Featherweightstuff > AppleScript Stuff

To download a script, click on its name (the link at the start of the description).

It's been far too long since I've updated this page, and the glaring omission is, of course, System 10 scripts. I've written many, and intend to organize and post lots of 'em, but we'll begin with some, followed by some more, and . . . You get the idea. Please email me if you've got an idea, request, or problem that wants an Applescript solution.

For a start, I'll be posting scripts designed to be used with the handy Scripts Menu, available one way or another in all versions of OS X. I'm using Tiger, but most of these should work in any OS X. If you have problems, write. (I haven't written a "How To" page for Script Menu. If you don't know how to install and configure it, poke around Apple's website. If you know of a good "How To" page, do me a favor and let me know so I can post a URL here.)

• New Folder for Selection [Finder] — When you've got a selection (of files and/or folders), this script will create a new folder (which it asks you to name, but guesses based on the first selection) at the same level as the first item, then moves the selected items into the new folder .
• Add comments to Selected Items [Finder] — When you've got a selection (of files and/or folders), this script will add a comment (or delete existing comments). (Comments are viewable in the "Get Info" window and when you have "Comments" set to display in list view.)
• Add comments to Selected Items [iTunes] — When you've got a selection of tracks, this script will add a comment (or delete existing comments).
• Add notes to Selected Cards [Address Book] — When you've got a selection of address cards, this script will add a note (or delete existing notes). [Supplied as compiled script and as applet (in case you choose not to use the Script Menu).]
• Disable/Enable iCal Alarms [iCal] — Sometimes you just don't want to be reminded by iCal alarms. One script will disable the alarms; the other enables them again. If you don't remember to run the 'enable' script, don't worry; the alarms will be enabled when you restart or log out and in. [Supplied as compiled script and as applet (in case you choose not to use the Script Menu).]

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Scripts for QuarkXPress
AppleScripting QuarkXPress [<< Click link to view this book at amazon.com ] by Shirley Hopkins The single best book I know of for someone who wants to start scripting QuarkXPress.
AppleScripting InDesign [<< Click link to view this book at amazon.com ] by Shirley Hopkins Ms. Hopkins applies the same great formula from the book above in the context of Adobe's would-be 'Quark Killer" app, InDesign.

NOTE: Please let me know if you find problems. I'd also love to hear from you if you have requests for scripts you'd like to commission or suggest. (dan@danfeather.com)

• QuarkXPress 6 Change Spot Colors — It's easy enough to change one or two spot colors to process, but Quark doesn't make it easy to do it en masse. This script will do it in a jiffy. [Tested with version 6 and 6.5]
• QuarkXPress 6 Duplicate Spread — This script can be a real time-saver: It simply makes a new spread that's a duplicate of the spread currently displayed. I often use it when I'm playing with a design and want to get a quick start on a variant of something I've already done. [Tested with version 6 and 6.5]
• QuarkXPress Font Show — Want to display a particular text string with a handful of the fonts you've got loaded? Or maybe you'd just like to show a client a simple list of all your fonts. This is a set of a Quark template (file type "XTMP") and script application (and compiled script) that will quickly provide a sample display of installed fonts (or a subset of installed fonts). [Tested with version 4.11 and 5.01]
• QuarkXPress Image Cataloger — Need to make a reference of folders full of images? Ready to present some logo ideas to a client and want all your EPS files consistently sized and situated on the page? This is a set of Quark templates (file type "XTMP") and script applications (which are pretty "true to the original" updates and revisions of early scripts by AppleScript meister Sal Soghoian) that work together to make such cataloging operations a snap. [Watch these evolve — this first release is very handy, but I'm seeking feedback and will certainly incorporate some tweaks in subsequent editions.] [Tested with version 4]
• QuarkXPress Desktop Openers — Want to avoid those messages Quark gives you when you're opening a lot of files? (or maybe you just want to avoid 'em on ONE file) These droplets instruct XPress to open all dropped files without notifying you of missing fonts or pictures, or displaying the "conflicting preferences" box. (One droplet tells XPress to use the document's preferences; the other uses your local prefs.) [For version 3 or 4]
• QuarkXPress Story Saver for XPress 3 — a set of AppleScripts that will "Save Text" from a Quark document: choose the appropriate script for saving as ASCII text, Tagged Text, WordPerfect, or MSWord format. Automatically names files for each story and writes saved text in the same folder as the Quark document. [For version 3]
• QuarkXPress Color Deleter - deletes unused colors from a Quark document. [For version 3 ] (but you don't need it w/ ver. 4, do you?)
• QuarkXPress EPS Picture Boxes to Transparent — makes sure all picture boxes containing EPS images are colored "None." [For version 3 or 4]
• QuarkXPress StyleSheet Deleter — deletes unused Style Sheets from a Quark document. [For version 3] (but you don't need it w/ ver. 4, do you?)
• QuarkXPress Style Sheet Purifier — Two scripts which will step through a text chain, resetting the paragraphs to conform with the Style Sheet definition. One of the scripts will reapply local formatting. [For version 3]

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• Detect TrueType — This lets you know if there's TrueType fonts in font files, suitcases. (Requires "XCMD OSAX" , widely available)

• File Re-Typers — This set of "droplets" ranges from a simple utility to change the file creator of dropped files, to one that will scour an entire directory of folders and finders, changing all "TEXT" files and all image files to the creators of your choosing. (Benefits from "Jon's Commands" , widely available)

• Clippings Collector — 'twas first in a series of AppleScript goodies for getting a little more out of your Macintosh. This one will consolidate "text clippings" into a text file, which can then be opened with any word processor.

