AppleScript Text Insertion at Cursor (Pages 6.3)

I hadn't realized the book was that old 😊. I have the 2nd edition 2006 😉.

AppleScript Language Guide pdf download the pdf file

There are a number of applescrpt books out there. Many are of the cookie cutter variety that don't teach you much.

R

The cursor will end up where it would have as if you entered text.

add these to the example above.

key code 123 -- cursor left

key code 124 -- right

key code 126 -- up

key code 125 -- down

key code 51-- delete

key code 117 -- del

R

Pages '09 v4.3 was the last Pages application to have a robust scripting dictionary that understood “selection.” Pages v5.* and v6.* are not based on Pages '09, and have paltry scripting dictionaries that fight you every step of the way.

Many Pages v6.3.1 keyboard shortcuts can be found from:

Pages Help menu : Keyboard shortcuts : Pages for Mac keyboard shortcuts

tell application "Pages"

activate

tell front document

tell application "System Events"

keystroke "f" usingcontrol down-- one character forward

keystroke "b" usingcontrol down-- one character backward

keystroke "h" usingcontrol down-- delete previous character/selection

keystroke "d" usingcontrol down-- delete next character/selection

end tell

end tell

end tell

By definition, the selection will be replaced with whatever you type/keystroke.

Do you mean that you want to have the newly-inserted text selected at the end of the script?

If so, this may help:

set theStringToType to "blah blah blah"

tell application "Pages"

activate

tell application "System Events"

keystroketheStringToType

repeat (number of characters in theStringToType) times

keystroke "b" using {control down, shift down}

end repeat

end tell

end tell

It simply runs a number of 'cursor left' keystrokes with the addition of the shift key held down.

I have found that all of the external linkages for Applescript obscure.

I use this book for a general reference to apple script. That's were I got the information that I posted.

Learn AppleScript: The Comprehensive Guide to Scripting and Automation on Mac OS X, Third Edition the book

Apple has changed AppleScript somewhat in the 8 years since this book was introduced. Just as they have changed the scripting dictionaries for supported Apple applications.

Et cavete a user. Let the user beware.

I know. I kind of assumed the Third Edition was much newer than my second addition. Must have bought the second addition around 2008. I was more into applescript back then. ASC had a separate forum for Unix back than. Kind of miss the Unix forum. Was invigorating to answer the Unix questions.

R

If you just want to insert text at the insertion point/selection, why not just:

tell application "Pages"

activate

tell application "System Events"

keystroke "blah blah blah"

end tell

end tell

Time really does fly when coding in AppleScript. 😉 Your link points to a 3rd Edition (2010) on the Amazon site.