AppleScripts

AppleScripts for use with OS X / macOS (tested in 10.9 Mavericks)

AppleScript applet for Spotlight URI handler

This script, when saved as an application, creates a URI scheme ("spotlight:") that can be used to do a Spotlight search in the Finder from a URL (link) in any macOS application. Further instructions are in the script. Read the comments in the script before running it.

AppleScript droplet for pandoc file conversion

This script provides a graphical front end for Pandoc. Just save it as an AppleScript droplet, and then drop files onto it that you want to convert. Read the comments in the script before running it.

AppleScript droplet to create symbolic link

This script asks for a destination folder and creates symbolic links in that folder to whatever you drop onto it. Just save it as an AppleScript droplet, and then drop files or folders onto it that you want to link. The script ignores .webloc files since AppleScript treats those as URLs instead of as files.

AppleScript droplet to map the GPS position of an image in Apple Maps

This script uses ExifTool by Phil Harvey (a free and open-source command-line application) to extract the GPS position from an image's EXIF data and then displays that position in Apple Maps. Just save it as an AppleScript droplet, and then run the app by dragging an image file onto the app or else by clicking on it and choosing an image file, and if the image has a GPS position in its EXIF data then Maps.app will open with that position as a dropped pin. Read the comments in the script before running it.

AppleScript for Scrivener to sync with external folder and compile

This script for Scrivener 2 runs the menu commands "Sync with External Folder Now" and "Compile..." so that both can be done with one command. It presumes that "Sync with External Folder" has already been run at least once to set the necessary sync settings. Since the script uses GUI scripting, the Accessibility API must be enabled in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and earlier, or it must be specifically enabled for Scrivener in OS X 10.9 Mavericks and later.

AppleScript service to create file with specified creation date

This script asks for a date and time and then:

1. uses the shell command touch to create an empty HTML file in the pre-specified save_path with the creation date set to the user-provided date and time, then
2. sets the file extension (.html) of the file to hidden, then
3. changes the file metadata so that the file always opens in TextEdit, then
4. opens the file in TextEdit, and then
5. inserts the creation date into the document body.

Just save it as a systemwide service (a Services menu item) and assign a keyboard shortcut to it, and then press the keyboard shortcut to create and open a TextEdit HTML file with specified creation date. I use this to create journal entries (sometimes in conjunction with WordService's "Insert Short Date & Time" command, free from DEVONtechnologies). The reason why the script prompts for a date is that some of my journal entries were written at an earlier date and time, so I want to be able to specify a creation date other than the current date and time when necessary. It is also possible to use this script with Apple's built-in dictation commands and text dictation for journaling or notetaking entirely by voice. The value of the property save_path and the property resource_fork_path in the script will need to be edited before the script is run; the latter value should be the POSIX path to the file TextEdit.r (included in the same directory as the file you are reading). Before using this script, Apple's Developer Tools must be installed (for example, by running xcode-select --install or by installing Xcode) so that the Rez and SetFile commands are available. Perhaps the script could be rewritten to use AppleScriptObjC instead of Rez and SetFile, but I don't know how to do that. Read the comments in the script before running it.