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NOTE: I hate to admit it, but I've got loads of Emailer scripts I haven't prepped and posted here. If you are interested, please write me! (dan@danfeather.com)

• Warn of Low Disk Free Space — This simple script checks the free space remaining on the hard disk where Claris Emailer is installed, and writes an outgoing message warning you when the free space is less than 5% of the disk's capacity. When you first run it, you'll be asked to enter the eddress to which the message is sent (yourself?). . . . A nice little script to put on your Schedule, or as a StartUp script. (To reset script's properties to defaults, open in Script Editor, type a space at the very end of the script and resave. On the next run, the script will once again ask for the eddress it will use.)
  
  
• Make Hyperlink — "Make Selection Link", "Make This Mail body HTML"; How can you make the mail you send with Claris EMailer result in clickable links for your correspondents?
  
  The answer: Just make the URL an HTML-compliant link (e.g.<A HREF="xyz">xyz</A>), and contain your entire message with the <HTML></HTML> tags.
  
  I have written two little scripts to expedite this process: One wraps the message w/ the HTML tags (you must first select the entire message); the other is one that works on a selection, making it a hyperlink.
  
  
• Delete Attachments (and messages) — "Delete attachments" and "Delete message and attachments." Two scripts : One deletes any files that are attached (or skips those not found); the other one also deletes the message. These scripts will work on incoming or outgoing messages, either when one is open in its own window, or when one or more are selected in the browser.
  
  (9/3/01: These scripts have been revised to guard against a peculiar bug that has resulted in sending the Emailer Folder to the Trash. The revised scripts will only trash files.)
  
  
• Add to Spammers and delete (incl. attachments) — "Add to Spam and delete all" : Adds senders of selected messages to a user-specified Address Group and trashes the email and any attachments. This script will work on incoming messages, either when one is open in its own window, or when one or more are selected in the browser.
  
  This script is one I made to help handle spam. I've set up a group in my Address Book for spammers. I then made a Mail Action which immediately moves to a designated folder any incoming mail from a sender in this group. If I find spam in my In Box, I select it and run this script. The next time any of these folks send me email, the Action routes it to the "junk" folder!
  
  
• Add Senders to Group — "Add Senders to Group" and "Add Senders to Recalled group" : Two scripts that will add the sender of each selected (or frontmost open) incoming message to a user-specified Address Group. The first one will ask for a Group every time it is run; the second one will ask the first time, then remember for subsequent runs (with the option to reset if it's run with the "Command" key down (requires "Jon's Commands" for this function). These scripts will work on incoming messages, either when one is open in its own window, or when one or more are selected in the browser.
  
  
• About running scripts in EMailer 2:
  
  With Claris EMailer 2, you can run these scripts from the Scripts menu (an icon between "Window" and "Help"). When EMailer launches, it populates this menu based on compiled scripts (such as these two) it finds in the folder "AppleScripts" that resides in the "Claris Emailer Files" folder.
  
  

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A Few Notes About These Scripts:

There are various ways to "run" AppleScripts. If you're already using AppleScript, you may have settled on your preferred methods. If you're new to using AppleScripts, you've perhaps only seen it implemented in the form of Script Applications (sometimes called "Applets"), like the ones Apple's System 7.5 Standard Install puts into the Apple Menu in a submenu of "Automated Tasks."

For most situations, I've come to prefer running scripts from a dedicated "Scripts" menu. Perhaps the mostly widely-used freeware script menu is "OSA Menu" by Leonard Rosenthol (free and downloadable from his web site, and included in many Apple CDs). James Walker's "OtherMenu" has been my personal favorite for many years, as it can do lot of other handy things too. Quark users also can use XTensions for triggering scripts. A free XTension for this is "ScriptXPrep." Commercial alternatives include "ScriptIt." (Note: As of version 5.01 of QuarkXPress, the application can be configured to display its own hierarchical Scripts menu.)

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A Few Notes About this site:

Procrastination comes naturally to me. (To get even this far took way too long.) I finally decided that the only way I could do this was in increments. It also seemed like the best approach was to do this in such a way that growth will be as easy as possible. With that in mind, the emphasis here will be on content rather than appearance. Please remember that this site's for you, so don't hesitate to bug me by email!

I have been finding fun and challenge in creating all sorts of AppleScripts, and I've seen ways to incorporate them in much of the productive work I do (as well as in the unproductive messing around I sometimes do <g>). AND, I've found that a good many of the scripts I'm enjoying have proved useful to friends and associates. If you use a Mac, I'm sure you'll be able to find something here that will be of use.

Please realize that you can be instrumental in shaping this site. Anyone is welcome to submit scripts to be posted here. And everyone is encouraged to be a critic: pick these scripts apart, edit or revise them, develop derivatives, etc. Just share what you come up with.

Since I'll be starting with just a few scripts, everything will be on one page. There's actually a good case to be made for keeping it like this, since many browsers have a "Find" function that will hunt for a text string within a displayed page. That way, the visitor can quickly locate useful scripts by a search for keywords.

So, thanks for coming; do it again soon, and drop me a note! [e-mail to dan@danfeather.com]

Thanks! — Dan Feather

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