macOS Get Bank Balance with Automator and AppleScript

[sigamy]

One of my first ideas for Automator was to have it login to my online banking site, get my account balances and then speak the current balance out. Privacy isn't an issue in my house

This would make my wife happy, she could just click one button and have the balances spoken out to her.

After finding out about some of Automator's missing features (can't input into forms, Safari actions didn't want to download from pages with frames) I determined that I needed an AppleScript to do most of the work. I borrowed some code and now I have it all working, except for logging off of the online banking site. I'll work on that part tonight.

My Workflow is:
1. Call AppleScript that: goes to URL, inputs UserID & Password, clicks 'login' button, waits a few seconds, then copies all text in appropriate frame.
2. TextEdit action to create a new document, paste text in from clipboard
3. TextEdit action to search for "$" (there is a bunch of junk at beginning of file)
4. System action for Text to Speech to have Vicki read my account balances.


It's not perfect but it works.

 

[snkTab]

Just wait till your wife wants the computer to shop for her too. Then you are really in trouble. Make the computer tell your wife your balance is really half what it should be.

 

[swindmill]

I'd like to create a workflow that does this, but I have no idea how to create the script needed. Where can I quickly (as possible) learn how to do this?

 

[wheezy]

I like this, and I'm going to try this...but, Applescript, that's the problem. How do I write an Applescript to fill in the fields, and then press the login button?

 

[sigamy]

All,

Here is what I did. My online banking site uses forms so I had to do a bit of trial and error to find the correct form. You should be able to view the source of your bank's site to find out the function you need to call to mimic clicking the logon button.

here is my workflow:

1. Automator--Run Apple Script. Here is the script:

on run {input, parameters}

tell application "Safari"
-- go to appropriate URL for your bank
open location "https://www.mybank.com"
delay 3
-- need to fill in the form with User ID and password
do JavaScript "top.frames[1].document.forms[0].userId.value = \"" & "myUserID\"" in document 1
do JavaScript "top.frames[1].document.forms[0].password.value = \"" & "myPass\"" in document 1
delay 3

-- now click the Login button, view source of bank page to see what function to call
do JavaScript "top.frames[1].doStart()" in document 1
delay 8

activate -- not needed unless you want to watch
-- grab all the text from the current web page
set page_source to the text of front document
end tell

-- now tell TextEdit to paste the text
tell application "TextEdit"
activate -- not needed unless you want to watch
set newDoc to make new document at end
tell newDoc
set paragraph 1 to page_source
end tell
end tell


return input
end run


2. TextEdit -- Get Contents of TextEdit Document
this just reads the text into memory

3. TextEdit -- Filter Paragraphs
When I log into my bank there is a bunch of "hi, how are you" text at the top of the page. I didn't want Vicki to read this text so I search for "$". She starts reading after the "$" and just yells out my current balance.

4. System -- Speak Text