Use Applescript/Automator to select a window highlighted in the Finder

applescriptautomatorfinder

I have an applescript which extracts the name, associated process and and other information about a target window. As of now, the script selects the target window via a "choose from list" dialog that contains all open windows from all processes. It would be much better if I could select the target window by highlighting it in the Finder. For example, this can be done for files and folders:

tell application "Finder" to set this_file to the selection

Question: Is there an equivalent method to do select windows from the Finder (using Applescript or Automator)?

Best Answer

Well you can ask Finder for its windows. The order returned is topmost to bottommost.

If you have a specific window you want, and know its name then just ask it to activate...

tell application "Finder"
    set w to (name of every window)
    set i to (id of every window)

    tell window named "Desktop" to activate

    get front window
end tell

And the results...

tell application "Finder"
    get name of every window
        --> {"Desktop", "Development", "Downloads"}
    get id of every window
        --> {16267, 16290, 16265}
    activate window "Desktop"
        --> Finder window id 16267
    get window 1
        --> Finder window id 16267
end tell

Hope that helped...

Related Solutions

AppleScript or Automator Workflow for Bulk-Converting Powerpoint Presentations to Keynote

I couldn't figure out how to get Automator to do it, but I was able to beat AppleScript into submission. Just save the following as an Application in the AppleScript Editor, then drag the files you want to convert onto the icon. It will prompt you to choose a folder where the converted files will be placed.

on open droppedFiles
    set theDestinationFolder to (choose folder with prompt "Choose destination folder") as Unicode text
    repeat with theFile in droppedFiles
        tell application "Keynote"
            open theFile
            set theSlideshow to slideshow 1
            set theDestinationPath to theDestinationFolder & (name of theSlideshow)
            save theSlideshow in theDestinationPath
            close theSlideshow
        end tell
    end repeat
end open

(I don't really know what I'm doing with AppleScript. If there are improvements that can be made here, I'd like to know about them.)

MacOS – Getting Automator file selection from multiple windows

This is possible by selecting the second window to get the selection.

Insert the "Run AppleScript" action at the first position in the workflow, clear all text in the action, and put this script in the action:

on run {input, parameters}
    tell application "Finder"
        activate -- doesn't work without the activate
        open target of Finder window 2 ---  select the second Finder window
        set end of input to (item 1 of (get selection)) as alias -- append the selection (in the second window) to the input list
        open target of Finder window 2
    end tell
    return input
end run

Tested on Mavericks

Best Answer

Related Solutions

AppleScript or Automator Workflow for Bulk-Converting Powerpoint Presentations to Keynote

MacOS – Getting Automator file selection from multiple windows

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