Automator for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

✍ Scribed by Waldie, Ben

• Publisher: Peachpit Press
• Year: 2009;2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 351
• Series: Visual quickstart guide
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Automator for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: Visual QuickStart Guide 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 included with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Automator comes with many useful automated routines (called actions) preinstalled, for lots of popular applications, that do things like remove empty playlists from iTunes or add attachments to Mac Mail. The real power of Automator lies in mixing and matching these actions to have them do exactly the job you want. They're put together in a string of actions known as a workflow. Author Ben Waldie introduces readers to how Automator works, and then helps them assemble and use Automator workflows.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Dedication......Page 4
Acknowledgments......Page 5
About the Author......Page 6
Table of Contents......Page 7
Introduction......Page 10
Chapter 1: Getting Started......Page 20
About Workflows......Page 21
About Actions......Page 22
About Variables......Page 28
Which Applications Work with Automator?......Page 30
Getting to Know Automator’s Interface......Page 32
Chapter 2: Building Simple Workflows......Page 48
Email Daily Birthday Greetings......Page 49
Add Spotlight Comments to Photos......Page 57
Email Photo Thumbnails......Page 66
Chapter 3: Workflow Basics......Page 74
Planning a Workflow......Page 75
Creating a Workflow......Page 78
Running a Workflow within Automator......Page 80
Saving a Workflow......Page 83
Opening a Workflow......Page 85
Chapter 4: Working with Actions......Page 88
Locating Actions to Do What You Want......Page 89
Inserting Actions into a Workflow......Page 92
Viewing an Action’s Description......Page 95
Action Settings......Page 96
Action Options......Page 98
Deleting Actions......Page 101
Disabling Actions......Page 102
Moving Actions......Page 103
Copying Actions......Page 104
Renaming Actions......Page 106
Collapsing Actions......Page 107
Working with Input and Output Values......Page 108
Viewing Action Results as a Workflow Runs......Page 113
Chapter 5: Types of Workflows......Page 116
Workflow Files......Page 117
Workflow Applications......Page 123
Services......Page 133
Folder Actions......Page 150
Print Plugins......Page 161
iCal Alarms......Page 168
Image Capture Plugins......Page 173
Converting Workflow Types......Page 178
Script Menu......Page 180
Chapter 6: Recording Manual Events......Page 182
Enabling Recording......Page 183
Recording Manual Tasks......Page 185
Removing Recorded Events......Page 189
Preparing to Play Recorded Events......Page 190
Chapter 7: Workflow Looping......Page 192
About Looping......Page 193
Basic Looping Workflows......Page 196
Advanced Looping Workflows......Page 202
Chapter 8: Using Variables......Page 206
Types of Variables......Page 207
Adding Variables to Workflows......Page 209
Using Variables as Action Input......Page 211
Inserting Variables in Action Fields......Page 213
Storing and Retrieving Action Results......Page 216
Adjusting Variable Options......Page 219
Creating a Simple Variable Workflow......Page 220
Creating an Advanced Variable Workflow......Page 225
Chapter 9: Troubleshooting......Page 230
Problems Running Workflows......Page 231
Problems Opening Workflows......Page 237
General Problems......Page 240
Chapter 10: Customizing Automator......Page 242
Customizing the Toolbar......Page 243
Customizing the Workflow Window......Page 249
Grouping Actions......Page 253
Chapter 11: Sharing Actions and Workflows......Page 258
Distributing Workflows......Page 259
Locating Action Files......Page 262
Importing Actions......Page 265
Printing a Workflow......Page 267
Chapter 12: Automator Resources......Page 268
Automator’s Help......Page 269
Automator’s Example Workflows......Page 270
Websites......Page 271
Mailing Lists and Forums......Page 273
Sending Feedback to Apple......Page 276
Companion Website and Bonus Content......Page 277
Glossary......Page 278
Appendix A: Workflow Creation Step-by-Step Guide......Page 280
A......Page 282
E......Page 283
I......Page 284
P......Page 285
S......Page 286
V......Page 287
X......Page 288
Chapter 13: Workflow Starting Points......Page 290
Processing Files and Folders......Page 291
Processing Music and Audio......Page 295
Processing Photos and Images......Page 299
Processing Movies and Video......Page 307
Processing Text......Page 311
Processing Web Content......Page 313
Chapter 14: Building Advanced Workflows......Page 316
Running AppleScript Commands......Page 317
Running UNIX Commands......Page 322
Using AppleScript Variables......Page 325
Using UNIX Variables......Page 328
Watch Me Do and AppleScript......Page 331
Developer-related Actions......Page 333
Appendix B: Example Workflows......Page 334
Backup Safari Data......Page 335
Make Dated Subfolder......Page 339
Clean Up Desktop......Page 342
Appendix C: Developer Resources......Page 346
Apple Developer Connection......Page 347
Websites......Page 348
Third-party Mailing Lists and Forums......Page 349
Books and Tutorials......Page 350
Action Templates and Example Code......Page 351