colinwalker
colinwalker

I’ve been thinking about learning AppleScript but am wondering:

is it really worth it, and what are some good online resources?
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In reply to
eli
eli

@colinwalker doesn’t seem to currently support AppleScript, but learnxinyminutes is always one of the first places I look when I’m playing with a new language or tool.

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colinwalker
colinwalker

@eli Cool thanks. Nothing fancy to begin with, just automating local stuff and binding it to keyboard shortcuts.

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craigmcclellan
craigmcclellan

@colinwalker Would keyboard maestro be easier for that kind of thing?

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johnjohnston
johnjohnston

@colinwalker fastscripts is a great app for running AppleScripts & addingkeyboard shortcuts. Alfred is useful too. AppleScript: The Language of Automation might be good for learning.

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MrHenko
MrHenko

@colinwalker As far as I know, these days anything in macOS that’s scriptable works with both AppleScript and JavaScript so I don’t think it’s worth the trouble anymore.

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hutaffe
hutaffe

@colinwalker It‘s also a question of what is fun for you. AppleScript might not be the latest hype, but I always enjoy using it, maybe because it’s so weird sometimes. macosxautomation.com/ should be a good place to check out.

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colinwalker
colinwalker

@craigmcclellan @johnjohnston I’ve had a quick look at both Keyboard Maestro and Fastscripts already, thanks.

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colinwalker
colinwalker

@MrHenko Ah, but that assumed my JavaScript is up to scratch 😉 (it’s been a while) but then you’ve still got to learn the object model.

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colinwalker
colinwalker

@hutaffe Thanks, I’ll take a look at that.

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marramgrass
marramgrass

@colinwalker Doesn't really count as an online resource, probably, but this book is very good. And definitely wasn't £17.99 when I bought my hardcopy 😯

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MrHenko
MrHenko

@colinwalker True, and the object model of macOS automation can be really confusing but the part that always trips me up is AppleScript itself. That being said, I've never written a single line of macOS automation in JavaScript.

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colinwalker
colinwalker

@vasta Thanks 🙏 Yes, That’s been a popular suggestion. I’ve also found a free ebook I can flick through on my phone for revision purposes.

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