Activate the frontmost window in the previous app.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 9:42am

There are probably still some glitches here, when an app isn’t scriptable and so on, but this is as good as it gets from my side, to pick a window among those you have in the current space, or select from all spaces if you have no more than one window. If you have none, then you command - tab to the app. The script is in post #7 together with a skeleton for an app, so you can use it from various places.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 10:16am

Invisible windows, that should have stayed invisible started to turn up as a result of former fixes. It is updated in post #7.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 11:11am

Now it moves you into the space where a window resides, if the window you chose didn’t reside in the current space, (if you had just one window in this space, you’ll get the opportunity to select windows from other spaces, if the app has any). It is all in post #7.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 11:50am

Factored out a subroutine, and tested it thoroughly, with document based and non documentbased apps. It should work as intended for applications that are scriptable.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 12:18pm

One last bug is fixed. The problem was not getting the window to front, when the window is residing in another space.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 12:24pm

I had to differentiate between cases where there were just one window in another space, and more than one.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 12:33pm

Perfect, as far as it goes.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 1:32pm

Apart from when there were multiple windows in the current space. That is fixed now.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 10:41pm

It is totally finished. I really need that script object, that’s why I have bothered all of this, if you wonder.
So the finished thing resides in post # 7.

It is a script called Pike, that lets you pick a window from any app that is active in current space, if there is just one window active in current space, then you are allowed to select windows in other spaces.

The idea is that if you want something “new”, from an app that isn’t there then you’ll switch or fire up that app, and arrange things as you want.

Fixed one bug relating to activating a window in another space, when there is just one window. There are still problems when there are several windows in another space, and you want to get a window that is not the front in that space (index = 1 ), I can’t bypass bringing all of the windows of that app in the front of the other windows in that space then. Maybe I’ll fix this one day, but I fear it will be a rather slow solution in AppleScript.

One thing I have forgotten to mention is that the whole thing relies on auto-swooshing of windows, that is, when you select a window in another space, that space is activated/you are taken to that space (pick your view).

You activate auot-swooshing by entering this from the command line:

.

The whole setup also works best with apps, that aren’t dedicated to any space, nor all spaces.

McUsrII · July 8, 2013, 11:58pm

And the right version is posted in post #7 above.

ahaghgoo · July 9, 2013, 4:22am

Wait so can I use this along with the script that you helped me edit that uses UIElements to connect to bluetooth devices so that it would seem like I had not even opened up system preferences to connect to the bluetooth device?

McUsrII · July 9, 2013, 4:43am

I am sorry for this whole thread, but it works as should at my place.

With auto-swoosh enabled and all. It is practical, but its not comfortable, and perfect in any sense I realize that now.

kel1 · July 10, 2013, 4:46am

Hi McUsr,

That is a puzzle. How do you make just one window of an app frontmost? does it work? I’ll read it later. Interesting.

McUsrII · July 10, 2013, 9:04am

Hello.

There are certain situations where that won’t work, and that is, when there are more than one window in another space, from that app which window you want to bring to the foreground, as it is I have no way of bringing just that window forward.( if it is followed immediately by an window of the same app, in the z-order (front to back ordering of the windows).

I hope you try it, and find it useful.

I am still working on it, to make it more friendly, as even I are at a loss at times.

Later today, I’ll post a new version, this version will gather all windows, from the app that are active in the current space, regardless, if it has only one window open there, or not. I’ll also use “Stone’s ticks” on the windows that are from the current space, to differentiate between “native” and “foreign” windows.

McUsrII · July 10, 2013, 8:53pm

OK.

Even more bugfixes, when a user escapes out of a choose from list, and leaves the screen in a more tranquil state, with regards to windows visible, and frontmost, before and after a cancel.

All windows for an app will be visible in the window list dialog, if it has any, but this behaviour can be changed by a property.

There is no way to just activate a window from an app in another space, and bring that to front, without bringing the windows of that app in your current space to front. So the price for jumping to a window in another space, is that you rearrange the window layout in your current space. The second caveat is that all windows of the same app will be brought to front, once activated, because I have to activate the app, to make the jump to the window.

