What is Appscript?

Appscript is a high-level, user-friendly MacPython-to-Apple Event Manager bridge that allows you to control scriptable Mac OS X applications using ordinary Python scripts. Appscript makes MacPython a serious alternative to Apple's own ../AppleScript language for automating your Mac.

For example, to get the value of the first paragraph of the topmost document in ../TextEdit:

app('TextEdit').documents[1].paragraphs[1].get()

This is equivalent to the /AppleScript statement:

get paragraph 1 of document 1 of application "TextEdit"

Appscript builds upon lower-level Python packages (aem, osaterminology) to provide:

1. an Apple event-based RPC mechanism for sending commands to applications

2. a mechanism for converting data between common Python and Apple event types

3. a simple embedded query language for constructing references to an application's object model

4. a mechanism that uses application-defined terminology to present these references in human-readable form
5. an integrated help system for exploring application terminology information

6. a clean, object oriented-like syntax for ease of use.

See:

• http://appscript.sourceforge.net/

Application scripting notes

Pages containing additional information on scripting individual applications:

• ["../Apple Mail"]
• ["../Audio Hijack Pro"]

• ["../FileMakerPro"]

• ["../Firefox"]
• ["../Growl"]
• ["../Illustrator"]

• ["../InDesign"]

• ["../iCal"]
• ["../iPhoto"]
• ["../iTerm"]
• ["../iTunes"]

• ["../iView MediaPro"]

• ["../Microsoft Powerpoint"]
• ["../Microsoft Word"]

• ["../OmniGraffle"]

• ["../PhotoShop"]

• ["../QuarkXPress"]

• ["../SoundtrackPro"]

• ["../TextEdit"]

• ["../VoodooPad"]