macOS Good Applescript Book....

[iGary]

As many of you know, I'm doing a huge photography project, and some of the manual repetitive tasks are starting to drive me insane.

For instance; each photo "target" (a location) that is a required capture point for my client has 6-9 different images for that target. It also has a code number as an identifier (e.g. W1523), which is part of each file name.

For example, a typical image would have a file name like this:

Joe's_W1234_080205_MDUS_GR.jpg

I want to write an Applescript to go into the larger file that has all of these images in it for a given area, pluck out all the "W" numbers, and then put an "x" in a field that corresponds to that number in an Excel spreadsheet or Filemaker database - I have Portfolio, too (ideas on which is better?).

I also need to write a script that will go into the GPS exif metadata of each image and check for a latitude, longitude and 9-digit string number, and then make a list of the file names that do not have any one of those present in the metadata.

I already have "Applescript The Missing Manual."

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[iGary]

Well thanks for nothing.

There is one I think I'll pick up from the bookstore this weekend I saw on Amazon that got good ratings.

 

[pimentoLoaf]

You don't need another book. The MM one was well written and you must now be patient and figure things out.

Such is the reality of programming.

 

[ham_man]

As many of you know, I'm doing a huge photography project, and some of the manual repetitive tasks are starting to drive me insane.

For instance; each photo "target" (a location) that is a required capture point for my client has 6-9 different images for that target. It also has a code number as an identifier (e.g. W1523), which is part of each file name.

For example, a typical image would have a file name like this:

Joe's_W1234_080205_MDUS_GR.jpg

I want to write an Applescript to go into the larger file that has all of these images in it for a given area, pluck out all the "W" numbers, and then put an "x" in a field that corresponds to that number in an Excel spreadsheet or Filemaker database - I have Portfolio, too (ideas on which is better?).

I also need to write a script that will go into the GPS exif metadata of each image and check for a latitude, longitude and 9-digit string number, and then make a list of the file names that do not have any one of those present in the metadata.

I already have "Applescript The Missing Manual."

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

I doubt that there will be too much difference in AppleScript books, but IIRC, Excel cannot be scripted with AppleScript...

 

[iMeowbot]

I doubt that there will be too much difference in AppleScript books, but IIRC, Excel cannot be scripted with AppleScript...

Excel 11 (2004) has pretty decent applescript support, didn't notice or care for earlier versions.

 

[iGary]

I doubt that there will be too much difference in AppleScript books, but IIRC, Excel cannot be scripted with AppleScript...

I'm going with Filemaker. Much more robust.

 

[ktappe]

AppleScript Book Comparisons

I have three AppleScript books here that I'm using as I'm developing my first full-blown AppleScript project. They are actually quite different from one another and thus are not interchangeable as has been suggested. Here are my brief evaluations:

* AppleScript: The Definitive Guide -- Very hands-off and theoretical. Instead of examples, this book describes the state of mind you should be in as you develop with AppleScript. This is good if you have time to read it but is extremely frustrating if you have a specific need or question as you hack code. It's not so much a reference work as it is a discussion. I've also found many items missing from its index.

* AppleScript In A Nutshell -- A good language reference. This is the one to reach for if you need to check the existence or syntax of a command. The first few AppleScript overview chapters leading up to the reference are too brief to be of much use though.

* AppleScript The Missing Manual -- Very hit or miss. It has a good beginning for those who have never programmed before, introducing them to the concepts of variables and dialog boxes and events. But for those of us who know that and just want to hear specifically how AppleScript does it, there's too little info in here. Still, it does have nice sections later on that refer to scripting specific popular applications. My favorite parts are the "Power Users Clinic" sidebars that I have put PostIt bookmarks in so I can find quickly.

The manual that I and many other AppleScripters could really use is an AppleScript Cookbook. Something organized by "Required Task" and then tells you stuff like how to extract a filename from a path, check if a file is busy, etc. Thus, in my opinion, the perfect AppleScript book has yet to be written. In the meantime, by far the best AppleScript resource I've found is to search through http://bbs.applescript.net/

Hope this helps,
-Kurt