macOS AppleScript - how do I create an interactive app use tutorial?

[moonman239]

I want to create an AppleScript that shows people who are unfamiliar with computers how to do something in a given app - for example, how to create WordArt in Word. Here's how the AppleScript program would work:

1) The AppleScript program would place a transparent image over the thing the user has to click. The best way to do this would probably be to find the location of the center of the thing the user has to click, then set the location of the center of the image to that location.
2) The AppleScript program waits for the user to click that button.
3) The AppleScript program then tells the user what to do next.

 

[superscape]

Hmmm...

I'm not sure that AppleScript is going to be the right tool for the job here. I'm not really sure what would be the right tool though...

Maybe taking a look at Adobe Captivate would be a good place to start. I've not used it myself, but I know people in a training roles who use it regularly.

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/captivate.html

Interested to hear what you use in the end!

Good luck

 

[moonman239]

This code seems to log the location of a menu item in Safari, maybe relative to the menu bar in which the item is located:

tell application "Safari" to activate
tell application "System Events"
	tell process "Safari"
		set theItem to menu item "New Window" of menu "File" of menu bar 1
		tell theItem
			get value of attribute "AXPosition"
		end tell
	end tell
end tell

 

[960design]

I want to create an AppleScript that shows people who are unfamiliar with computers how to do something in a given app - for example, how to create WordArt in Word. Here's how the AppleScript program would work:

1) The AppleScript program would place a transparent image over the thing the user has to click. The best way to do this would probably be to find the location of the center of the thing the user has to click, then set the location of the center of the image to that location.
2) The AppleScript program waits for the user to click that button.
3) The AppleScript program then tells the user what to do next.

Sounds like a fantastic idea! Let us know when you get something together.

 

[superscape]

I still think you're going to struggle.

You'd need Word (in your example) to provide some kind of user interaction suite specifically for the purpose. It'd need to be able to create UI items within the app itself and somehow connect the UI items back to your Applescript. Much like AppleScriptObjC does with Cocoa. Word doesn't have a user interaction suite that does that and I'm not aware of any app that does (although I may be wrong).

 

[chown33]

Sounds a lot like Apple Guide, part of the older Help system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Guide

The salient features: coach marks, UI-element recognition, and event recognition.

 

[superscape]

Sounds a lot like Apple Guide, part of the older Help system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Guide

The salient features: coach marks, UI-element recognition, and event recognition.

I agree. I don't think there's anything comparable in Mac OS X though, is there? I'd be interested if there is!

 

[960design]

I still think you're going to struggle.

You'd need Word (in your example) to provide some kind of user interaction suite specifically for the purpose. It'd need to be able to create UI items within the app itself and somehow connect the UI items back to your Applescript. Much like AppleScriptObjC does with Cocoa. Word doesn't have a user interaction suite that does that and I'm not aware of any app that does (although I may be wrong).

You are not 'wrong', everything you said is correct and the 'easy way'. Applescript can use GUI scripting to provide the workflow and simple dialogs to access / control any program. Combined with Cocoa or Java you could provide a much more interesting user experience / education.

PS. It may be better to recreate the interfaces in HTML5. Then provide the tutorial 'on-top' of that. This would provide more control and more access to potential customers / users. They could 'learn' Solaris on a chromebook or Nook for example, instead of actually having to have access to a Solaris environment.