell

To control the user interface of an app, you must first inspect the app and determine its element hierarchy. This can be done by querying the app. For example, Listing 37-2 asks Safari for a list of menus in the menu bar.

APPLESCRIPT

Listing 37-2AppleScript: Querying an app for user interface element information

tell application 'System Events'
tell process 'Safari'
name of every menu of menu bar 1
end tell
end tell
--> Result: {'Apple', 'Safari', 'File', 'Edit', 'View', 'History', 'Bookmarks', 'Develop', 'Window', 'Help'}

Accessibility Inspector (Figure 37-3) makes it even easier to identify user interface element information. This app is included with Xcode. To use it, open Xcode and select Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Accessibility Inspector.

Once you know how an element fits into an interface, you target it within that hierarchy. For example, button X of window Y of process Z.

Clicking a Button

Use the click command to click a button. Listing 37-3 clicks a button in the Safari toolbar to toggle the sidebar between open and closed.

APPLESCRIPT

Listing 37-3AppleScript: Clicking a button

tell application 'System Events'
tell process 'Safari'
tell toolbar of window 1
click (first button where its accessibility description = 'Sidebar')
end tell
end tell
end tell
--> Result: {button 1 of toolbar 1 of window 'AppleScript: Graphic User Interface (GUI) Scripting' of application process 'Safari' of application 'System Events'}

Choosing a Menu Item

Menu items can have a fairly deep hierarchy within the interface of an app. A menu item generally resides within a menu, which resides within a menu bar. In scripting, they must be addressed as such. Listing 37-4 selects the Pin Tab menu item in the Window menu of Safari.

APPLESCRIPT

Free Script Library

Listing 37-4AppleScript: Choosing a menu item

tell application 'System Events'
tell process 'Safari'
set frontmost to true
click menu item 'Pin Tab' of menu 'Window' of menu bar 1
end tell
end tell
--> Result: menu item 'Pin Tab' of menu 'Window' of menu bar item 'Window' of menu bar 1 of application process 'Safari' of application 'System Events'

Note

Scripting the user interface of an app can be tedious and repetitious. To streamline the process, consider creating handlers to perform common functions. For example, Listing 37-5 shows a handler that can be used to choose any menu item of any menu in any running app.

APPLESCRIPT

Listing 37-5AppleScript: A handler that chooses a menu item

on chooseMenuItem(theAppName, theMenuName, theMenuItemName)
try
-- Bring the target app to the front
tell application theAppName
activate
end tell
-- Target the app
tell application 'System Events'
tell process theAppName
-- Target the menu bar
tell menu bar 1
-- Target the menu by name
tell menu bar item theMenuName
tell menu theMenuName
-- Click the menu item
click menu item theMenuItemName
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
return true
on error
return false
end try
end chooseMenuItem

Listing 37-6 calls the handler in Listing 37-5 to select the Pin Tab menu item in the Window menu of Safari.

APPLESCRIPT

There are a few ways to transfer your iTunes library from one computer to another. When you get a new Mac, use Setup Assistant (or Migration Assistant, if you’re switching from Windows) to move files—including your iTunes files—from your old computer to the new one. Move your iTunes library to another computer. If you get a new computer, you can transfer your iTunes library by connecting computers or by using iPod or a portable drive. See the Apple Support article Back up and restore your iTunes library on your PC. How to transfer itunes library from mac to windows computer.

Microsoft Powershell Script Library

Listing 37-6AppleScript: Calling a handler to choose a menu item

Choosing a Submenu Item

Some menus contain other menus. In these cases, it may be necessary to select a menu item in a submenu of a menu. Listing 37-7 demonstrates how this would be done by selecting a submenu item in Safari.

APPLESCRIPT

Listing 37-7AppleScript: Selecting a submenu item