Glen Mazza's Weblog

At work, I use Mac OS' Script Editor to create and compile AppleScript scripts to quickly configure my desktop depending on the programming task at hand. Each compiled script, or application, I place in the desktop folder so it appears on my desktop and can be activated with a simple double-click.

Three tasks I commonly have that I include and adjust as needed depending on the task:

• Activating a terminal window with tabs pre-opened to various directories and running various commands. A script that opens up three terminal windows in the specified directories, and optionally runs any commands in those directories, would look as follows (see here for more info):

  #!/usr/bin/osascript
  tell application "Terminal"
  	activate
  	do script
  	do script "cd /Users/gmazza/mydir1" in tab 1 of front window
  	my makeTab()
  	do script "cd /Users/gmazza/mydir2" in tab 1 of front window
  	my makeTab()
  	do script "cd /Users/gmazza/mydir3" in tab 1 of front window
  end tell
  on makeTab()
  	tell application "System Events" to keystroke "t" using {command down}
  	delay 0.2
  end makeTab
  

• Running IntelliJ IDEA and/or Visual Studio Code. Simple, as shown below. The application name is the name of the app you see when running Launchpad:

  activate application "IntelliJ IDEA"
  activate application "Visual Studio Code"
  

• Opening Chrome with a desired number of tabs to certain webpages:

  tell application "Google Chrome"
  	open location "http://www.websiteone.com/onpage"
  	open location "http://www.websitetwo.com/anotherpage"
  	open location "http://www.websitethree.com"
  end tell
  

Script editor has a "run" button allowing me to test the scripts as I develop them. Once done, I save the script both standalone (so I can edit it later if desired), but also export it as an application. Exporting it allows for a simple double-click to directly run the task, rather than bringing up the Script Editor and requiring the script to be run via the "run" button.

The #!/usr/bin/osascript line added to the top of the script allows for alternatively running the script as a simple shell script from a terminal window.