This could have been fixed by ui scripting the window menu, and jump from there, right now I am fed up with it…

McUsrII · July 11, 2013, 4:16am

Hello.

It still disrupts your screen a whole lot less, when you have many windows open in an app, compared to the usual way of getting a window: activating an app, and then looking for the window.

And, my test shows that it disrupt the screens less than command tab (choose app ) 1.

So. In my eyes, it is an improvement, although small. (Not worth it.)

(You really need to have auto-swoosh enabled to see any benefits by this script, this is described in post #7 where you also find the script.

McUsrII · July 12, 2013, 10:40am

Hello.

I had to implement a time out for cases where the app you want to get a window list from is busy, and then bail out with a dialog about the situation.

This doesn’t happen often but say if you left an app in a modal dialog, then it may.

kel1 · July 13, 2013, 4:02am

Hi McUsr,

I downloaded the Pike script from post #7. Chose Smile and had open a new untitled script window and the worksheet. When I choose the worksheet from the dialog, the untitled window comes up. When I choose the untitled window the worksheet becomes frontmost. I’ll try to look through the script to see what is happening.

Nice idea though. I always want to bring some window from some app frontmost. I always used to bring the app to the front first, then try to click on the right window.

Later,
kel

McUsrII · July 13, 2013, 6:19am

Thank you very much kel! One - nil to Hawaii!

It was nice of you to tell me. It appears that since Smile, operates with several kinds of windows, both AppleScript Terminals, Dialogs and AppleScripts, that may “Trick” to bring a window frontmost doesn’t work. I have implemented a work-around for Smile, so that the correct window gets to be activated.

I have tested the script alot, and that is the first time just that has happened.

Please tell me, if you find other flaws.

In the passing. I wrote the script for some of the same reasons, most of my apps aren’t assigned to any space, so that they get started in the space that I am in. Those apps where I have a window open that covers all contexts, (my working contexts) are set to show up in every space.

If I did this with the apps, that I may use in a separate space on a project, then I would have all its windows cluttering up everything. So this program enables me to jump into a space, and have that window I want active when I get there. Then it is easy to jump back with the window.

Pike diversifies your options with regards to window configuration of your spaces. That was what I was trying to say. Or. Pike gives you an option in between of everything and nothing. But it is intended to be used with auto-swoosh, as described together with the script in post #7.

Enjoy your evening!
Foggy morning here.

McUsrII · January 22, 2015, 2:54pm

Hello.

I have changed login name, and can’t access the script in post #2 Elevate: So I’ll post the update here, which aren’t much more than embedding the script into a script object, and then running it, because that speeds things up.

This little script is very practical, when you are having many windows open in the same space, because it lifts forward, the current window of an app, but lets the rest be untouched.

I have placed this in an AppleScript action in an Automator service like this:

on run {input, parameters}
set clockFile to ((path to temporary items folder from user domain) as text) & “net.mcusr.clock.elevate”
set drop_out to false

tell application id "sevs"
	try
		set mod_date to modification date of file clockFile
		
	on error
		set mod_date to missing value
	end try
end tell
if mod_date is not missing value then
	set t_diff to (current date) - mod_date
	
	if t_diff > 2 then -- seconds
		set failed to false
		try
			set fref to (open for access file clockFile with write permission)
			--		read in sentinel file to set last access and run of this script
		on error
			try
				close access fref
			end try
			set failed to true
		end try
		if not failed then
			try
				write "this is just a file we check again, to obstruct double tapping a key." to fref starting at 0
				-- we update the modification time of the file  here.
			end try
			try
				close access fref
			end try
		end if
	else
		set drop_out to true
	end if
else -- we have never run befoe, and need to make the "clock" file.
	set failed to false
	try
		set fref to (open for access file clockFile with write permission)
		--	just make the file, and commence
	on error
		try
			close access fref
		end try
		set failed to true
	end try
	if not failed then
		try
			write "this is just a file we check again, to obstruct double tapping a key." to fref starting at 0
		on error
			try
				close access fref
			end try
			set failed to true
		end try
		if not failed then
			try
				close access fref
			end try
		end if
	end if
end if

if drop_out is false then
	local hfsScriptName
	try
		set hfsScriptName to "Macintosh HD:Users:path:to:the:Elevate.scpt"
		tell application id "com.apple.systemuiserver"
			tell me to run script (hfsScriptName as alias)
		end tell
	on error e number n
		tell application (path to frontmost application as text)
			display alert "Something went wrong during execution of Elevate:

