Choosing AppleScript package format for execution

Introduction

AppleScript is a powerful scripting language that can be used to automate tasks on macOS. However, before you can run an AppleScript, you need to package it in a way that makes it executable. There are several different ways to do this, and the best approach for you will depend on your specific needs.

In this blog post, I will discuss the different ways to package an AppleScript file, and I will provide some guidance on how to choose the right approach for your needs. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, so that you can make an informed decision.

I have tested the following approaches on macOS Monterey, but they should also work with macOS Ventura.

Options

Option 1: Exporting an AppleScript as an Application

In this approach, we simply do a File > Export of the script and set one option:

Change the file format to Application

This works fine for simple cases like in this example, I only have a "say 1" command in the body of the script.

Features

• Most straightforward approach.
• The script is portable that it can be shared with other Macs.
• The app can be triggered from the spotlight.
• Small footprint. The generated file above is only 175KB.
  

Disadvantages

• Updating the script would require the source file to be re-exported.
• Changing the icon is not a straightforward approach. I use a paid app Image2icon app to try to change its icon and it didn't work.
• There is a small overhead in the launch time because it is an app.

Option 2: Creating an AppleScript Application using Automator

In this approach, we will be using Automator, which comes with macOS. We will be creating an Automator app with a small template script that can be modified to run any script on the host computer.

Step 1: Launch Automator and choose Application

Step 2: Filter the actions to find the Run AppleScript

Step 3: Drag and drop the Run AppleScript action to the right pane

Step 4: Update the code with the following. Take note of the script path to point to the correct script. Compile the code by clicking on the hammer icon to make sure there are no typos.

Step 5: Set the name of the file, choose the location, and save the document.

Features

• The script is available across apps.

Advantages

• Easy to change the application icon using the Image2icon app.
  

• Easier to change the implementation. Just change the referenced script file and the app would reflect the changes on re-run.

Disadvantages

• The application file is larger at around 3.3MB, and even slightly bigger at 4.1MB after changing its icon.
• More steps to create the app but nothing that can't be automated.
• There is a small overhead in the launch time because it is an app.

Option 3: Running the Script in Script Editor or Script Debugger

In this approach, we will load the script file on the default AppleScript editor. It can be a 3rd party paid app Script Debugger if that is available to you.

Step 1: Open the Script Using Spotlight.

Step 2: Run the file from the editor by clicking the play button or pressing Command + R, or by clicking the menu item Run from the menu Script.

Features

• The script is very easy to trigger
• The script is available across apps.

Disadvantages

• The script is prone to accidental modification because we are opening the file with a code editor.
• Launches a separate app just to launch a script.

Option 4: Running the Script from the Script Menu

Step 1: Enable the Script Menu in the Script Editor

You should be able to see the Script Menu appear in the menu bar.

Step 2.a: If you want the script to be available only to a specific app, focus on that app then navigate to that application scripts folder by clicking the first menu item, the Open Safari Scripts Folder on the example below.

Step 2.b: If you want the script to be available regardless of which app is focused, navigate to the user scripts folder by clicking the second menu item, the Open User Scripts Folder.

Step 3: Now copy your script into the folder in Step 2 and it should now appear in the drop-down. If you chose to copy the script into the app scripts folder, the script will only be visible when that app is focused, otherwise, it will always be visible if you choose to copy it into the User Cripts Folder or the Computer Scripts Folder. Choose Computer Scripts Folder if you want your script to be accessible to other users of your computer as well.

.

Features

• The script can be triggered from the menu bar.
• The script can be available across apps or specific only to the focused app.

Disadvantages

• The script is a copy and would need extra steps to properly manage via version control.

Option 5: Running the Script from a Keyboard Maestro Macro

Features

• The script code can also be triggered via the Script Menu.
• Thes script can be triggered via command line.
• The script can be triggered via URL.
• The script can use the blanket of the Keyboard Maestro accessibility permission.
• The script is very convenient to trigger if you have a Stream Deck.
• The script will run faster as compared to an app.

Disadvantages

• The script is not easy to version control
• The script requires the use of a paid app Keyboard Maestro.
• The script is not very easy to trigger
• Requires another form of trigger like Stream Deck hardware or via a hotkey.

Option 6: Running the Script in the command line using osascript

Step 1: Open Terminal

Step 2: Run the command: osascript <path-to-your-script>

Step 3: Alternatively, you can make your script executable by updating the header of your script.

Then run the file like this:

Or by adding a header

Then make the file executable by running the command

Then run the file from its directory with:

Advantages

• Easy to use when working in the command line.

Disadvantages

• Requires the use of a Terminal app.
• Might be too technical to use for regular folks.

In Summary

Use Case	Automator Application	Keyboard Maestro Macro	Script Editor Application	Script Menu	Script Editor	Command Line
Script Icon	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
App-Specific	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌
Available System Wide	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Build script (Makefile)	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	✅
Git Version Control	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅

Conclusion

I usually only consider the 3 options for my automation which are the App via Automator, Keyboard Maestro Macro, and Script Menu, and rarely via command line. To choose the best option, I would just ask these few questions.

• Do we strongly feel the need to do version control for the script? If yes, use Application.
• Do we need the script to be available only to the current app? If yes, then use Keyboard Maestro Macro along with Script Menu.
• Do we need the script as part of the build process? If yes, then use the command line option.