Utilizing JavaScript to exchange "unprocessed" Apple Events on OS X (El Capitan)

Question

Utilizing JavaScript to exchange "unprocessed" Apple Events on OS X (El Capitan)

I'm exploring the new JavaScript Automation feature in OS X (10.11) to automate a specific application that lacks a dictionary. My current approach involves using AppleScript with raw Apple Events as follows:

tell application "Bookends"
  return «event ToySSQLS» "authors REGEX 'Johnson' "
end tell

My query now is: how can I convert this functionality into JavaScript? I've been unsuccessful in finding any resources on the Javascript OSA API for sending and receiving raw Apple events.

A potential workaround could involve executing an AppleScript from the shell, but I would prefer utilizing a more conventional API.

javascript applescript osx-elcapitan javascript-automation

Answer 1

Answer №1

If you want to speed up your script calls compared to using a shell script, consider implementing OSAKit with helper functions:

// runOSA :: String -> String -> IO String
function runOSA(language, code) {

    var script = ($.OSAScript || (
            ObjC.import('OSAKit'),
            $.OSAScript))
        .alloc.initWithSourceLanguage(
            code, $.OSALanguage.languageForName(language)
        ),
        error = $(),
        compiled = script.compileAndReturnError(error),
        desc = compiled ? (
            script.executeAndReturnError(error)
        ) : undefined;

    return desc ? (
        desc.stringValue.js
    ) : error.js.NSLocalizedDescription.js;
}

// generateEventCode :: String -> String
function generateEventCode(codeString) {
    return 'tell application "Bookends" to «event ToyS' +
        codeString + '»';
}

With these functions, you can create functionalities such as:

// findMatches :: String -> [String]
function findMatches(clause) {
    var result = runOSA(
        '', generateEventCode('SQLS') +
        ' "' + clause + '"'
    );

    return result.indexOf('\r') !== -1 ? (
        result.split('\r')
    ) : (result ? [result] : []);
}

Try calling:

findMatches("authors like '%Harrington%'")

Find more examples and detailed information here: JavaScript wrappers for Bookends functions

Answer 2

If you want to speed up your script calls compared to using a shell script, consider implementing OSAKit with helper functions:

// runOSA :: String -> String -> IO String
function runOSA(language, code) {

    var script = ($.OSAScript || (
            ObjC.import('OSAKit'),
            $.OSAScript))
        .alloc.initWithSourceLanguage(
            code, $.OSALanguage.languageForName(language)
        ),
        error = $(),
        compiled = script.compileAndReturnError(error),
        desc = compiled ? (
            script.executeAndReturnError(error)
        ) : undefined;

    return desc ? (
        desc.stringValue.js
    ) : error.js.NSLocalizedDescription.js;
}

// generateEventCode :: String -> String
function generateEventCode(codeString) {
    return 'tell application "Bookends" to «event ToyS' +
        codeString + '»';
}

With these functions, you can create functionalities such as:

// findMatches :: String -> [String]
function findMatches(clause) {
    var result = runOSA(
        '', generateEventCode('SQLS') +
        ' "' + clause + '"'
    );

    return result.indexOf('\r') !== -1 ? (
        result.split('\r')
    ) : (result ? [result] : []);
}

Try calling:

findMatches("authors like '%Harrington%'")

Find more examples and detailed information here: JavaScript wrappers for Bookends functions

Utilizing JavaScript to exchange "unprocessed" Apple Events on OS X (El Capitan)

Answer №1

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