Error: " & e & " number: " & n
end tell
error number -128
end try
end if
end run

End I have gone into the keyboard preferences pane, and assigned it to cmd-F3.
(My keyboard is configured so that I have to press the ‘fn’ button in order to adjust the volume by F11/f12).
Together with the ‘cycle through windows buttons’ (shift-cntrl-F4 and cntrl-4) this gives me an easy window-activation from the keyboard.

Here is the updated script:

-- Elevate http://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?pid=154619#p154619
-- © McUsr and put into public domain (Parts stolen from MacOSXAutomation.com )
-- http://macosxautomation.com/mavericks/notifications/01A.html
-- revised to use current application instead of system ui server

property parent : AppleScript

on run
	try
		script o
			property a : missing value
			property b : missing value
		end script
		local a, b, c, d, i
		set e to (path to frontmost application as text)
		tell application id "com.apple.systemevents"
			set {o's a, o's b} to {bundle identifier, name} of (every process whose visible is true)
			set pcount to count o's b
			repeat with i from 1 to pcount
				
				if (count every window of (application process (item i of o's b))) = 0 then
					set {item i of o's a, item i of o's b} to {missing value, missing value}
				else if (frontmost of (application process (item i of o's b))) = true then
					set ebid to item i of o's a
					set {item i of o's a, item i of o's b} to {missing value, missing value}
				end if
			end repeat
		end tell
		set {o's a, o's b} to {o's a's text, o's b's text}
		set pcount to count o's b
		set deli to "." & space & space
		repeat with i from 1 to pcount
			set item i of o's b to character id (i + 96) & deli & item i of o's b
		end repeat
		
		tell application id "com.apple.systemuiserver"
			activate
			try
				with timeout of 30 seconds
					set c to (choose from list o's b default items item 1 of o's b with title "Elevate a window")
				end timeout
			on error thisErr number thisNr
				if thisNr = -1712 then
					tell application id "com.apple.systemevents"
						tell process "SystemUIServer"
							tell button 2 of its window 1 to click
						end tell
					end tell
					set c to false
				end if
			end try
		end tell
		
		if c = false then
			do shell script "/usr/bin/open -b " & ebid & " &>/dev/null &"
			error number -128
		else
			do shell script "/usr/bin/open -b " & item ((id of character 1 of (item 1 of c)) - 96) of o's a & "  &>/dev/null &"
		end if
	on error errorMessage number theErrNo
		if theErrNo is -25211 then
			my addAppletToAccessibilityList()
		else if theErrNo â‰  -128 then
			tell application (path to frontmost application as text)
				display dialog "Elevate got an Error: " & errorMessage & " : " & theErrNo
			end tell
		end if
	end try
end run
-- stolen from  MacOSXAutomation.com	
on addAppletToAccessibilityList()
	set thisApplication to (path to frontmost application)
	tell application "Finder" to reveal thisApplication
	tell application "System Preferences"
		launch
		reveal anchor "Privacy_Assistive" of pane id "com.apple.preference.security"
		
		activate
		display alert "ADD APPLICATION TO ACCESSIBILTY" message "In order to let this application control the computer by running Elevate, it must must be added to the list of applications approved to use the accessibility controls of the OS." & return & return & "To add this Application to the Accessibility list:" & return & return & "1) Click the lock icon (if it is locked) at the bottom left of the System Prefences window, and enter your adminstrative password in the forthcoming dialog." & return & return & "2) If the Application is already in the list, select the checkbox next to its name. Otherwise, drag the icon of the applet (now revealed in the Finder) into the list area displayed on the right side of the System Preference window." & return & return & "3) Click the lock icon to re-lock the preference pane."
	end tell
end addAppletToAccessibilityList

I have a snippet like this in my script folder, so I can run it from the scripts menu as well.

	
property parent : AppleScript
set hfsScriptName to "Macintosh HD:Users:you:path to:Elevate.scpt"
	run script (hfsScriptName as alias)