To create a simple application with Automator, launch the application and follow these steps: Select Application and click Choose. Click the desired application in the Library list. Automator displays the actions available for that application. Automator for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide. Automator for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide (Peachpit Press) By Ben Waldie This book uses a combination of task-based instruction and strong visuals to teach intermediate Macintosh users how to automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks with the Automator application that is. Mac Automation: Useful Automator Scripts for Mac OS X Mac provides some of the best Automator scripts that allow you to use predefined rules and scripts to generate output for your routine activities. These scripts allow even the users who don’t have a programming background to define some actions depending on a certain workflow on their Mac. Sadly, neither Dropbox nor OS X have this feature built-in, but I can make my own context menu item for the Finder with Automator. Just open up Automator and hit Service in the opening window. Automator does just what you’d expect: It enables you to automate many common tasks on your Mac. If it sounds a little like AppleScript to you, you’re not mistaken; the two have a common goal. But this tool (introduced in OS X Tiger) is a lot simpler to use, albeit somewhat less flexible, than AppleScript.
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What Is AppleScript?
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If you're an avid Mac user, you've probably heard of two technologies that seem sort of alike: Automator and AppleScript. Ben Waldie points out the differences and similarities in the two technologies, explaining when to use each one to save yourself some keystrokes (and headaches).
From the author of
Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide
Automator for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide
For many Mac users, AppleScript and Automator are terms that bring about a sense of confusion. This is unfortunate, considering that both technologies are generally targeted at typical users (non-programmers, in other words) and designed to make life easier through automation.
Much of the confusion centers on the similarities between these two applications:
Both automate time-consuming or repetitive tasks.
Both interact with Mac applications.
Both are targeted toward everyday Mac users.
But AppleScript and Automator are actually quite different. This article will attempt to clear up some of the confusion surrounding these technologies.
What Is AppleScript?
AppleScript is a scripting language that has been built into the Mac operating system since the early days of System 7. Like the rest of the operating system, AppleScript has steadily improved and expanded over the years.
With AppleScript, you write a script—essentially a set of instructions—to perform tasks within the existing applications on your Mac (the application must support AppleScript), or within the operating system itself. Scripts are typically written in an AppleScript editor such as Script Editor, which you can find in the following folder on your Mac:
After writing your script, you can run it from within Script Editor, or save it and run it as an application.
Mac Os Automator
Aside from some basic user-interaction capabilities, AppleScripts don't normally have interfaces. Once launched, they simply appear in your Mac's dock, and they run virtually invisibly.
Unlike programming languages such as Objective-C and Java, AppleScript's syntax is much like the English language, which means that users can learn it quite easily with no prior scripting or programming experience. Mac users often create simple scripts by trial-and-error, or by copying and pasting together pieces of existing scripts found online.
Apple provides some sample scripts with AppleScript; look in the following folder on your Mac:
Even without any prior knowledge of AppleScript, if you open some of these scripts in Script Editor you'll probably be able to figure out what many of them do (see Figure 1).
Figure 1 The New Applications Window sample script.
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Jitbit Macro Recorder - is an 'Automator for Windows'.
Mac Automator For Windows
'Automator' is a great application by Apple included in Mac OS X Tiger. It automates repetitive tasks via scripts. And just like our windows macro recorder, Automator has several types of actions that a user can insert into a macro for a later replay.
Windows users did not have any 'Automator' for PC for a long time, searching for an analog. But Jitbit Macro Recorder is just this - an 'Automator for Windows'. It also features commands like 'open a file', 'shutdown' or 'repeat a block for X times' and many others. Along with mouse and keyboard recording features of course.