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Osiyo Author

Level 1

58 points

Automator quit all

I want a script to close all open applications and empty trash.

Applications and Finder behave differently.

Automator 'Utilities' options appear the best bet, so I am focused there.

I am able to quit all applications, but Finder is stubborn

I can close Finder components as a group inside Automator, but combining that group with 'Quit all Applications' The Automator group of scripts fails to close Finder components (Finder window, Get info, and Inspector).

Here's what I have so far.

Group 1: on it's own closes everything but Finder stuff.

Utilities > Quit all applications

Quit all applications

Group 2: this group works well.

Utilities > Run AppleScript

on run {input, parameters}

tell application "Finder"

empty the trash

end tell

delay 1

return input

end run

Group 3: run on its own this works, but not with 'Quit All Applications'.

Utilities > Run AppleScript

on run {input, parameters}

tell application "Finder"

activate

quit

delay 3

tell application "Finder"

activate

end tell

return input

end run

Group 4: this one works on its own for Finder stuff, but doesn't work with other groups.

Utilities > Run Shell Script

cat

osascript -e 'tell application "Finder" to quit'

Mac Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), MacBook Pro - iPhone6+ - Power PC

Posted on Oct 7, 2016 6:04 AM

22 replies

Osiyo Author

Level 1

58 points

Nov 26, 2016 9:10 AM in response to Barney-15E

Look, grumpy old man. No errors!

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,506 points

Nov 26, 2016 3:48 PM in response to Osiyo

Osiyo wrote:

Look, grumpy old man. No errors!

So. You are still doing everything twice for no reason. If it does it once without error, what is so impressive that it completes the same exact task with no error?

Again, just wasting processing cycles.

Is your point to just post a lot of crappy code, or did you want to learn how to program using Automator and AppleScript?

Osiyo Author

Level 1

58 points

Nov 27, 2016 12:11 AM in response to Barney-15E

When "input" included, no error - 128.

When "input" not included, error - 128, also 52, depending, error regardless.

Why not use "input"? I dont understand you.

Apple Automator template for Utilities › Run AppleScript spells it out.

on run {input, parameters}

(* Your script goes here *)

return input

end run

Barney-15E, please stop wasting space in this forum with your inane, irrelevant comments.

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,506 points

Nov 27, 2016 6:34 AM in response to Osiyo

You don't need to return anything as you are not using it on subsequent Actions.

It is included in the template because it is assumed that an Action will pass on what it got in. You neither get anything in, nor use it in subsequent Actions, so it is superfluous.

The -128 error is generated by AppleScript when you try to empty an empty trash can. Just don't do that and you won't get any error. The error has nothing to do with what you return out of the AppleScript Run handler.

Nov 27, 2016 6:54 AM in response to Osiyo

This is what I have for empty, quit, sleep. It works and I use try to empty trash because Sierra does not like it without the try, the script has an error.

Nov 27, 2016 6:58 AM in response to MacPro110

I removed the "return input" in the sleep script as it is not needed.

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,506 points

Nov 27, 2016 7:19 AM in response to MacPro110

As we found above, the error is likely because it is trying to empty the Trash when there is nothing in the Trash. That is the only time I get an error in AppleScript for that part. I posted something earlier that checks for an empty Trash and doesn't bother to try to empty if it is already empty.

Automator quit all