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Script: New Open URL Voice Control Command

Here is an AppleScript script tool (macOS) for generating the XML of a new Voice Control Open URL command. The script will generate the values for all of the placeholders (shown in orange) and place the resulting XML on the clipboard. The URL string value for the placeholder REPLACE-WITH-URL will be provided by the user.

The XML for an Open URL Voice Control command that has a system-wide scope:

AppleScript Script: New Open URL Command XML


<key>COMMAND-ID</key> <dict> <key>CustomCommands</key> <dict> <key>LOCALE-CODE</key> <array> <string>COMMAND-STRING</string> </array> </dict> <key>CustomModifyDate</key> <date>ISO-DATE-STRING</date> <key>CustomScope</key> <string>com.apple.speech.SystemWideScope</string> <key>CustomType</key> <string>URL</string> <key>CustomURLStringList</key> <array> <string>REPLACE-WITH-URL</string> </array> <key>Enabled</key> <true/> </dict>

The XML for an Open URL Voice Control command that has an application-specific scope:

AppleScript Script: New Open URL Command XML


<key>COMMAND-ID</key> <dict> <key>CustomAppName</key> <string>TARGET-APP-NAME</string> <key>CustomCommands</key> <dict> <key>LOCALE-CODE</key> <array> <string>COMMAND-STRING</string> </array> </dict> <key>CustomModifyDate</key> <date>ISO-DATE-STRING</date> <key>CustomScope</key> <string>TARGET-APP-ID</string> <key>CustomType</key> <string>URL</string> <key>CustomURLStringList</key> <array> <string>REPLACE-WITH-URL</string> </array> <key>Enabled</key> <true/> </dict>

Property List Editor and Tools

To edit Voice Control commands files, you’ll need an XML editor application that accepts the creation of XML elements via the pasting of XML text from the clipboard. The examples and downloads provided on this website were created using PlistEdit Pro from Fat Cat Software.

DOWNLOAD SCRIPT TOOL (macOS)

  1. To install the script file, DOWNLOAD and run the “Setup Script Menu” applet. This script applet will turn on the system-wide “Script Menu,” and open the macOS “Scripts” folder on the desktop. This process may require your approval of security dialogs, granting this script applet access to the “AppleScript Utility” and “Finder” applications.
  2. Unpack the downloaded ZIP archive containing the script tool, and place the script file into the “Scripts” folder now open on the Desktop. Once added, the script will be available from the system-wide “Script Menu” located at the top right of the menu bar.

Here is the script code written in AppleScriptObj-C:

AppleScript Script: New Open URL Voice Control Command


use AppleScript version "2.4" -- Yosemite (10.10) or later use framework "Foundation" use scripting additions -- classes, constants, and enums used property NSUserDefaults : a reference to current application's NSUserDefaults property NSNumberFormatter : a reference to current application's NSNumberFormatter property NSString : a reference to current application's NSString property scriptID : "com.nyhthawk-productions.script.vc-menu-item-command" property defaultTargetAppName : "Finder" property defaultTargetAppID : "com.apple.finder" global targetAppName, targetAppID ## USER DEFAULTS set theDefaults to NSUserDefaults's alloc()'s initWithSuiteName:scriptID theDefaults's registerDefaults:{targetAppName:defaultTargetAppName, targetAppID:defaultTargetAppID} set targetAppName to (theDefaults's stringForKey:"targetAppName") as string set targetAppID to (theDefaults's stringForKey:"targetAppID") as string ## USER PROMPT repeat set dialogMessage to "This script will generate the XML text for a new Open URL Voice Command element." & return set dialogMessage to dialogMessage & return & "Target Application: " & targetAppName set dialogMessage to dialogMessage & return & "Application ID: " & targetAppID display dialog dialogMessage with title "Voice Control Command: Open URL" buttons {"Cancel", "Set App", "Continue"} default button 3 set actionChoice to the button returned of the result if actionChoice is "Continue" then exit repeat else if actionChoice is "Set App" then set targetApp to choose application with prompt "Select the application to use:" tell targetApp set targetAppID to the id of it set targetAppName to the name of it end tell theDefaults's setObject:targetAppID forKey:"targetAppID" theDefaults's setObject:targetAppName forKey:"targetAppName" end if end repeat display dialog "Should this Voice Control command be available only in " & (targetAppName as string) & " or System-Wide?" with title "Availability of Voice Control Command" buttons {"Cancel", "System-Wide", targetAppName} default button 3 set chosenScope to the button returned of the result ## GENERATE THE COMMAND ID set IDstring to ("Custom." & generateAbsoluteTimeID()) as string ## GENERATE THE CURRENT DATE IN ISO FORMAT set dateString to do shell script "date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'" ## GET THE CURRENT LOCALE set localeString to user locale of (system info) ## PROMPT FOR COMMAND STRING repeat display dialog "Enter the command text or phrase:" default answer "" with title "Voice Control Command: Open URL" set commandString to the text returned of the result if commandString is not "" then exit repeat end repeat ## INSERT VALUES INTO TEMPLATE set URLPlaceholder to "REPLACE-WITH-URL" if chosenScope is "System-Wide" then set commandXML to " <key>" & IDstring & "</key> <dict> <key>CustomCommands</key> <dict> <key>" & localeString & "</key> <array> <string>COMMANDSTRING</string> </array> </dict> <key>CustomModifyDate</key> <date>" & dateString & "</date> <key>CustomScope</key> <string>com.apple.speech.SystemWideScope</string> <key>CustomType</key> <string>URL</string> <key>CustomURLStringList</key> <array> <string>" & URLPlaceholder & "</string> </array> <key>Enabled</key> <true/> </dict> " else set commandXML to " <key>" & IDstring & "</key> <dict> <key>CustomAppName</key> <string>" & targetAppName & "</string> <key>CustomCommands</key> <dict> <key>" & localeString & "</key> <array> <string>COMMANDSTRING</string> </array> </dict> <key>CustomModifyDate</key> <date>" & dateString & "</date> <key>CustomScope</key> <string>" & targetAppID & "</string> <key>CustomType</key> <string>URL</string> <key>CustomURLStringList</key> <array> <string>" & URLPlaceholder & "</string> </array> <key>Enabled</key> <true/> </dict> " end if ## PUT COMMAND XML ON CLIPBOARD set the clipboard to commandXML ## PROMPT THE USER display dialog "The XML text for a new Open URL Voice Command is on the clipboard." & return & return & "Be sure to replace the placeholder “REPLACE-WITH-URL” with the target URL." buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "Voice Control Command: Open URL" on generateAbsoluteTimeID() ## 669490008.038141 set currentAbsoluteTime to current application's CFAbsoluteTimeGetCurrent() set fmtr to NSNumberFormatter's new() fmtr's setFormat:"#.#########" set exportDateString to NSString's stringWithFormat_("%@", fmtr's stringFromNumber:currentAbsoluteTime) as string if length of exportDateString is not 23 then repeat until length of exportDateString is 18 set exportDateString to exportDateString & (random number from 1 to 9) as string end repeat end if return exportDateString end generateAbsoluteTimeID

 

 

 

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