I've been trying to figure out how to run applescript in a objective-c program but so far haven't been able to.
Regardless of how I load the source into the NSAppleScript object, I simply can't get it to compile. Loading from a file returns a nil and loading from source just plain refuses to compile.
I am not an objective-c programmer in any respect and I am having a hard time figuring out how this brain dead language works. Any and all problems are likely correlated to my inability to comprehend why a constructor changes its name based on the arguments you give it.
Example source of one of my many attempts: (note, the script is correct and works fine in Script Editor)
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
int main(int argc, const char * argv[]) {
#autoreleasepool {
NSString * source =
#"to go_home()\n"
" tell application \"Finder\" to open \"Home\"\n"
"end go_home\n"
"go_home()";
NSAppleScript * script = [[NSAppleScript alloc] initWithSource: source];
if ( script == nil)
NSLog(#"Script is nil");
NSLog(#"Script source = %#", script.source);
[script compileAndReturnError: nil];
[script executeAndReturnError: nil];
if ([script isCompiled])
NSLog(#"Script is compiled");
else
NSLog(#"Script is not compiled");
}
return 0;
}
Example output:
2017-12-05 11:05:48.249206+0100 applescript[11826:744415] Script source = to go_home()
tell application "Finder" to open "Home"
end go_home
go_home()
2017-12-05 11:05:48.262797+0100 applescript[11826:744415] Script is not compiled
Program ended with exit code: 0
Edit: It appears that the problem is related to XCode. When I compile the program in a terminal, everything works fine.
i am getting Script is compiled
Program ended with exit code: 0 for same code.
you can check error by replacing
[script compileAndReturnError: nil];
[script executeAndReturnError: nil];
with
NSDictionary *error;
[script compileAndReturnError: &error];
[script executeAndReturnError: &error];
Related
NSDictionary *error = nil;
//AppleScript to get all running windows
NSAppleScript *appleScriptFindWindows = [[NSAppleScript alloc] initWithSource:
#"tell application \"System Events\" to get the title of every window of process \"TestWindow\" whose name contains \"Black\" end tell"];
while (true) {
#autoreleasepool {
//Execute and get the result of the OSAScript
NSAppleEventDescriptor *result = [appleScriptFindWindows executeAndReturnError:&error];
//Convert the result to a string
NSString *windowNames = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#", result];
error = nil;
sleep(0.25);
}
}
I know I am not currently doing anything with result but I will do once I have the issue fixed.
I will be monitoring various windows/files using applescript on a continuous loop, however I have noticed that when I run this code my memory usage skyrockets at 12mb/s and energy impact is high. I cannot release or de-alloc AppleEventDescriptor because of arc.
Is there a way to release the event descriptor or perhaps I am missing something in the applescript itself to correctly exit after execution?
I am a bit lost on this one and being new to obj-c I am wondering if there is a better way to execute applescript within obj-c if that is the issue.
I'm working on this app that launches other apps. I'm listening to app launches using:
[[[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] notificationCenter] addObserver:self
selector:#selector(appLaunched:) name:NSWorkspaceDidLaunchApplicationNotification
object:nil];
And I launch them using (Mail is just an example):
NSDictionary *dict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:[NSArray arrayWithObject:#"lalalala"], NSWorkspaceLaunchConfigurationArguments, nil];
[[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] launchApplicationAtURL:[NSURL URLWithString:#"/Applications/Mail.app"] options:NSWorkspaceLaunchWithoutActivation configuration:dict error:nil];
I did some research, and I saw that you can send an argument when you launch an app (that's why I used the var dict in the code above), but I'm having an issue with this: even using NSWorkspaceLaunchWithoutActivation, the Mail.app is launched and becomes focused with a new composing window. I don't know why it's doing that.
Another thing, if I manage to successfully send a custom argument without focusing the app, how can I check if the app was launched by me (check if the argument is there)?
PS: I'm looking for App Store-ready methods.
Send the timestamp (UTC) together with the app name you started to your server or a local file if possible.
Then you can track it.
Firstly, I'd try NSWorkspaceLaunchAndHide if NSWorkspaceLaunchWithoutActivation isn't "working". Not ideal, no.. but a kludge...
Secondly... here's a "full, running example" that does the trick..
#import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
NSString *psAUX(NSString*grep) {
FILE *read_f; char buff[BUFSIZ+1]; int char_rd; NSString *res, *cmnd;
memset(buff, '\0', sizeof(buff));
cmnd = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"/bin/ps aux|grep -i %#",grep];
read_f = popen(cmnd.UTF8String, "r");
if (read_f == NULL) return nil;
char_rd = fread(buff, sizeof(char), BUFSIZ, read_f);
if (!char_rd) return nil;
return res = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:buff], pclose(read_f), res;
}
int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { #autoreleasepool {
NSString* secretStr; NSURL *mailURL; NSDictionary *cfg; NSWorkspace *ws; NSApplication.sharedApplication;
secretStr = #"TAMPAX";
mailURL = [NSURL URLWithString:#"file:///Applications/Mail.app"];
cfg = #{NSWorkspaceLaunchConfigurationArguments:#[secretStr]};
ws = NSWorkspace.sharedWorkspace;
[ws launchApplicationAtURL:mailURL options:0 configuration:cfg error:nil];
fprintf(stderr,"%s",
[psAUX(#"Mail.app") containsString:secretStr]
? "You ARE Mail's baby's daddy!"
