Automator (software)
Encyclopedia : A : AU : AUT : Automator (software)
Automator is an application that implements point-and-click (or drag-and-drop) creation of workflows for automating repetitive tasks. Automator enables the repetition of tasks across a wide variety of programs, including the Finder, the Safari web browser, iCal, Address Book and others. It can also work with third-party applications such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop.
Ease of use
Although Automator uses AppleScript and/or Cocoa, it requires no expertise in these languages whatsoever. However, the concept would be familiar to those used to Unix pipelines: the output of the last action becomes the input of the next (though the user can optionally choose for an action to ignore the input from the previous action). Unlike Unix pipelines, however, Automator workflows are sequential: each action is completed before the next action in the workflow begins.How to use it
Automator comes with a library of many Actions (file renaming, finding linked images, creating a new mail message, etc.), all of which act as individual steps in a Workflow document. A Workflow document then can be used to carry out repetitive tasks. A user can also save these Workflows so that it can be used over and over again, whenever it is needed. Unix command line scripts and AppleScripts can also be invoked as Actions. The actions are linked together in a Workflow. The Workflow can be saved as an application, Workflow file or a contextual menu item.There is an 'Options' disclosure icon at the bottom of each action that shows a checkbox, allowing the action to be shown when run. This means that a task that may require slight tweaks every time it is run can present the same dialog to the user when the workflow runs as the options available in the action — in other words, setting parameters at runtime.
Examples
- Adjust Gamma
- Get Process Information
- Randomizer
- Translate Text.
See also
External links
- [Apple's Official Automator Page]
- [Nyhthawk Productons' Automator Page]
- [Download Page for New Automator Actions]
- [Apple's Automator Programming Guide]
- [MacScripter's Automator Actions library]
- [MacScripter's Q&A forum for Automator developers]
- [Mac OS X Technology Guide to Automator]
- [Automator World]
| Apple Computer software | |
|---|---|
| Consumer
| .Mac > Front Row | iLife | iWork | Mac OS X | Photo Booth | QuickTime |
| Prosumer:
| Final Cut Express > Logic Express |
| Pro:
| Aperture | Final Cut Studio | Logic Pro | Shake |
| Server:
| Apple Remote Desktop > Mac OS X Server | WebObjects | Xsan |
| Discontinued:
| AppleWorks > HyperCard | MacDraw | Mac OS | MacPaint | MacProject | MacTerminal | MacWrite |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.