Mac OS X to the Max: Automator Alternatives


Automator is a powerful, but easy-to-use, way to create custom applications to automate work you do. However, it does have its limitations. The biggest one is that only some applications are supported. If an application you need to use to complete a task isn't supported, you can't use Automator to automate it. Another is that you have to manually build each workflow, step-by-step. There are other options for automating your Mac; in this section, you'll learn about two other ways to automate your Mac.

Using QuicKeys to Automate Your Mac

My favorite automation utility is Startly Technology's QuicKeys. The best thing about QuicKeys is that you can record your actions to create a script. This is often much easier than programming each step manually. To automate a task, you start the QuicKeys recorder and perform the task yourself. As you do so, QuicKeys records your actions and builds a script for you. You can edit the scripts you record, allow user input, and do many other actions that Automator can't match. You can also easily assign keyboard shortcuts to all the scripts you create or add them to menus. If you need to automate your work, QuicKeys is indispensable.

NOTE

For more information or to download a trial version, check out the QuicKeys website at www.cesoft.com.



Using AppleScript to Automate Your Mac

AppleScript is Mac OS X's built-in scripting tool, which you can use to create AppleScript programs to perform all kinds of actions. AppleScript is much more powerful than the Automator, but it also has a higher learning curve because you use a scripting language (AppleScript) to create programs rather than the Automator's easier graphical programming. The tools you use to work with AppleScript are in the AppleScript folder located in the Applications folder.

NOTE

You can use AppleScript and Automator together. For example, you can create an AppleScript and then use that as a step in an Automator workflow.


NOTE

To learn about AppleScript in more detail, visit www.apple.com/applescript/.





Special Edition Using MAC OS X Tiger
Special Edition Using Mac OS X Tiger
ISBN: 0789733919
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 317
Authors: Brad Miser

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