: "Hands off, she's NOT yours!");
[NSApp run]; } }
NSLog -> You ARE Mail's baby's daddy!
Congratulations!
You can create a new Task using NSTask. With NSTask you can set arguments as well as some environment variables to app so that you can check if it is launched by you or by someone else.
Here is the sample code sniffet to do so:
NSTask* taskApp = [[NSTask alloc] init];
[taskApp setLaunchPath:#"App path goes here"];
[taskApp setArguments:[NSArray arrayWithObjects:#"Arg1",#"arg2", nil]];
[taskApp setEnvironment: [[NSProcessInfo processInfo] environment]];
[taskApp launch];
I've been trying to make do (see this and this) with the recent NSUserScriptTask class and its subclasses and so far I've solved some problems, but some others remain to be solved. As you can see from the docs, NSUserScriptTask does not allow for the cancellation of tasks. So, I decided to create a simple executable that takes as arguments the path to the script and runs the script. That way, I can launch the helper from my main app using NSTask and call [task terminate] when necessary. However, I require:
The main app to receive output and errors from the helper it launched
The helper only terminating when the NSUserScriptTask is done
The code for the main app is simple: just launch an NSTask with the proper info. Here's what I have now (for the sake of simplicity I ignored the code for security-scoped bookmarks and the like, which are out of the problem. But don't forget this is running sandboxed):
// Create task
task = [NSTask new];
[task setLaunchPath: [[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: #"ScriptHelper" ofType: #""]];
[task setArguments: [NSArray arrayWithObjects: scriptPath, nil]];
// Create error pipe
NSPipe* errorPipe = [NSPipe new];
[task setStandardError: errorPipe];
// Create output pipe
NSPipe* outputPipe = [NSPipe new];
[task setStandardOutput: outputPipe];
// Set termination handler
[task setTerminationHandler: ^(NSTask* task){
// Save output
NSFileHandle* outFile = [outputPipe fileHandleForReading];
NSString* output = [[NSString alloc] initWithData: [outFile readDataToEndOfFile] encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding];
if ([output length]) {
[output writeToFile: outputPath atomically: NO encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding error: nil];
}
// Log errors
NSFileHandle* errFile = [errorPipe fileHandleForReading];
NSString* error = [[NSString alloc] initWithData: [errFile readDataToEndOfFile] encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding];
if ([error length]) {
[error writeToFile: errorPath atomically: NO encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding error: nil];
}
// Do some other stuff after the script finished running <-- IMPORTANT!
}];
// Start task
[task launch];
Remember, I need the termination handler to only run when: (a) the task was cancelled (b) the task terminated on its own because the script finished running.
Now, on the helper side things start to get hairy, at least for me. Let's imagine for the sake of simplicity that the script is an AppleScript file (so I use the NSUserAppleScriptTask subclass - on the real world I'd have to accomodate for the three types of tasks). Here's what I got so far:
int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
#autoreleasepool {
NSString* filePath = [NSString stringWithUTF8String: argv[1]];
__block BOOL done = NO;
NSError* error;
NSUserAppleScriptTask* task = [[NSUserAppleScriptTask alloc] initWithURL: [NSURL fileURLWithPath: filePath] error: &error];
NSLog(#"Task: %#", task); // Prints: "Task: <NSUserAppleScriptTask: 0x1043001f0>" Everything OK
if (error) {
NSLog(#"Error creating task: %#", error); // This is not printed
return 0;
}
NSLog(#"Starting task");
[task executeWithAppleEvent: nil completionHandler: ^(NSAppleEventDescriptor *result, NSError *error) {
NSLog(#"Finished task");
if (error) {
NSLog(#"Error running task: %#", error);
}
done = YES;
}];
// Wait until (done == YES). How??
}
return 0;
}
Now, I have three questions (which are the ones I want to ask with this SO entry). Firstly, "Finished task" never gets printed (the block never gets called) because the task never even starts executing. Instead, I get this on my console:
MessageTracer: msgtracer_vlog_with_keys:377: odd number of keys (domain: com.apple.automation.nsuserscripttask_run, last key: com.apple.message.signature)
I tried running the exact same code from the main app and it completes without a fuss (but from the main app I lose the ability to cancel the script).
Secondly, I only want to reach the end of main (return 0;) after the completion handler is called. But I have no idea how to do that.
Thridly, whenever there's an error or output from the helper I want to send that error/output back to the app, which will receive them through the errorPipe/outputPipe. Something like fprintf(stderr/stdout, "string") does the trick, but I'm not sure if it is the right way to do it.
So, in short, any help regarding the first and second problems is appreciated. The third one I just want to make sure that's how I'm supposed to do it.
