Controlling and Running a Perpetual Script

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#3

@ Kel, appreciate the response though I now need to read up and learn about launch agents!

@ All - and unrelated – I am now concerned that my two step process is not workable for the same reason an AppleScript is not possible [i.e. SONOS Desktop Controller is not scriptable app] in that I do not see SONOS in the Automator’s library list…would appreciate commentary on this as well!

Thanks…

#4

You place the launch agent in your Library and it launches according to what you want to do. What time did you want to launch your script?

Edited: I have one launching, but you can do almost anything with them.

Try this straight from the horses mouth :).

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingLaunchdJobs.html

It shows a simple launch agent.

gl,
kel

#5

Basically, what you do is create your launch agent plist. You store it in your library launch agents. Then you load it and it starts firing. The good part about this is that it uses very little memory or cpu time. Great stuff.

#6

Great, much appreciated…now all I need to to determine / find out whether there is a way to control the SONOS Desktop Controller…

#7

1 - Use On idle in your script. The return value of the handler is the number of seconds until next idle.
See this for an example: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3718520/how-do-i-write-applescript-that-will-give-me-an-hourly-popup-alert

2 - Save your script as a Stay open application and put it in your Login items.

You can Command Tab to the script appication and say “Quit”

#8

Appreciate the response noting both seem doable and simple…I will give them a try!

#9

There’s an app that detects bluetooth proximity and runs a script:

Bluetooth Proximity Tasker. That might help.

#10

Adam:

Appreciate the information, very helpful indeed…now all I need is for SONOS to make their Desktop Controller AppleScript enabled, which it is not :frowning:

Thanks.

Joel

#11

I will try to get my AS’ to run perpetually once I know that I can actually control my SONOS Music System [i.e. no point in spending time on something that cannot be achieved]. With this in mind:

  1. I went over to the SONOS Forum to see how others have controlled their SONOS Music Systems using AS only to find out no one has tried this [or, at least posted about i] since SONOS rewrote their OS X Desktop Controller.

One poster did post the following:

One way to pause / play the SONOS Music system is to use curl (which I believe is included in OS X). The codes are:

[i]Pause:
curl --header ‘SOAPACTION: “urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Pause”’ --data ‘<s:Envelope xmlns:s=“http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/” s:encodingStyle=“http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/”><s:Body><u:Pause xmlns:u=“urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1”>01</u:Pause></s:Body></s:Envelope>’ http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control

Play:
curl --header ‘SOAPACTION: “urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Play”’ --data ‘<s:Envelope xmlns:s=“http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/” s:encodingStyle=“http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/”><s:Body><u:Play xmlns:u=“urn:schemas-upnp-
org:service:AVTransport:1”>01</u:Play></s:Body></s:Envelope>’ http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control[/i]

  1. I then went over to another forum and found the following:

Sure, the command line utility curl is one way. Applescripts can use command line utilities with the “do shell script” command. So try this…


set theURL to "http://my.server.com?type=Show&name=Big+Bang+Theory"
do shell script "curl " & quoted form of theURL

so might be possible as AS does seem to recognize curl commands.

  1. So armed with the above I tried the following AS:

set theURL to "--header 'SOAPACTION: "urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Play"' --data '<s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" s:encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/"><s:Body><u:Play xmlns:u="urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1"><InstanceID>0</InstanceID><Speed>1</Speed></u:Play></s:Body></s:Envelope>' [url=http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control]http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control"[/url]

do shell script "curl " & quoted form of theURL

which I could not even test because I got a compile error [i.e. Syntax Error, A identifier can’t go after this “”".] where the reference is to the "urn portion of the set command.

Would very much appreciate your help and assistance in solving this.

Thanks in advance.

Joel

#12

you have to escape each inner double quote with a backslash


set theURL to "--header 'SOAPACTION: \"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Play\"' --data '<s:Envelope xmlns:s=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/\" s:encodingStyle=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/\"><s:Body><u:Play xmlns:u=\"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1\"><InstanceID>0</InstanceID><Speed>1</Speed></u:Play></s:Body></s:Envelope>' [url=http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control]http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control"[/url]
do shell script "curl " & quoted form of theURL
#13

Stefan:

Appreciate the solution which worked perfectly though I think that at this point I should have know that!

