JMRI: AppleScript

On Mac OS X, you can use AppleScript to with JMRI. There are two ways to do this:

A JMRI script can use AppleScript to ask MacOS X to do things.
AppleScripts running outside of JMRI can ask a JMRI application to do things.

Together, these simplify the connection between JMRI and the rest of your Mac, so that they can work together easily.

Operating Your Mac from JMRI via an AppleScript

You can write AppleScript commands and programs (scripts) within JMRI jython scripts, and then invoke them to have your Mac perform functions outside JMRI. An example of this is in the AppleScript.py sample script distributed with JMRI. It executes a very simple AppleScript:

  tell application "Finder"
    make new folder at desktop
  end tell

To do this, it has to

Import some libraries to get access to AppleScript
Create a string that holds the script itself
Create some objects to interpet the script and handle errors
Then execute the script

The sample script shows how to do this, and can easily form the basis for running your own AppleScripts from within JMRI.

Controlling JMRI via an AppleScript

This section needs a lot of work; in the meantime, try

osascript -e 'tell application "DecoderPro" to get its |user.name|'

and look at the Apple doc page.

Also, search for "AppleScript" and "System Events" on this page.

Note the need to set accessibility, mentioned on this page. This is done on the Universal Access pane of System Preferences (System row, near the bottom), represented by this checkbox at the bottom:

  [ ] Enable access for assistive devices

See the sample file jython/applescript/sampleAppleScript.scpt

http://lists.apple.com/archives/java-dev/2005/May/msg00170.html

AppleScript Information

For more information on AppleScripts, including how to write and debug them, please see:

The AppleScript page on the Apple web site. The "Learn" section has useful examples.
The WikiPedia AppleScript entry has some interesting background info.
There's an AppleScript language guide on the Apple developer AppleScript site.
There's a very good O'Reilly article on combining AppleScript and Java, i.e. JMRI. It covers the technical aspects of running your Mac from within JMRI.

And, of course, a Google search will turn up lots of interesting resources.

Scripting

Python

General Tools

JMRI: AppleScript

Operating Your Mac from JMRI via an AppleScript

Controlling JMRI via an AppleScript

AppleScript Information