applescript.py

applescript.py

#!/usr/bin/python

# applescript.py v. 2014-09-18

# based on applescript.py by Dr. Drang
# http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/2013/03/combining-python-and-applescript

import subprocess

def asrun(ascript):
  "Run the given AppleScript and return the standard output and error."

  osa = subprocess.Popen(['osascript', '-'],
                         stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
                         stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
  return osa.communicate(ascript)[0]

def asquote(astr):
  "Return the AppleScript equivalent of the given string."
  
  astr = astr.replace('"', '" & quote & "')
  return '"{}"'.format(astr)

def asdialog(msg='', btns='OK', input=None, title=''):
  "Generate a dialog box with optional input text, returns a response dictionary."

  # User might have entered btns as a string, or more than 3, so help them out
  # n.b. need to build the button commponent before the main AppleScript build
  lenbtns = len(btns)
  if isinstance(btns, basestring): 
    lenbtns = 1
  if lenbtns < 3:
    btnno = lenbtns
    if lenbtns == 1:
      _btns = asquote(str(btns))
    elif lenbtns == 2:
      _btns = asquote(btns[0]) + ',' + asquote(btns[1])
  else: 
    btnno = 3
    _btns = asquote(btns[0]) + ',' + asquote(btns[1]) + ',' + asquote(btns[2])

  # Don't ask, don't tell (for returned text if user didn't ask for returned text)
  if input:
    _input = '''default answer {0}'''.format(asquote(input))
    _textret = '''"\": \"" & quoted form of the text returned of theReturn &'''
  else: 
    _input = ''
    _textret = ''

  # This is where the magic happens
  asd = '''
  set theReturn to (display dialog {0} {1} with title {2} buttons {{ {3} }} default button {4})
  '''.format(asquote(msg), _input, asquote(title), _btns, btnno, _textret)

  # Massage the output into a dict
  asran = asrun(asd).split(', text returned:')
  _btn = asran[0].replace(' returned','').replace('button:','')

  # I will admit this is a kludgie way of dealing with a user cancel  
  if _btn == '': 
    _btn = 'Cancel ' 

  # Need to trim off trailing newline character because AppleScript
  if len(asran) == 2:
    return {'button': _btn, 'text': str(asran[1])[:-1]}
  else:
    return {'button': _btn[:-1], 'text': None}

astest.py

#!/usr/bin/python

# Just some quick little tests for applescript.py

from applescript import asdialog

def prt(this_run):
  print '\r\rThis run has... ' + this_run
  print "output['button'] = " + str(output['button'])
  if output.has_key('text'):
    print "output['text'] = " + str(output['text'])
  else: 
    print "There is no text to print"

msg = 'This is a bespoke dialog message.'
title = 'Take this artisanal action?'
btns = 'Cancel', 'Publish', 'Save Draft', 'Greedy'
input = 'Here is some lovely sample input text.'

output = asdialog(msg)
prt('msg')

output = asdialog(msg, btns=btns)
prt('msg, btns')

output = asdialog(msg, btns=btns, title=title)
prt('msg, btns, title')

output = asdialog(msg, btns=btns, title=title, input=input)
prt('msg, btns, title, input')

output = asdialog()
prt('no parameters given')

Okay, the first version drooled, this one rules.