Hack 91 AppleScript CGI with ACGI Dispatcher

It'd be a shame if you couldn't use AppleScript to automate web-serving tasks with Apache. 'Tis no shame; you can.

When Apple based OS X on a BSD kernel, they sought a way to combine the power of GUI scripting with the power of shell languages like Perl, bash, Python, and more. The result was osascript, a simple shell utility that could run AppleScript from the command line.

That was fine and dandy for interactive or timed usage, but it didn't immediately lend itself to using AppleScript as a CGI through the Apache web server. ACGI Dispatcher from James Sentman, on the other hand, gives that ability quickly, simply, and cheaply.

ACGI Dispatcher costs anywhere from $15 to $90, depending on your needs, and a 30-day trial download is available for testing. Installation is simple: extract, drag the dispatcher to your /Library/WebServer/CGI-Executables directory, and double-click to finish the installation. You'll be asked for your administrator password so that the following lines can be added to your /etc/httpd/httpd.conf file:

#BEGIN acgi dispatcher Include /Library/WebServer/CGI-Executables/dispatcher.app/Contents/acgi.conf #END acgi dispatcher

After those lines have been added by the dispatcher program, stop and restart Apache via your Sharing system preference (alternatively, use sudo apachectl restart from the shell). Once the web server has restarted, and with the dispatcher running in the background, you'll be all set to serve AppleScript-based CGI. Thankfully, you can test your new ability with the included itunes.acgi.

To control iTunes through a web browser, simply drag itunes.acgi into /Library/WebServer/CGI-Executables, make sure the dispatcher is running, and load http://127.0.0.1/cgi-bin/itunes.acgi. Assuming that iTunes is running at the time of your request, you'll see a screen similar to Figure 8-14.

Figure 8-14. iTunes control via web browser

As the screenshot suggests, you have access to any playlists you've previously created (smart lists or otherwise), as well as the standard playback controls. The benefits of having one computer serving itunes.acgi, while you change the track from another computer or handheld in another room, are nicer than you'd think. Full source for itunes.acgi is provided so that you can modify the output of the page or learn how to create your own AppleScript CGIs.

If you're planning on using ACGI Dispatcher in a production environment, you'll want to make sure to register the software (after 30 days, it'll start displaying expiration warnings on the bottom of your results) and include the dispatcher as part of your Startup Items. Apache can't start the dispatcher automatically, so ensuring that it loads at login is important.

91.1 See Also

• ACGI Dispatcher (http://www.sentman.com/acgi/)

• Support Forums (http://www.sentman.com/support/)