https://github.com/willf/alfred-scripts
How to create Alfred Scripts in Python
https://github.com/willf/alfred-scripts
Last synced: about 1 year ago
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How to create Alfred Scripts in Python
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/willf/alfred-scripts
- Owner: willf
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2021-10-25T15:48:01.000Z (over 4 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2021-10-26T17:51:29.000Z (over 4 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-03-24T12:52:23.102Z (about 1 year ago)
- Language: Python
- Size: 17.6 KB
- Stars: 3
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Writing Alfred copy/paste scripts in Python
This repository shows how to create [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com) scripts in Python. The examples below assume that you have Python 3 installed via Homebrew.
Our working example will be a script that will convert text in the Mac clipboard to small caps, that is, for example, it will take "Hello World!" and replace it with "ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ!"
## Set up
1. Create a directory in which you want to place your Python-based Alfred scripts. I created mine in `$HOME/projects/alfred-scripts`
2. Install the Python `clipboard` package locally (and any other packages you need):
```bash
cd $HOME/projects/alfred-scripts
python3 -m pip install --target dist clipboard
```
## Writing and testing a script locally
First you need to decide what your text transformation will do. Let's start with something simple: converting text to upper case:
```python
def convert(text):
return text.upper()
```
By my own convention, I write this scripts to run in three ways: in test mode, from the command line, and in clipboard mode (which is what we will use for Alfred). So I have a driver that looks like this:
```python
if __name__ == "__main__":
if len(sys.argv) > 1:
action = sys.argv.pop(1)
if action == "--test":
unittest.main()
elif action == "--clipboard":
clipboard_main()
else:
print("Unknown action: {}".format(action))
sys.exit(1)
else:
main()
```
You can use your own conventions, but this allow me to test the script out from the command line.
The main function is easy enough:
```python
def main():
sys.stdout.write(convert(sys.stdin.read()))
```
You can embed unit tests in the script and invoke them using the `--test` flag as given above:
```python
import unittest
class TestConvert(unittest.TestCase):
def test_convert(self):
text = "Hello World!"
match = "HELLO WORLD!"
self.assertEqual(convert(text), match)
```
Once you are satisfied that your conversion routine is working, you can write the simple clipboard main:
```python
def clipboard_main():
to_convert = clipboard.paste()
clipboard.copy(convert(to_convert.lower()))
```
(Note that you are _pasting_ into your program, and _copying_ back into the clipboard).
## Creating a Alfred Workflow
Creating the Alfred workflow is relatively simple. Create a new worklfow and name it. Typically, it will have four steps:
1. A trigger command
2. Executing ⌘C to copy text into the clipboard
3. Running your script
4. Executing ⌘V to paste text
The script should look like this (I use [zsh](https://www.zsh.org), your script might vary). Note that
we install the `clipboard` package; if there are other packages you need, you'll want to do the same thing.
```zsh
export PATH=/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:$PATH
export SCRIPTDIR=$HOME/projects/alfred-scripts
export PYTHONPATH=$SCRIPTDIR/dist
python3 $SCRIPTDIR/upper.py --clipboard
```
This is what the workflow looks like:
I find myself often needing to debug the Alfred script, so it's useful to learn [how to use the debugger](https://www.alfredapp.com/help/workflows/advanced/debugger/).
Note: many thanks to [@deanishe](https://github.com/deanishe) for improvements to what I'm doing. Any
foolishness remaining I claim for my own. See also his [https://github.com/deanishe/alfred-workflow](alfred-workflow) package.