RBCAppleScript Class simple example

First add your RBCAppleScript Class to Project Tab and you reedy to rock. In this example we will tell application iTunes to play the music. If it’s not running then iTunes will automatically start.

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Dim applescript As New RBCAppleScript
Dim ascode As String
 
ascode= "tell application ""iTunes"" to play"
applescript.Run(ascode)

RBCAppleScript Class receive data from AppleScript

Using RBCAppleScript is also extremely easy to receive the data from AppleScript using RBCAppleScript.Result method. For example we can use AppleScript to get the name of every person from our Address Book app. This code will do this and display the received data in MsgBox, but a better way is adding it to a Array.

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Dim applescript As New RBCAppleScript
Dim ascode As String
 
ascode= "tell application ""Address Book"" to get the name of every person"
applescript.Run(ascode)
 
MsgBox applescript.Result

Run multiline AppleScript in REALbasic

RBCAppleScript allows you also to run multiline AppleScript code. To define next line use EndOfLine function like in this example:

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Dim applescript As New RBCAppleScript
Dim ascode As String
 
ascode= "tell app ""Finder""" + EndOfLine + "'Activate'" + EndOfLine + "display dialog ""REALbasic City""" + EndOfLine + "end"
 
applescript.Run(ascode)
 
MsgBox applescript.Result

The original AppleScript looks so:

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tell application "Finder"
	activate
	display dialog "REALbasic City"
end tell

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AppleScript Terminology

How can we know that for example iTunes offers a option to play and pause the music using AppleScript? The answer is quite easy. To get the list of iTunes options available for AppleScript we must only drag and drop iTunes app into AppleScript Editor icon displayed in Dock. The Terminology window will open like on the screen below.

AppleScript example – iTunes play

Open AppleScript Editor and write this code into this editor. Next Compile it and click on Run button. When everything will go good your iTunes should lunch and play the music. If it’s already running then it will only play the music.

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tell application "iTunes"
	play
end tell

AppleScript multiline command example

We can also add more commands to our AppleScript file, like in this example. This code will return the number of files available in “Application” folder.

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tell application "Finder"
    if folder "Applications" of startup disk exists then
        return count files in folder "Applications" of startup disk
    else
        return 0
    end if
end tell

Add parameters to AppleScript

There is also a option to add some parameters in “on run” event. This example runs the Growl Notification System and pass the growlDescription and growlTitle to GrowlHelperApp. If you like to know how to interact this kind of AppleScript with REALbasic then go to my tutorial Growl notification system for REALbasic.

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on run {growlDescription, growlTitle}
 
	tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
 
		set the allNotificationsList to ¬
			{"Notification"}
 
 
		set the enabledNotificationsList to ¬
			{"Notification"}
 
 
		register as application ¬
			"Our application name" all notifications allNotificationsList ¬
			default notifications enabledNotificationsList ¬
			icon of application "Safari"
		notify with name ¬
			"Notification" title ¬
			growlTitle description ¬
			growlDescription application name "Our application name"
 
	end tell
 
end run

Run only = protect AppleScript

To protect our AppleScript against copy or edit we must save it with Run only option checked. So if your AppleScript is ready to rock Compile it and then go to File -> Save As… and like on the screenshot select the Run only option and save the file. Now when you will use it in your REALbasic application everything will work as you think, but if someone will want to preview your AppleScript he will get a message that this is impossible. Hope you like this tip and see you next time!

What are notifications?

Notifications are a way for your applications to provide you with new information, without you having to switch from the application you’re already in. Growl is a very popular and powerful Mac OS system notification used by many kind of software (Firefox, Skype, Adium, Coda, Espresso, Transmission).

Growl REALbasic support

AppleScript is the easiest way to integrate Growl notification system with REALbasic. Simply run AppleScript Editor and enter there code available below. You can do this by tipping in Spotlight “AppleScript Editor” or go to Utilities folder in Applications and run AppleScript Editor. After copping the code to AppleScript Editor remove all comments from the code and click on Compile button. Now save the file on your Desktop and name it growl.

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on run {growlDescription, growlTitle} //parameters for data transfer
 
	tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
 
		set the allNotificationsList to ¬
			{"Notification"}
 
 
		set the enabledNotificationsList to ¬
			{"Notification"}
 
 
		register as application ¬
			"Our application name" all notifications allNotificationsList ¬ //name registered in Growl Application settings
			default notifications enabledNotificationsList ¬
			icon of application "Safari" //name of software in Application folder 
 
		notify with name ¬
			"Notification" title ¬
			growlTitle description ¬
			growlDescription application name "Our application name"
 
	end tell
 
end run

REALbasic and Apple Script support

This part of tutorial is also very easy. Drag and drop the growl.scpt file to your REALbasic Project Tab and next go to Code Editor. We will now use the script to inform user with Growl notification system that our REALbasic application is starting. In Event Handlers Sub Open () enter:

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growl( "This software launched", "REALbasic City" ) // (description, title)

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