I’d like to share this little module that lets you run an AppleScript with parameters in a shell and retrieve the result. There are good reasons to do this: first, you can run a script from any location (so you can keep a folder of scripts in a user-accessible location for editing); you can execute the script asynchronously; and you can execute multiple scripts at once.
By default, the code executes script synchronously, because that was all I needed for my application. However, it could easily be extended to support asynchronous calls. The important parts of this code are the parameter encoding for the shell.
The key entry function is ExecuteAsAppleScript, which extends the Folderitem object and accepts an array of parameters. These parameters will be presented in order to your script. For example, consider this sample script:
on run(name, age, favoriteColor, likesIceCream)
(...AppleScript code...)
end
You would call it like this using the module:
dim scriptParams() as variant
scriptParams.Add("Terry")
scriptParams.Add(12)
scriptParams.Add("Fuscia")
scriptParams.Add(true)
dim someScriptFile as Folderitem
dim scriptResult as String
dim result as Boolean
result=someScriptFile.ExecuteAsAppleScript(scriptParams, scriptResult)
Your AppleScript will receive the parameters as strings, so some parameters may need to be converted:
set age to age as number
if likesIceCream="true" then
set likesIceCream to true
else
set likesIceCream to false
end if
Here is the module as text. To use it, copy the text and save it to a file named “AppleScriptAccess.xojo_code” using a text editor, and import the file into your project.
#tag Module
Protected Module AppleScriptAccess
#tag Method, Flags = &h1
Protected Function EncodeParamsForCommandLine(params() as variant, byref outputStrings() as string, root as boolean = false) As boolean
dim currentParam as variant
dim currentParamObject as object
dim currentParamType as integer
for i as integer=0 to UBound(params)
currentParam=params(i)
currentParamType=currentParam.type
if currentParamType>4096 then
select case currentParamType-4096
case variant.TypeString
dim localStringArray() as string
localStringArray=currentParam
outputStrings.Append join(localStringArray, EndOfLine.macOS)
case variant.TypeInteger
dim localIntegerArray() as integer
localIntegerArray=currentParam
dim localIntegerStrings() as string
dim localIntegerVariant as variant
for n as integer=0 to UBound(localIntegerArray)
localIntegerVariant=localIntegerArray(n)
if EncodeParamsForCommandLine(array(localIntegerVariant), localIntegerStrings, false) then
else
'Somehow not an encodable integer?
return false
end
next
outputStrings.Append join(localIntegerStrings, EndOfLine.macOS)
end
else
select case currentParamType
case variant.TypeInteger, variant.TypeInt32, variant.TypeInt64
outputStrings.Append currentParam.StringValue
case variant.TypeDouble, variant.TypeSingle
outputStrings.Append currentParam.StringValue
case variant.TypeBoolean
if currentParam.BooleanValue then
outputStrings.Append "true"
else
outputStrings.Append "false"
end
case variant.TypeString, variant.TypeText
outputStrings.Append EscapeStringForShell(currentParam.StringValue)
case variant.TypeObject
currentParamObject=currentParam.ObjectValue
if currentParamObject isa FolderItem then
outputStrings.Append EscapeStringForShell(FolderItem(currentParamObject).NativePath)
else
return false
end
else
return false
end
end
next
return true
End Function
#tag EndMethod
#tag Method, Flags = &h21
Private Function EscapeStringForShell(sourceString as string) As string
dim result as string
result=ReplaceAll(sourceString, "\", "\\")
result=ReplaceAll(sourceString, chr(34), "\"+chr(34))
return result
End Function
#tag EndMethod
#tag Method, Flags = &h0
Function ExecuteAsAppleScript(extends f as FolderItem, params() as variant, byref result as string) As boolean
if not(f.Exists) then
return false
end
'Build the parameter strings
dim paramPieces() as string
dim consolidatedParameters as string
if params<>nil then
if EncodeParamsForCommandLine(params, paramPieces, true) then
else
'Couldn't encode a parameter for some reason
return false
end
dim shellEncodedParameters() as string
for i as integer=0 to UBound(paramPieces)
shellEncodedParameters.Append EscapeStringForShell(paramPieces(i))
next
consolidatedParameters=" "+chr(34)+join(shellEncodedParameters, chr(34)+" "+chr(34))+chr(34)
end
dim s as shell
s=new shell
dim theCommand as string
theCommand="osascript "+f.ShellPath+consolidatedParameters
s.Execute theCommand
'Trim off the trailing linefeed
result=s.result.Left(s.result.Length-1)
return true
End Function
#tag EndMethod
#tag Method, Flags = &h1
Protected Function ParseScriptShellResponseAsStringArray(sourceText as string) As string()
'Decode the string
return split(sourceText.ReplaceLineEndings(EndOfLine.macOS), EndOfLine.macOS)
End Function
#tag EndMethod
#tag ViewBehavior
#tag ViewProperty
Name="Name"
Visible=true
Group="ID"
InitialValue=""
Type="String"
EditorType=""
#tag EndViewProperty
#tag ViewProperty
Name="Index"
Visible=true
Group="ID"
InitialValue="-2147483648"
Type="Integer"
EditorType=""
#tag EndViewProperty
#tag ViewProperty
Name="Super"
Visible=true
Group="ID"
InitialValue=""
Type="String"
EditorType=""
#tag EndViewProperty
#tag ViewProperty
Name="Left"
Visible=true
Group="Position"
InitialValue="0"
Type="Integer"
EditorType=""
#tag EndViewProperty
#tag ViewProperty
Name="Top"
Visible=true
Group="Position"
InitialValue="0"
Type="Integer"
EditorType=""
#tag EndViewProperty
#tag EndViewBehavior
End Module
#tag EndModule
