Get return values from Applescript in Swift

Question

Is it possible to run a Applescript in Swift and receive the return values? I have a script like the following. How can I run this in swift and receive the return value?

global frontApp
set windowTitle to "
tell application "System Events"
    set frontApp to first application process whose frontmost is true
end tell
return {frontApp}

my code would be as follows

var set: String = "set windowTile to \"\"\n"
var tell: String = "tell application \"System Events\"\n"
var setFrontApp: String = "set frontApp to first application       
                           process whose frontmost is true\n"
var setFrontAppName: String = "set frontAppName to name of frontApp\n"
var tellProcces: String = "tell process frontAppName\n"
var tellFirst: String = "tell (1st window whose value of attribute          
                              \"AXMain\" is true)\n"
var setWindowTitle: String = "set windowTitle to value of 
                               attribute \"AXTitle\"\n"
var endTellFirst: String = "end tell\n"
var endTellProcess: String = "end tell\n"
var endTell: String = "end tell"
var startAtLoginScript: NSAppleScript = NSAppleScript(source: tell 
                                        + deleteItem + endTell)!
startAtLoginScript.executeAndReturnError(errorInfo)

Can you tell me where my result should be or what I did wrong? If I print out errorInfo or tracking the result is some strange number.

Thank you Matt. I have seen this. But code you give a short code example how to run the script and receive the data in an swift array? I can post my approach but the result is strange. — Silve2611
– Silve2611, Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 6:31

foo · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-10 10:28:17Z

4

NSAppleScript is a mostly useless hunk of junk. If you want to integrate your own AppleScript code into your ObjC/Swift project, use the AppleScript-ObjC bridge, which uses standard ObjC messaging and provides automatic bridging between most AS types and their Foundation equivalents:

http://appscript.sourceforge.net/asoc.html

http://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?pid=175562#p175562

If you want to execute user-supplied scripts, you generally want to use NSUserAppleScriptTask. Functionally it's even lamer than NSAppleScript (no persistence support); however, it is sandbox-friendly whereas NSAppleScript (which runs in-process) is not.

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Foundation/Reference/NSUserAppleScriptTask_Class/

answered Mar 10, 2015 at 10:28

foo

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7 Comments

Silve2611 Over a year ago

My initial question was not only running the script put also retaining the output Values. Is this somehow possible with NSAppleScript or NSUserAppleScriptTask?

foo Over a year ago

It's possible with all of them. But why would you want to use NSAppleScript/NSUserAppleScriptTask, which require you to do all the tedious work of converting AppleScript values to their Cocoa equivalents, when AppleScript-ObjC will do all that for you?

Silve2611 Over a year ago

I don't really see how AppleScript-ObjC does all the work for me. I have to create multiple files(Bridging Header etc.) The code i have can be run in one method but how can i get the return values?

foo Over a year ago

Um, you realize -[NSAppleScript executeAndReturnError:] returns a result, yes? That returns the script's result as an NSAppleEventDescriptor (if successful, or nil if not), which you then have to unpack yourself. BTW, the other thing worth looking into is OS X's Accessibility APIs, which'd avoid the need to mess with AppleScript and System Events (which is just a wrapper for those APIs) at all. HTH

Silve2611 Over a year ago

Thank you for you help. I just that it is quite hard for me to find examples. If i look a the documentation of Apple i still have some trouble building code out of it. It is much easier for me to understand if i could see a code sample.

|

The Beanstalk · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-07 19:42:25Z

3

Actually, let text = startAtLoginScript.stringValue won't work as NSAppleScript doesn't have a member named "stringValue". However, you can do this:

let text = startAtLoginScript.executeAndReturnError(errorinfo)!.stringValue!

Which will return the output of the script, or, in the case of an error, whatever is in errorinfo.

answered Jul 7, 2015 at 19:42

The Beanstalk

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Comments

Silve2611 · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-15 23:57:29Z

1

If found the solution to me question.

let text = startAtLoginScript.stringValue

This is how i can parse the result.

answered Mar 15, 2015 at 23:57

Silve2611

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