Thanks,

Joel

#14

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER…

As a result of the generous help with others I now have all the ingredients to make the script I need / want…the ingredients are:

  1. A script to pause my SONOS Music system when I leave my home:

do shell script "curl --header 'SOAPACTION: \"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Pause\"' --data '<s:Envelope xmlns:s=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/\" s:encodingStyle=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/\"><s:Body><u:Pause xmlns:u=\"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1\"><InstanceID>0</InstanceID><Speed>1</Speed></u:Pause></s:Body></s:Envelope>' [url=http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control]http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control"[/url]
  1. A script to play my SONOS Music system when I arrive home:

do shell script "curl --header 'SOAPACTION: \"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1#Play\"' --data '<s:Envelope xmlns:s=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/\" s:encodingStyle=\"http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/\"><s:Body><u:Play xmlns:u=\"urn:schemas-upnp-org:service:AVTransport:1\"><InstanceID>0</InstanceID><Speed>1</Speed></u:Play></s:Body></s:Envelope>' [url=http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control]http://192.168.2.42:1400/MediaRenderer/AVTransport/Control"[/url]
  1. A script to determine whether I am / am not home based on whether my iPhone is present on my home LAN noting that obviously I need a better method of starting / topping this script:

set EndofTime to false

repeat while not EndofTime
	
	try
		set IP_address to "10.193.23.180"
		
		set ping to do shell script ("ping -c 2 " & IP_address & "| head -2 | tail -1 |cut -d = -f 4")
		
		if ping contains "ms" then
			set iPhoneDetected to "True"
			display dialog ("iPhone Detected - " & ping) buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "iPhone Detection Test"
			
		else if ping contains "timeout" then
			set iPhoneDetected to "False"
			display dialog "iPhone Not Detected " buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "iPhone Detection Test"
			
		end if
	end try
	
end repeat

So what are the issues…I know that to make this work I need to i) comment out / remove the display dialog boxes as they are there for testing purposes and need not be there once the script is running ii) insert a call to the scripts “pause SONOS” and “play SONOS” within the “if blocks” depending on whether my iPhone is detected…what I don’t know and what I need help with is how to add code that controls the script so that can i) ensure the script does not take up too many resources as it will be running at all times ii) start / stop the script when necessary [i.e. I need a way to stop the script which does not currently exist] and iii) whatever else is needed when constantly running such a script.

Would greatly appreciate the boar’s assistance in making this work.

Thanks,

Joel

#15

I strongly advise against sending ping commands continuously.

Better use something like Installation Experiences: iPhone Presence Detection with Bonjour Multicast DNS using python or the Cocoa equivalent NSNetServiceBrowser

#16

StefanK:

Appreciate the response and don’t doubt what you are saying BUT…

  1. Could you be so kind to explain why you recommend against continuously sending ping commands; and

  2. I took a fast read of python code and while I recognize that I don’t need to understand I would not even know where to begin vis-a-vis its setup as I don’t have an Indigo server, I don’t know python at all, etc.

  3. I would be open to trying / using the Cocao equivalent but would need someone to walk me through the process step by step.

Thanks,

Joel

#17

polling is always expensive because it consumes permanently system resources like CPU, network bandwidth and potentially also RAM.
The python and the Cocoa method uses a callback function to be notified about a change, the system resources costs are negligible.

#18

StefanK:

Appreciate the response.

Assuming the Cocao approach will be better / easier for me [remember, I have only been playing with AS for a month or so] what do you suggest is the best way for me to get the Coca call back function up and running noting I know nothing about Cocoa.

Thanks,

Joel

#19

As much as I wanted to move this project / script forward I have hit a standstill in that:

  1. I am going to heed StefanK’s suggestion warning about not perpetually ping my iPhone’s IP address for the reasons he notes in post #17 to this thread.

  2. I was – because I am not familiar with the use of Cocoa’s NSNetServiceBrowser – going to use the method approach suggested by Adam Bell in post #9 of this thread but ran into problems in that I cannot pair my iPhone 5S to my mid-2012 MBA as I seem to be one of the many users who are having this pairing problem [so much for the Apple ecosystem “just works” which is why I moved from Windows to OS X].

