Some AppleScript automation snippets

applescript-automation-snippets.md

AppleScript Automation Snippets

Check if script has 'Assistive Access' permission enabled

Check if app running the script has 'Assistive Access', and if not, prompts the user to enable it:

-- Function to check if assistive access is enabled
on hasAssistiveAccess()
	tell application "System Events"
		return UI elements enabled
	end tell
end hasAssistiveAccess

-- Get the name of the current application
tell application "System Events"
	set currentAppName to name of the first process whose frontmost is true
end tell

-- Main Script
if not hasAssistiveAccess() then
	-- display dialog "This script requires assistive access to interact with System Settings. Please grant access in System Preferences under Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility." buttons {"OK"} default button 1
	display dialog "This script requires assistive access to interact with System Settings. Please grant access to '" & currentAppName & "' in System Preferences under Security & Privacy > Privacy > Accessibility." buttons {"OK"} default button 1
	return
end if

Enumerate 'System Settings' panes

Enumerate the name and ID of all of the panes within 'System Settings':

tell application "System Settings"
	set paneList to every pane
	set paneMap to {}
	
	repeat with aPane in paneList
		set paneID to the id of aPane
		set paneName to the name of aPane
		set end of paneMap to {id:paneID, name:paneName}
	end repeat
end tell

return paneMap

Which returns (manually formatted for easier reading):

{
  {id:"com.apple.Appearance-Settings.extension", name:"Appearance"},
  {id:"com.apple.Battery-Settings.extension*BatteryPreferences", name:"Battery"},
  {id:"com.apple.settings.PrivacySecurity.extension", name:"Privacy & Security"},
  {id:"com.apple.ExtensionsPreferences", name:"Extensions"},
  {id:"com.apple.Profiles-Settings.extension", name:"Profiles"},
  {id:"com.apple.BluetoothSettings", name:"Bluetooth"},
  {id:"com.apple.ScreenSaver-Settings.extension", name:"Screen Saver"},
  {id:"com.apple.Trackpad-Settings.extension", name:"Trackpad"},
  {id:"com.apple.Keyboard-Settings.extension", name:"Keyboard"},
  {id:"com.apple.systempreferences.AppleIDSettings*AppleIDSettings", name:"Glenn Grant"},
  {id:"com.apple.Lock-Screen-Settings.extension", name:"Lock Screen"},
  {id:"com.apple.Focus-Settings.extension", name:"Focus"},
  {id:"com.apple.Screen-Time-Settings.extension", name:"Screen Time"},
  {id:"com.apple.Sound-Settings.extension", name:"Sound"},
  {id:"com.apple.Passwords-Settings.extension", name:"Passwords"},
  {id:"com.apple.Touch-ID-Settings.extension*TouchIDPasswordPrefs", name:"Touch ID & Password"},
  {id:"com.apple.Siri-Settings.extension", name:"Siri & Spotlight"},
  {id:"com.apple.Network-Settings.extension", name:"Network"},
  {id:"com.apple.systempreferences.GeneralSettings", name:"General"},
  {id:"com.apple.SystemProfiler.AboutExtension", name:"About"},
  {id:"com.apple.Software-Update-Settings.extension", name:"Software Update"},
  {id:"com.apple.settings.Storage", name:"Storage"},
  {id:"com.apple.AirDrop-Handoff-Settings.extension", name:"AirDrop & Handoff"},
  {id:"com.apple.LoginItems-Settings.extension", name:"Login Items"},
  {id:"com.apple.Localization-Settings.extension", name:"Language & Region"},
  {id:"com.apple.Date-Time-Settings.extension", name:"Date & Time"},
  {id:"com.apple.Sharing-Settings.extension", name:"Sharing"},
  {id:"com.apple.Time-Machine-Settings.extension", name:"Time Machine"},
  {id:"com.apple.Transfer-Reset-Settings.extension", name:"Transfer or Reset"},
  {id:"com.apple.Startup-Disk-Settings.extension", name:"Startup Disk"},
  {id:"com.apple.Displays-Settings.extension", name:"Displays"},
  {id:"com.apple.WalletSettingsExtension", name:"Wallet & Apple Pay"},
  {id:"com.apple.ControlCenter-Settings.extension", name:"Control Centre"},
  {id:"com.apple.Internet-Accounts-Settings.extension", name:"Internet Accounts"},
  {id:"com.apple.Mouse-Settings.extension", name:"Mouse"},
  {id:"com.apple.Users-Groups-Settings.extension", name:"Users & Groups"},
  {id:"com.apple.Print-Scan-Settings.extension", name:"Printers & Scanners"},
  {id:"com.apple.Desktop-Settings.extension", name:"Desktop & Dock"},
  {id:"com.apple.Accessibility-Settings.extension", name:"Accessibility"},
  {id:"com.apple.Game-Center-Settings.extension", name:"Game Center"},
  {id:"com.apple.wifi-settings-extension", name:"Wi‑Fi"},
  {id:"com.apple.Notifications-Settings.extension", name:"Notifications"},
  {id:"com.apple.Wallpaper-Settings.extension", name:"Wallpaper"},
  {id:"cl.fail.lordkamina.SwiftDefaultApps", name:"SwiftDefaultApps"}
}