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Encyclopedia > Automator (software)
Automator

Developer: Apple Inc.
Latest release: 1.0.3 (68) / January 10, 2006
OS: Mac OS 10.4
Use: Automation
License: Proprietary
Website: [1]

Automator is an application developed by Apple for Mac OS X 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. Image File history File links Automator Icon File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (939x709, 208 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Software development is the translation of a user need or marketing goal into a software product. ... Apple Inc. ... A software release refers to the creation and availability of a new version of a computer software product. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... An operating system (OS) is a set of computer programs that manage the hardware and software resources of a computer. ... Mac OS X version 10. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A software license is a legal agreement which may take the form of a proprietary or gratuitous license as well as a memorandum of contract between a producer and a user of computer software. ... Proprietary software is software with restrictions on using, copying and modifying as enforced by the proprietor. ... A website (or Web site) is a collection of web pages, images, videos and other digital assets and hosted on a particular domain or subdomain on the World Wide Web. ... Apple Inc. ... Workflow at its simplest is the movement of documents and/or tasks through a work process. ... The Finder is the default application program used on the Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems that is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications. ... Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. ... The correct title of this article is iCal. ... An address book or a name and address book (NAB) is a book or a collection of data storing contact details (for example: address, telephone number, e-mail address, fax number, mobile phone number). ... Microsoft Office is a suite of productivity programs created or purchased by Microsoft and developed for Microsoft Windows, and Apples Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems. ... Adobe Photoshop, or simply Photoshop, is a graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Systems. ...

Contents

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. AppleScript is a scripting language devised by Apple, Inc. ... A Cocoa application being developed using Xcode. ...


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. Filiation of Unix and Unix-like systems Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®) is a computer operating system originally developed in the 1960s and 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy. ... An example for a context menu taken from the word processor Microsoft Word The term context menu is commonly used for menus which pop up when clicking an item in a graphical user interface, offering a list of options which vary depending on the context of the action, the application...


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. In computer science, run time (with a space, though often its spelled without one) describes the operation of a computer program, the duration of its execution, from beginning to termination (compare compile time). ...


Examples

A screenshot of a workflow.

Included are these example workflows: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (538x650, 62 KB)A screenshot of Automator, a Mac OS X utility. ...

  • Copy Unread Mail to iPod Notes
  • Import .Mac Photos
  • Process Images
  • Change the names of documents

And for developers, the project code is provided for these workflows: iPod (fifth generation) in Apple Universal Dock, iPod nano (second generation) and iPod shuffle (second generation) iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched in 2001. ... .Mac (pronounced Dot Mac) refers to a group of online services offered by Apple Computer mainly for its Mac OS X users, although a limited subset of features are available for other platforms. ...

  • Adjust Gamma
  • Get Process Information
  • Randomizer
  • Translate Text

The workflow to the right, for example, can be used to upload a screenshot to a web server. Note that the 'Upload to FTP' action is not included by default, but plenty of extra Automator actions can be downloaded from Apple's download page. Gamma (uppercase Γ, lowercase γ) is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. ...


See also

AppleScript is a scripting language devised by Apple, Inc. ... Mac OS X version 10. ... AutoIt official logo AutoIt is a freeware Microsoft Windows automation language. ... AutoHotkey is a free, open source macro and automation software which allows users to automate repetitive tasks and modify the Windows user interface. ...

External links

 v  d  e Apple Inc. software
OS: Mac OS XMac OS 9
Consumer: .MaciLifeiTunesiWorkAppleWorks
Prosumer: Final Cut ExpressLogic Express
Pro: ApertureFinal Cut StudioLogic ProShake
Bundled: Front RowiChatPhoto BoothQuickTimeSafariTextEdit
Server: Apple Remote DesktopMac OS X ServerWebObjectsXsan
Discontinued: HyperCardMacDrawMac OSMacPaintMacProjectMacTerminalMacWrite

  Results from FactBites:
 
Automator (software) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (515 words)
Apple Automator is a new technology for automating applications, first implemented in Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger", the new version of Mac OS X that was released on April 29, 2005.
Automator enables the repetition of tasks across a wide variety of programs, including the Finder, the Safari web browser, iCal, Address Book and others.
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.
Using Automator to Expand the Market for Your Software (1768 words)
This means a user can run an Automator Workflow that downloads images from the family's shared summer reunion webpage, add them to their personal iPhoto library, apply a ColorSync Profile that changes the photos to sepia tone images, then use Transmit to upload the sepia versions to another website.
Automated Workflows, LLC, a good example of a UI that provides enough information to be useful, but not so much that it's busy or confusing.
Automator is significant because it's more than a technology—it's a delivery mechanism for a developer to increase sales and gain mindshare with customers who might not otherwise realize that the product has value.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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