GUI automation with AppleScript - How to click a button in the script

Question

I'm trying to write an AppleScript that will use the Save as Pictures... function of PowerPoint, but I'm wrestling with AppleScript. This is what I have:

set p to "file.pptx"

tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
    launch
    open p
    delay 2
    click menu item "Save as Pictures..." of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
end tell

and it isn't doing what I want. The specific error I get is:

script error: Expected end of line, etc. but found class name. (-2741)

And I don't know what to do. I've tried all sorts of things but I can't seem to get the right menu item to click. I'm using OSX 10.9 and PowerPoint 2011 (Version 14.3.2)

UPDATE:

This is now the script I have:

set p to "file.pptx"

tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
    launch
    open p
end tell

delay 2

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "PowerPoint"
        click menu item "Save as Pictures..." of menu 1 of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
    end tell
end tell

And I'm getting an execution error: Microsoft PowerPoint got an error: Parameter error. (-50)

Good idea but this turned out to be incorrect. Thanks for the help though! — Drew
– Drew, Commented Feb 4, 2014 at 16:03

adamh · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-04 08:57:31Z

2

Gui automation is generally done through the "System Events" app.

Also you need to provide a full path to a file before trying to open it.

This is how you would begin your attack on PowerPoint correctly.

set p to POSIX file "/Users/drew/Desktop/file.pptx"

tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
    launch
    open p
end tell

delay 2

tell application "System Events"
    tell process "PowerPoint"
        click menu item "Save as Pictures..." of menu 1 of menu bar item "File" of menu bar 1
    end tell
end tell

edited Feb 4, 2014 at 8:57

answered Feb 4, 2014 at 5:58

adamh

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4 Comments

Drew Over a year ago

Thanks for the help, but this is giving me a different error: execution error: Microsoft PowerPoint got an error: Parameter error. (-50), I added the whole script I have now to the question. I tried a few variations (process/application, "PowerPoint"/"Microsoft PowerPoint", etc.) but always seem to get the same error. I don't even know which part of the script is wrong.

adamh Over a year ago

Perhaps you need to enable access for assistive devices, looks like it's changed in mavericks. Look at this tekrevue.com/… and add power point.

adamh Over a year ago

@Drew Just noticed you were not using a full path to your pptx file, which is possibly the Parameter error. Have edited my answer to show this as well.

Drew Over a year ago

Turned out you were both right. Thanks for all the help!

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