84 lines
3.5 KiB
TeX
84 lines
3.5 KiB
TeX
\section{\module{aetools} ---
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OSA client support}
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\declaremodule{standard}{aetools}
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\platform{Mac}
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%\moduleauthor{Jack Jansen?}{email}
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\modulesynopsis{Basic support for sending Apple Events}
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\sectionauthor{Jack Jansen}{Jack.Jansen@cwi.nl}
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The \module{aetools} module contains the basic functionality
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on which Python AppleScript client support is built. It also
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imports and re-exports the core functionality of the
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\module{aetypes} and \module{aepack} modules. The stub packages
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generated by \module{gensuitemodule} import the relevant
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portions of \module{aetools}, so usually you do not need to
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import it yourself. The exception to this is when you
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cannot use a generated suite package and need lower-level
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access to scripting.
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The \module{aetools} module itself uses the AppleEvent support
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provided by the \module{Carbon.AE} module. This has one drawback:
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you need access to the window manager, see section \ref{osx-gui-scripts}
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for details. This restriction may be lifted in future releases.
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The \module{aetools} module defines the following functions:
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\begin{funcdesc}{packevent}{ae, parameters, attributes}
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Stores parameters and attributes in a pre-created \code{Carbon.AE.AEDesc}
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object. \code{parameters} and \code{attributes} are
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dictionaries mapping 4-character OSA parameter keys to Python objects. The
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objects are packed using \code{aepack.pack()}.
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\end{funcdesc}
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\begin{funcdesc}{unpackevent}{ae\optional{, formodulename}}
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Recursively unpacks a \code{Carbon.AE.AEDesc} event to Python objects.
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The function returns the parameter dictionary and the attribute dictionary.
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The \code{formodulename} argument is used by generated stub packages to
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control where AppleScript classes are looked up.
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\end{funcdesc}
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\begin{funcdesc}{keysubst}{arguments, keydict}
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Converts a Python keyword argument dictionary \code{arguments} to
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the format required by \code{packevent} by replacing the keys,
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which are Python identifiers, by the four-character OSA keys according
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to the mapping specified in \code{keydict}. Used by the generated suite
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packages.
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\end{funcdesc}
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\begin{funcdesc}{enumsubst}{arguments, key, edict}
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If the \code{arguments} dictionary contains an entry for \code{key}
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convert the value for that entry according to dictionary \code{edict}.
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This converts human-readable Python enumeration names to the OSA 4-character
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codes.
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Used by the generated suite
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packages.
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\end{funcdesc}
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The \module{aetools} module defines the following class:
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\begin{classdesc}{TalkTo}{\optional{signature=None, start=0, timeout=0}}
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Base class for the proxy used to talk to an application. \code{signature}
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overrides the class attribute \code{_signature} (which is usually set by subclasses)
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and is the 4-char creator code defining the application to talk to.
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\code{start} can be set to true to enable running the application on
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class instantiation. \code{timeout} can be specified to change the
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default timeout used while waiting for an AppleEvent reply.
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\end{classdesc}
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\begin{methoddesc}{_start}{}
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Test whether the application is running, and attempt to start it if not.
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\end{methoddesc}
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\begin{methoddesc}{send}{code, subcode\optional{, parameters, attributes}}
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Create the AppleEvent \code{Carbon.AE.AEDesc} for the verb with
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the OSA designation \code{code, subcode} (which are the usual 4-character
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strings), pack the \code{parameters} and \code{attributes} into it, send it
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to the target application, wait for the reply, unpack the reply with
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\code{unpackevent} and return the reply appleevent, the unpacked return values
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as a dictionary and the return attributes.
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\end{methoddesc}
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