Cleaning up Windows in a non-Scriptable Application

Here is an example of using User Interface scripting in Applescript to move windows around in an application that is not otherwise scriptable. Through UI Scripting you can do some limited interface tasks with an app that you otherwise have no access to. For even the worst applications in terms of scriptability, UI Scripting can provide access to things like windows that are open, their size and their position.
In the script, once I have collected an array of all open windows in an app, a series of "if" boolean statements are used to detect which window I'm now working with. Some of them have a title property that can be tested for, while others have a fixed window size that can be checked.

This example uses the Accordance application. Accordance has custom window classifications that do not respond to any "clean up windows" menu command. The app is not scriptable, and due to the custom nature of its user interface, the properties that UI scripting has access to are extremely limited. Windows can get moved around when connecting/disconnecting external displays. This app rearranges the windows how you would like them.

Here is the text of the script, and you can find a link to the script on the Downloads page. (On how to integrate such a script into your own workflow, look elsewhere on this blog or google Applescript to your hearts content.)

-- Clean up Accordance windows  v.1

-- This script will move the first main search window to the top left, and then move all palettes to the edges of the main display

-- Will have to be adjusted to meet your tastes and your external display setup.

tell application "Finder"

set screenBounds to bounds of window of desktop

set screenWidth to item 3 of screenBounds

set screenHeight to item 4 of screenBounds

end tell

tell application "Accordance" to activate

delay 0.5

tell application "System Events"

tell process "Accord"

set winCount to count windows

repeat with n from 1 to winCount

set thisWindow to window n

set winSize to size of thisWindow

set sw to item 1 of winSize

set sh to item 2 of winSize

set winPosition to position of thisWindow

set pw to item 1 of winPosition

set ph to item 2 of winPosition

if description of thisWindow is "dialog" then

-- it is a main search window

-- move to top left

set position of thisWindow to {1, 22}

else if size of thisWindow is {96, 552} then

-- it is a Resource palette

-- move to top right

set position of thisWindow to {(screenWidth - sw), 22}

else if size of thisWindow is {324, 46} then

-- it is a Text palette

-- move to middle bottom

set position of thisWindow to {(screenWidth / 2), (screenHeight - sh)}

else if ((get title of thisWindow) as string) is "Highlight" then

-- it is a Highlight palette

-- move to bottom right

set position of thisWindow to {(screenWidth - sw), (screenHeight - sh)}

else if ((get title of thisWindow) as string) contains "Keyboard Characters" then

-- it is a Character palette

-- move to top middle

set position of thisWindow to {(screenWidth / 2), 22}

else if ((get subrole of thisWindow) as string) is "AXFloatingWindow" then

-- is a palette, so only option left is Instant Details palette

-- move to bottom left

set position of thisWindow to {1, (screenHeight - sh)}

else

-- Must be another main search window

-- Can check for title, etc. to move them.

end if

end repeat

end tell

end tell

Still No Hebrew for Word 2011

The chatter has increased day by day as the MacBU got closer to releasing detail on Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac. We hear officially this morning that there is no support for right-to-left Unicode languages (Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic). This is disappointing, and was my suspicion. Here is what they say:

With each version of Office for Mac we have to prioritize updates.  While we will be adding new language support there will not be full right-to-left support for languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. 

Office 2011 relies on the Apple Type Services for Unicode Imaging (ATSUI) as the set of services for rendering Unicode. Due to technology restraints on the text input tools, Office for Mac’s Unicode support doesn’t include languages such as Hebrew and Arabic.

We understand support for RTL languages is needed and it is something we have on our priority list. However, at this time, we don’t have any updates on timing. 

One bit of it is hogwash. It relates to the fact that they indeed did not rebuild Office using Cocoa. 
And as it stands now, there may be a silver lining. There was some previous success in pasting in, though not editing Unicode Hebrew into the last iteration of Word. From some beta testers I have spoken with, it appears that if one is working from a document created in another application that does have right-to-left Unicode that you can have more success. 

One tester responds with this tweet:

Yes I did, when I edit an Arabic file it works perfect, but it doesn't if I create a new doc!

6:34 PM Jul 30th

And another stated this way:

About Arabic support in MS office 2011 Beta 5 for Mac: 1-Word:YES if you open an Arabic doc 2-Excel:NO AT ALL 3-Power Point:YES PERFECT

Aug 1

The big disappointment is that Hebrew is not supported. However, we will begin to get more information on just what is possible. Microsoft's troubles will only increase as they continue to neglect this problem.