How to run a shell script that prompts for user input from within Applescript

applescriptbash

I have two pieces of code. One is Applescript and the other a Bash shell script. The shell script needs to run concurrently with the applescript, return some values and then exit. The problem is the shell script's read -p prompt does not pause for user input when called from within applescript using do shell script "/path/to/script.sh".

I thought maybe 

display dialog "Query?" default answer ""
set T to text returned of result

could replace the read -p prompt but I can't figure out how to make either way work. How cam use either of these methods to properly ask and wait for user entry?

I realize I could cut the applescript in two sections placing one at the beginning of the shell script and one after the last shell command. 

#!/bin/bash

osascript ~/Start_Script.scpt

echo 'enter some Text'
read -p "" T

## for things in stuff do more 
## stuff while doing other things
## done 

osascript ~/End_Script.scpt

This is what I've been doing and it does work. But it requires using the terminal which is fine for me. But if I wanted to show someone like my Mom.. well she's just not going to open the Terminal app. So it would be nice to find a way to emulate the read -p command within Applescript itself and be able to pass a variable along to the embedded shell script.

Best Answer

AppleScript embedded in a shell script is often messy, hard to read, and hard to quote properly.

I get around that by using this sort of construct.

#!/usr/bin/env bash

read -r -d '' applescriptCode <<'EOF'
   set dialogText to text returned of (display dialog "Query?" default answer "")
   return dialogText
EOF

dialogText=$(osascript -e "$applescriptCode");

echo $dialogText;

-ccs

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