I spent 3+ hours on the pie with Apple technical support and got nowhere…in fact, no one really wanted to help in that the MBA people passed me to the iOS people who on turned wanted to pass me back to the MBA people…this is extremely frustrating given this is a known issue between product both of which are made by the same company!

  1. With 1. and 2. above I am stuck in that I i) either need someone to teach or walk me through NSNetServiceBrowser or ii) for Apple to fix this pairing problem.

Thanks to all for reading this,

Joel

#20

sorry for having mentioned Cocoa.
With “playing with AS for a month” and “I know nothing about Cocoa” I guess it’s as difficult to implement as the python method

When using your polling method at least create a stay open application with an on idle handler and a return value of one or more seconds to reduce the overload

#21

Appreciate the response…I will post my code to determine whether anyone here can improve on it…that said, I do have one question, does anyone here know whether to it is or is not true that an iPhone CANNOT be paired to a MacBook because after 3+ hours of speaking with Apple and finally getting passed to a level 2 support technician I was told that this is not possible [which, personally, I find hard to believe].

Thanks…

#22

StefanK

As a result of your post and my resulting conclusion that it would likely be best to try to code the script on my own I av it a go and came up with the following:


set EndofTime to false
set IP_address to "192.168.2.11"


repeat while not EndofTime
	-- Ping for absence / presence of iPhone [i.e. me] which triggers start/stop of SONOS Music system
	set ping to do shell script ("ping -c 2 " & IP_address & "| head -2 | tail -1 |cut -d = -f 4")
	
	
	-- Set iPhoneDetected to result of ping for absnece / presence of iPhone
	if ping contains "ms" then
		set iPhoneDetected to true
		-- display dialog ("iPhone Detected - " & ping) buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "iPhone Detection Test" -- Commented out, included for testing purposes only			
	else if ping contains "timeout" then
		set iPhoneDetected to false
		-- display dialog "iPhone Not Detected " buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "iPhone Detection Test" -- Comemnted out, included for testig purposes only			
	end if
	
	
	-- When iPhone absent run script to pause/stop SONOS Music system
	if iPhoneDetected is equal to false then
		set callSONOSPause to "/Users/JoelC/Documents/Apple/Scripts/SONOS Pause Play/20141220_script to pause sonos_complete.scpt" as string
		run script callSONOSPause
	end if
	
	
	-- When iPhone present runs script to play / start SONOS Music system
	if iPhoneDetected is equal to true then
		set callSONOSPlay to "/Users/JoelC/Documents/Apple/Scripts/SONOS Pause Play/20141220_script to play sonos at a preset volume_complete.scpt" as string
		run script callSONOSPlay
	end if
	
	-- When it is the bootom and top of every hour provide the user with the opportunity to exit the script noting this needs to be refined pending the implemenation of the idle handler
	if ((the minutes of the (current date) is 0) or (the minutes of the (current date) is 30)) then
		display dialog "Do you want to exit/stop the SONOS Music System auto pause/play script?" buttons {"Yes", "No"} default button 2 with icon 1 giving up after 5
		set continueResponse to button returned of result
		if continueResponse is equal to "Yes" then set EndofTime to true
	end if
	
	
end repeat

I have two issues for which I would ask for your assistance:

  1. Although I understand the idea behind the idle handler I am unsure how to implement it because i) if I am home I don’t need to ping/test for the absence/presence of my iPhone for say 30 minutes [i.e. I don’t care whether the music continues for 30 minutes after I leave the house] but ii) if I amanita home I need to ping/test for the absence/presence of iPhone say every 30 or 60 seconds to make sure it is on when I actually walk into the door. How do I do this?

  2. I have a logic problem in my code…because i) the ping is continually running and continuously detecting my iPhone and ii) the callSONOSPlay script includes a volume setting control I cannot change the volume of the SONOS because the script is overriding it…as such I need to build in some logic that will not reset the volume until after it next detects the absence of my iPhone [and yes, I can setup a separate script that simply controls the volume]…any suggestions on how best to do this?

Thanks,

Joel