Hello & please be gentle!

Below is a script I wrote to put the lyrics of the currently playing track in iTunes onto your desktop using GeekTool. http://homepage.mac.com/bonkers/macnn/ss-lyrics.jpg

I'd appreciate any feedback/suggestion/critiques.

Thanks, Chris

Applescript:

(* this is to get the script to automatically run when iTunes is open & write the currently playing track's lyrics to a file *)

(* to randomize the track list *)
on unsortList(lst)
   try
       if lst's class is not list then error "Not a list." number -1704
       script k
           property l : lst's items
       end script
       set len to count k's l
       set lastNum to random number from 1 to 9.999999999971E+12 -- calling osax only once improves overall performance approx 40%
       repeat with idx1 from 1 to len
           set lastNum to (lastNum * 67128023) mod 9.999999999971E+12
           set idx2 to (lastNum mod len) + 1
           set tmp to k's l's item idx1
           set k's l's item idx1 to (get k's l's item idx2)
           set k's l's item idx2 to tmp
       end repeat
       return k's l
   on error eMsg number eNum
       error "Can't unsortList: " & eMsg number eNum
   end try
end unsortList
--
(* This subroutine gets the lyrics from iTunes of the current track and writes them to a text file. *)
on lyrinfo()
   
   tell application "iTunes"
       set ct to current track
       set {nom, lyr, art} to {"", "", ""}
       tell ct
           try
               if artist is "" then
                   set art to (" by " & "unknown artist")
               else
                   set art to (" by " & artist)
               end if
               if lyrics is "" then
                   set lyr to return & return & "missing lyrics" -- this adds two line returns after song title & artist
               else
                   set lyr to return & return & lyrics -- this adds two line returns after song title & artist
               end if
               if name is missing value then
                   set nom to "unknown track title"
               else
                   set nom to name
               end if
           end try
       end tell
       -- basic info (feel free to format your own message!)
       set the clipboard to ("\"" & nom & "\"" & art & lyr)
   end tell
   
   -- let's create a log file that is constantly updated with the current track's lyrics
   set Filename to "ct_lyrics" --Name of the hidden file (remove the period to make visible)
   set this_data to (the clipboard) & return as string --Any text here
   set target_file to ((path to desktop folder as Unicode text) & Filename) --You can eliminate "Filename" as a variable and type the filename as part of the path (if you wish) but you need a full path
   set append_data to false --Set this to false if you want to overwrite, true if you want to add text to an existing file
   
   try --This part writes the file
       set the target_file to the target_file as text
       set the open_target_file to open for access file target_file with write permission
       if append_data is false then set eof of the open_target_file to 0
       write this_data to the open_target_file starting at eof
       close access the open_target_file
   on error
       try
           close access file target_file
       end try
   end try
   
end lyrinfo
--
(* This subroutine monitors user modification of iTunes playback. It will check track name & player position every 5 seconds. If a user skips a track or skips forward/backward in a track it will rerun this subroutine & get new lyrics (if track has been changed) *)
on alter_playbk()
   
   tell application "iTunes"
       set tme to (duration of current track)
       set pos to player position
       set remain to tme - pos
       set rpt_num to round ((remain - 10) / 5)
       set xyz to 0
       log rpt_num
       repeat rpt_num times
           set y to name of current track
           set z to player position
           delay 5
           if name of current track is not equal to y then
               --display dialog "Track has been changed"
               my lyrinfo()
               set xyz to 1
               exit repeat
           else
               set pos_buff to {z + 5, z + 6, z + 7, z + 8, z + 9}
               if {player position} is not in pos_buff then
                   --display dialog "Leave the slider alone"
                   set xyz to 1
                   exit repeat
               end if
           end if
       end repeat
       if xyz is 1 then --this is to rerun the subroutine if normal playback has been modified
           my alter_playbk()
       end if
   end tell
   
end alter_playbk
--
global trk_list

on idle --change to "on idle" when saving as an application
   
   tell application "iTunes"
       activate
       display dialog "Pick a playlist & let's start rockin'!" buttons ¬
           {"Master Library", "Let me pick!"} default button 2
       if the button returned of the result is "Master Library" then
           tell application "iTunes"
               set lst to get index of every track of library playlist 1
               set trk_list to my unsortList(lst) --> randomize trkList here
               
               repeat until trk_list is {}
                   set limit to length of trk_list
                   set dummyList to {}
                   set rmvd_lst to {}
                   --
                   play track (item 1 of trk_list) of library playlist 1
                   --
                   my lyrinfo()
                   --
                   my alter_playbk()
                   --
                   if index of current track is not (item 1 of trk_list) then
                       set y to index of current track
                       set x to item 1 of trk_list
                       repeat with i from x to y
                           copy i to end of rmvd_lst
                       end repeat
                       --log lst
                       repeat with i from 1 to limit
                           if {trk_list's item i} is not in rmvd_lst then ¬
                               set dummyList's end to trk_list's item i
                       end repeat
                       set trk_list to dummyList
                       --log trk_list
                   else
                       set trk_list to rest of trk_list
                   end if
                   --                    
                   set tme to (duration of current track)
                   set pos to player position
                   set remain to tme - pos
                   delay remain - 1 --> wait track length in second + 1 for loop repeat
               end repeat
           end tell
       else
           tell application "iTunes"
               set list_pl to name of every playlist
           end tell
           try
               choose from list list_pl
               set plChoice to the contents of the result as text
               set lst to get index of every track of playlist (plChoice)
               set trk_list to my unsortList(lst) --> randomize trkList here
               
               repeat until trk_list is {}
                   set limit to length of trk_list
                   set dummyList to {}
                   set rmvd_lst to {}
                   --
                   play track (item 1 of trk_list) of playlist (plChoice)
                   --
                   my lyrinfo()
                   --
                   my alter_playbk()
                   --
                   if index of current track is not (item 1 of trk_list) then
                       set y to index of current track
                       set x to item 1 of trk_list
                       repeat with i from x to y
                           copy i to end of rmvd_lst
                       end repeat
                       --log lst
                       repeat with i from 1 to limit
                           if {trk_list's item i} is not in rmvd_lst then ¬
                               set dummyList's end to trk_list's item i
                       end repeat
                       set trk_list to dummyList
                       --log trk_list
                   else
                       set trk_list to rest of trk_list
                   end if
                   --
                   set tme to (duration of current track)
                   set pos to player position
                   set remain to tme - pos
                   delay remain - 1 --> wait remaining time of track + 1 for loop repeat (this could be substituted with just 10 sec)
               end repeat
           end try
       end if
       quit
       quit me
   end tell
   
end idle --change to "on idle" when saving as an application


(* things to work on:
how to interrupt script?
--
commands for GeekTool
window #1: tr "\r" "\n" < ~/Desktop/ct_lyrics | head -n 55
window #2: tr "\r" "\n" < ~/Desktop/ct_lyrics | sed -n '56,$p'
*)