Automation Utilities

Because using a Mac means more than just using one particular application, Automation is most effective when it is integrated throughout the operating system and all of the programs it runs. OS X includes built-in tools for creating, editing, and running scripts and automation files, when and where you need them. The following short overview describes some of the useful automation features of OS X.

script-menu-populated

The Script Menu  (⬆ see above )  provides an easy way to access your scripts, organized by application or function.

This section provides an overview of how to use some of the built-in automation utilities of OS X. Specifically, it describes:

  • how to view the Numbers scripting dictionary in the AppleScript Editor application;
  • how to activate and setup the system-wide Script Menu utility;
  • how to take advantage of the new Services support in Numbers 3.1 using Automator;
  • how application developers can enable their applications to provide user scripts for interacting with Numbers.

IMPORTANT: The documentation provided here on these topics assumes a basic knowledge of AppleScript, and how to use the AppleScript Editor to create and edit AppleScript scripts. If you are new to these topics, we suggest a short online tutorial, and/or one of the excellent available books on the subject, such as AppleScript 1-2-3 (available in print and on the iBooks Store).

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