macOS Applescript click window button help!

[ElectricMan5]

I'm using this script:

tell application "System Preferences" to activate

tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
click button "Network" of window "System Preferences"
delay 1
end tell
end tell


It compiles well, but it doesn't run!

It comes up with the error:

System Events got an error: Can’t get button "Network" of window "System Preferences" of process "System Preferences".


I want the script to automate opening up system preferences, then opening up sharing, then turning "web sharing" on and off.

Please help! Thanks.

 

[kainjow]

This would be a better way to show the Sharing preference:

tell application "System Preferences"
    set current pane to pane id "com.apple.preferences.sharing"
end tell

Then after that you can use UI scripting.

 

[ElectricMan5]

This would be a better way to show the Sharing preference:

tell application "System Preferences"
    set current pane to pane id "com.apple.preferences.sharing"
end tell

Then after that you can use UI scripting.

Thanks! What is UI Scripting, though?

 

[kainjow]

It's accessing the controls (buttons, text fields, etc) of a program via AppleScript, which is what the "click" command is. You would only use it when there isn't a built-in way of doing what you want through AppleScript. Perfect example is above where System Preferences already supports showing a certain preference pane, but you were wanting to manually click the button instead.