… If I had to automate a Mac based solely on what Apple provide, how would I
Kick off automation with a hot key combo?
Kick off automation with a short phrase?
Act on selected text?
I think I’d be down to AppleScript or JXA. It’s the triggering that I wonder about.
Frankly, I don’t think this is going to happen. What is more likely is to be restricted to what’s in the Mac App Store - which rules out eg Keyboard Maestro, Hazel, BetterTouchTool. (And Script Debugger, Audio Hijack, and possibly Python.)
You should be able to use automator to create a service that runs an applescript, and then in system preferences link a keyboard shortcut to the service to trigger it.
Also this would give you the right click option in applications to trigger the script.
(Of course once Monterey is released: create a shortcut with a keyboard shortcut attached )
You can use a keyboard shortcut to kick off an AppleScript or JXA with Automator.
Open Automator and choose Quick Action. Make the first line of the quick action read Workflow receives no input in any application. Then in the Action pane choose either the Run AppleScript action or JavaScript action. Copy in this action your code. Save it with a name. Open System Preferences and go to the keyboard settings, then Shortcuts and select there Services and give your action a keyboard shortcut.
If I had to do this (which I can’t imagine ever happening) I would imagine using Automator to make a lot of apps or services because you can assign keyboard shortcuts to them or use Spotlight.
My workplace has shared workstations, so anything I build for work needs to be based on free tools. I’m pumped for Shortcuts to ship so I can start automating, since I have no AppleScript chops and my shell scripting is rudimentary.
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