Beyond simple control-flow steps, most of what I do in AppleScript (and Automator) these days is issue unix commands. Its syntax is impenetrable, and as a veteran user, I still have to google for examples if I’m going to attempt to script an app I’ve never controlled before. I use them to sync files for podcast editing, upload files to my web and podcast servers, and even build the weekly Six Colors newsletter.īut the truth is, AppleScript never really caught on, and what cachet it did have has long since evaporated. Perhaps I reveal too much about myself as an old-school Mac user when I admit that I run AppleScript scripts and Automator actions almost every day. And between the two platforms there’s no connectivity at all. On iOS, Shortcuts has some weaknesses and an every-app-for-itself mindset prevails. On the Mac, the technologies feel old-fashioned, adrift, and increasingly unsupported. The problem is that today, everything about user automation on Apple’s platforms is fractured. AppleScript was an early attempt to demystify scripting for a lay audience Automator was sold as an easy building-block interface for performing tasks and Shortcuts on iOS brought a modern sensibility to Automator’s premise. Whether it’s a task that’s so specific that it only applies to one person, or a task that bridges a bunch of different apps and services that just aren’t focused on working together, automation can make our devices do the work so that we don’t have to.įor years, Apple has been a leader in user automation. Not everyone is a programmer, but most of us perform repetitive tasks on our devices that can be eliminated by a judicious application of automation. Note: This story has not been updated since 2021.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |