How to use the "click menu item" script command on a menu item for an app running under a different user?

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cyber10matt Author

Level 1

23 points

How to use the "click menu item" script command on a menu item for an app running under a different user?

Hey everyone, quick question.....

I'm trying to run this script:

tell application "System Events"

tellprocess "iTunes"

click menu item "Start Station" of menu "Song" of menu bar item "Song" of menu bar 1

end tell

The idea behind this is to start a station from the selected song currently playing. i know, not difficult to do manually, but I want to be able to do so without having to call the iTunes app to front. Now, this script works for my own iTunes app, but i have a second instance of iTunes running from the second user on my home computer (user2), with its own separate library and account and all. the script i have works fine for the instance of iTunes running under my user account, but i can't figure out how to specify which instance of iTunes I'd like the script to work on.

i should note as an FYI that i use--

do shell script "login -f user2 /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunes >&-2>&- &" withadministrator privileges

--to open my second instance of iTunes as user2

is there a way to change "tell process 'iTunes'" to something like "tell process 'unix ID'" and have the unix ID for each respective instance of iTunes?

lemme know if I'm not making sense.... Thanks in advance to anyone who can help

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), null

Posted on May 29, 2016 8:29 PM

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Answer 1

red_menace

Level 6

17,072 points

May 30, 2016 8:14 AM in response to cyber10matt

You can target an application process by using various System Events properties, e.g.:

tell application "System Events"
  tell first item of (get application processes whose unix id is 15174) -- or whatever id
    activate --> needed when using GUI scripting
    get properties
  end tell
end tell

Note that if you are going to use GUI scripting, the application needs to be activated in order to have a GUI to use.

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Answer 2

cyber10matt Author

Level 1

23 points

May 30, 2016 9:43 AM in response to red_menace

okay thanks, i think i can get it from there for iTunes. just another quick question.... i also have 2 instances of messages running, one for each user, signed into different apple id accounts, and i often get added to these big iMessage groups that i want a quick way to leave. i have a working script for leaving a chat in my user's message app instance. is there a way to use a similar concept like the iTunes trick but for messages on different users?

From what I've noticed, i think the issue arises in specifying the specific 'window "messages" of application process "Messages"' since the system defaults to my user. is there a way to run that part as the other user specific to that user's messages instance?

tell application "System Events"

tell process "Messages"

click button "Details" of splitter group 1 of window "Messages" of application process "Messages" of application "System Events"

delay 1

click button "Leave this Conversation" of scroll area 1 of pop over 1 of button "Details" of splitter group 1 of window "Messages" of application process "Messages" of application "System Events"

end tell

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Answer 3

red_menace

Level 6

17,072 points

May 30, 2016 10:13 AM in response to cyber10matt

The same thing applies here - to use GUI scripting, the specific application needs to be activated and brought to the front, since that is the user interface you are scripting.

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Answer 4

cyber10matt Author

Level 1

23 points

May 30, 2016 6:36 PM in response to red_menace

got it, many thanks 🙂

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