AppleJavaScript

Installation

npm install apple-java-script

Usage

Use AppleJavaScript to run AppleScript in JavaScript language straight from node.js.

All you have to do is to directly call it. And it will try to parse the rutruning result.

  // Getting iTunes Playlists

  var ajs = require('apple-java-script');

  var playlists = ajs(function() {
    var iTunes = Application('iTunes');
    return iTunes.playlists.name();
  });

  playlists;
  // =>
  //  ['Library', 'Music', 'Music Videos', 'Movies', 'Home Videos', 'TV Shows', 'Podcasts', 'iTunes U', 'Audiobooks', 'Books', 'PDFs', 'Audiobooks', 'Genius']

Passing variables

Behind the scenes, AppleJavaScript converts function to the text and runs it with shell command osascript. So the function itself actually doesn't have acces to outside scope. And neither of global or outside variables are accessible from the function. To pass vars to it you have to pass them to function as an argument.

  // Showing modal and passing message from outer script

  var ajs = require('apple-java-script');

  var message = 'Hello';

  try {
    ajs(message, function(message) {
      var app = Application.currentApplication();
      app.includeStandardAdditions = true;
      return app.displayDialog(message);
    });

    console.log('You pushed Ok');
  } catch (e) {
    console.log('You pushed Cancel');
  }

Running in a safer way

AppleJavaScript direct call could be dangerous because it uses eval behind the scenes to parse returned AppleScript value. So you better know what you are doing and control all inputs. If you are not sure in that you can use AppleJavaScript.runSafe. It works the same way, but doesn't try to parse returning value. So you'll have to do it yourself.

  var ajs = require('apple-java-script');

  var fn = function() {
    let app = Application.currentApplication();
    app.includeStandardAdditions = true;
    return app.doShellScript('echo Babylon');
  }

  ajs.runSafe(fn);
  // =>
  //  '"Babylon"'
  ajs(fn);
  // =>
  //  'Babylon'