Thanks
Question 1: The sub-task doesn't run because its parent exits immediately. (The log message about "odd number of keys" is a bug in NSUserScriptTask, and happens because your helper doesn't have a bundle identifier, but is otherwise harmless and irrelevant to your problem.) It exits immediately because it's not waiting for the completion block to fire, which brings us to...
Question 2: How do you wait for an asynchronous completion block? This has been answered elsewhere, including Wait until multiple networking requests have all executed - including their completion blocks, but to recap, use dispatch groups, something like this:
dispatch_group_t g = dispatch_group_create();
dispatch_group_enter(g);
[task executeWithAppleEvent:nil completionHandler:^(NSAppleEventDescriptor *result, NSError *e) {
...
dispatch_group_leave(g);
}];
dispatch_group_wait(g, DISPATCH_TIME_FOREVER);
dispatch_release(g);
This same pattern works for any call that has a completion block you want to wait for. If you wanted another notification when the group finishes instead of waiting for it, use dispatch_group_notify instead of dispatch_group_wait.
As a side note, the way you’re testing error after allocating the NSUserAppleScriptTask is incorrect. The value of error is defined if and only if the function result is nil (or NO, or whatever indicates failure). If the function succeeds (which you know if it returns non-nil), then error may be anything -- the function may set it to nil, it may leave it undefined, it may even fill it in with a real object. (See also What's the Point of (NSError**)error?)
I'm having a problem saving a string file with NSSavePanel after sandboxing the app for the Mac App Store. I set com.apple.security.files.user-selected.read-write to YES and the NSOpenPanel is working as it should.
When I try to save a new file, though, it seems that everything is working fine but then there is no saved file where it should be....
This is the code I am using to save the file:
NSSavePanel *save = [NSSavePanel savePanel];
long int result = [save runModal];
if (result == NSOKButton)
{
NSString *selectedFile = [save filename];
NSString *fileName = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%#.dat", selectedFile];
NSString *arrayCompleto = [[NSString alloc]initWithFormat:#"bla bla bla"];
[arrayCompleto writeToFile:fileName
atomically:NO
encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding
error:nil];
}
First of all, the -[NSSavePanel filename] selector has been deprecated. Use -[NSSavePanel URL] instead. Second, the way that the -[NSString writeToFile:atomically:encoding:error] tells you what you're doing wrong is with the error:(NSError**) argument.
You should also handle errors for file I/O in particular, because even if your code is 100% correct, there still might be errors on the user's system (insufficient privileges, etc.) and presenting the error to the user will allow them to see it failed (and have some idea why). Handling the error in code will also allow your app to recover. For instance, if you tried to read in the file below the code you pasted (after writing it to disk), but the user tried writing it to a network share they didn't have access to, your app might crash. If you know the write failed, you can proceed accordingly (perhaps prompting for a different save location).
In this case, though, I believe the following line is your problem:
NSString *fileName = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%#.dat", selectedFile];
When your app is sandboxed, the user needs to give you permission for either a specific file or a specific directory through the open/save panels to bring them into your sandbox. What you're doing is taking the file the user gave you permission to write and saying "that's great, but I want to save a different file", which violates the sandbox. What you should do instead is set the extension in the Save Panel. The complete fixed solution would be:
NSSavePanel *save = [NSSavePanel savePanel];
[save setAllowedFileTypes:[NSArray arrayWithObject:#"dat"]];
[save setAllowsOtherFileTypes:NO];
NSInteger result = [save runModal];
if (result == NSOKButton)
{
NSString *selectedFile = [[save URL] path];
NSString *arrayCompleto = #"bla bla bla";
NSError *error = nil;
[arrayCompleto writeToFile:selectedFile
atomically:NO
encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding
error:&error];
}
if (error) {
// This is one way to handle the error, as an example
[NSApp presentError:error];
}
If in the future something else is wrong, you can check the value of error at runtime. While debugging, set a breakpoint inside the if (error) statement to check error object's value (do a po error in Xcode's debugger). That should help you figure out what's wrong.
Just to give context to my problem, I often have to run search and replace on CSV files. I would like to start doing this by coding my needs in Objective-C and then run the executable to get the job done.
I currently have this chunk of code to open a file and stick it's contents into a string. I then compile it in terminal and then run it.
Here is the code of the entire program:
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>
int main (int argc, const char *argv[])
{
NSAutoreleasePool * pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
NSLog (#"Running....");
NSString* filePath = #"/Users/xxxxxx/Desktop/test_level2.txt";
NSString* fileContents = [NSString stringWithContentsOfFile:filePath encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding error:nil];
NSLog(#"file contents --->%#", fileContents);
[pool drain];
return 0;
}
The weird thing about this is that it prints only some of the contents of the file. Out of 20 lines, it prints the first and the last and some random parts from the middle.
Any idea of how I can solve this? Any suggests of how I can get the entire contents of the file into an NSString?
You sure there's not some carriage returns rather than new lines in there?
Does it do the same thing when you do cat /Users/xxxxxx/Desktop/test_level2.txt?