I recently spoke with Katie Floyd and David Sparks about the automation capabilities in Mac OS X for episode 070 of the Mac Power Users podcast. Topics included getting started with Automator, troubleshooting Automator workflows, Services, and differences between AppleScript and Automator. Check it out on the Mac Power Users website or in iTunes!
Mac Power Users Podcast Episode 070 – Working with Automator
2012.01.22 By
Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual Details Services, Automator, and AppleScript
2011.11.18 By
From the Acknowledgements page...
"Ben Waldie… did a beautiful job updating the Automator/AppleScript material in Chapter 7"
- David Pogue
"Thank you, David, for the opportunity to contribute to such a complete resource on the world's greatest operating system!"
-Ben Waldie
Looking for a great comprehensive book on Mac OS X, which covers everything including powerful built-in automation tools such as Services, Automator, and AppleScript? Look no further. Get your copy today!
Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual
David Pogue
With Lion, Apple has unleashed the most innovative version of Mac OS X yet—and once again, David Pogue brings his humor and expertise to the #1 bestselling Mac book. Mac OS X 10.7 completely transforms the Mac user interface with multi-touch gestures borrowed from the iPhone and iPad, and includes more than 250 brand-new features. This book reveals them all with a wealth of insight and detail--and even does a deep dive into iCloud, Apple's wireless, free syncing service for Macs, PCs, iPhones, and iPads.
- Perfect for newcomers. Get crystal-clear, jargon-free introduction to the Dock, the Mac OS X folder structure, Safari, Mail, and iCloud.
- Go in-depth. Learn how use key new features such as full-screen apps, Mission Control, the new Mac App Store, Launchpad, Resume, Auto Save, Versions, AirDrop, and more. Are you even more of a power user? Learn to set up a network, make a Lion flash drive, and even learn the basics of Lion's underlying Unix.
There's something new on practically every page of this new edition, and David Pogue brings his celebrated wit and expertise to every one of them. Apple's brought a new cat to town, and Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual is the best way to tame it.
About David Pogue
David Pogue is the personal-technology columnist for the New York Times. Each week, he contributes a print column, an online column and an online video. His daily blog, "Pogue's Posts," is the Times's most popular blog. David is also an Emmy award-winning tech correspondent for CBS News and a frequent guest on NPR's "Morning Edition." His trademark comic tech videos appear each Thursday morning on CNBC. With over 3 million books in print, David is one of the world's bestselling how-to authors. He launched his own series of complete, funny computer books called the Missing Manual series, which now includes 60 titles. David graduated summa cum laude from Yale in 1985, with distinction in Music, and he spent ten years conducting and arranging Broadway musicals in New York. He's been profiled on both "48 Hours" and "60 Minutes."
About Ben Waldie
Ben Waldie is president of Automated Workflows, LLC, a company offering AppleScript, Automator, and workflow consulting services to Mac-based businesses. For years, Ben has developed professional automated solutions for companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Adobe Systems, Apple Inc., CNN, Microsoft, NASA, PC World, and Time Magazine. Ben is the author of “Automator for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide" (Peachpit Press) and “AppleScripting the Finder" (Automated Workflows, LLC), has written content for Apple.com, Macworld, MacTech, MacScripter.net, and more, and is the host of the “Mac Automation Made Simple" video podcast series (Peachpit Press). Ben is also the author of an AppleScript training CD for the Virtual Training Company, and is a frequent presenter at Macworld and other industry events.
Creating AppleScript Services in Mac OS X
2011.05.22 By
Services are methods of inter-application communication in Mac OS X. They're ways for applications to share their features with other applications via the Application > Services menu, or through a Services contextual menu.
For example, open a TextEdit document and select some text. Next, choose TextEdit > Services > New Email with Selection. This is a Service provided by the Mail application.
I am often asked how to create AppleScript Services, i.e. scripts that you can run from the Services menu. There are a couple of ways to do this...
1) You can use Automator.
- Launch Automator
- Create a new Service workflow
- Choose the type of content you want the script to process at the top of the workflow
- Choose the application in which you want the service to be accessible
- For text workflows, choose if you want the service to replace the selected text with the result of the workflow
- Search for and insert the Run AppleScript action into the workflow
- Enter your AppleScript code into the action. If you want the action to process the input, you'll need to write the code to do it. If you want to replace text, then you'll need to return text from the action as output
- Save the workflow
You're done. You can now run the workflow from the services menu. Download a sample Service workflow that wraps selected text in quotes here.
2) The utility ThisService is a great tool for converting AppleScripts, Perl scripts, Python scripts, or Ruby scripts into Services.
Looking for some useful pre-existing Services to get you started? Visit macosxautomation.com to learn more about Services and download a TON of free Automator Service workflows.
