pass and receive values between python script and applescript

Question

I'm very new to python and applescript. I have a python script which is calling 2 applescripts. I would like to define few global variables in python and pass to applescript 1 , those values will be modified by different functions in applescripts 1, and pass back to python scripts, then pass those values to applescript 2 to use.

I have googled a bit and I tried the following:

in applescript,

on run argv 
    if (item 1 of argv is start with "x") then 
      function1(item1 of argv)
    else 
      function2 (item 1 of argv)
      function3 (item 2 of argv)
 end run

 on function1 (var)
  set var to (something code to get value from interaction with user)
 return var 
 end function1

in python script import os import sys

os.system ('osascript Setup.scpt')
variable1 = sys.argv[1]
variable2 = sys.argv[2]

in the applescript2, i did similar thing as applescirpt1.

However, this didn't work. I tried to print out all the argv in both scripts, looks like the values are not correctly passed. Can anyone give me more direction on this? Thanks!

jackjr300 · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-23 08:39:57Z

0

os.system(): Execute the command (a string) in a subshell. This is implemented by calling the Standard C function system(), and has the same limitations.

Changes to sys.stdin, sys.stout are not reflected in the environment of the executed command. The return value is the exit status, not the osascript output.

Use subprocess.Popen:

import os, sys, commands
from subprocess import Popen, PIPE

var1 = sys.argv[1] 
var2 = sys.argv[2] 
(var3, tError) = Popen(['osascript', '/Setup.scpt', var1, var2], stdout=PIPE).communicate()
print var1
print var2
print var3

The osascript command always returns a string. if the AppleScript return a list, the string in python will be separated by a comma and a space.

answered Nov 23, 2012 at 8:39

jackjr300

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1 Comment

slaughter98 Over a year ago

You might want to consider using subprocess.check_output. I was able to get information from a similar script but without needing to have the PIPE and communicate items.

regulus6633 · Accepted Answer · 2012-11-22 02:16:30Z

0

You have to return something from the "on run" handler in applescript otherwise the returned result is only the result of the last line of code. So you'll want to do something like this...

on run argv
    set returnList to {}

    if (item 1 of argv starts with "x") then
        set end of returnList to function1(item1 of argv)
    else
        set end of returnList to function2(item 1 of argv)
        set end of returnList to function3(item 2 of argv)
    end if

    return returnList
end run

Also your functions will need to look something like this if you want the user to supply something. Note that I'm telling the Finder to show the dialog. That's because you are running this from python and it will error if some application doesn't handle the user interaction.

on function1(var)
    tell application "Finder"
        activate
        set var to text returned of (display dialog "Enter a value" default answer "")
    end tell
    return var
end function1

edited Nov 22, 2012 at 2:16

answered Nov 22, 2012 at 2:04

regulus6633

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2 Comments

Fish OnTray Over a year ago

Thanks. That works on the iTune part, the print out results are correct, but it still didn't pass to python sys.argv, any more direction?

regulus6633 Over a year ago

I don't know python well but it seems you should be able to set the returned value from the first script as a variable in python. Then just pass that variable when you call the second script. Note that the variable is an applescript list, so your second script should expect one argument which is a list. I'm sure a little googling can tell you how to handle the variables in python. What I've given you is enough to get started now it's up to you to run with it. Good luck.

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