Re: pdf reader, scriptable? If not now, then when?
Re: pdf reader, scriptable? If not now, then when?
- Subject: Re: pdf reader, scriptable? If not now, then when?
- From: Martin Orpen <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 04 Apr 2005 19:07:16 +0100
on 4/4/05 18:04, Joshua B. Mailman at email@hidden wrote:
>
> Does anyone know if there are any plans to make the OSX Preview
> application scriptable? Or for making Adobe Acrobat Reader scriptable.
>
> My mom has low vision, and I just want her to--using her voice--be able
> to open a pdf file, and say "select all" and "speak text" without using
> the keyboard or the mouse.
>
> So far as I can tell, since it's impossible to make an applescript for
> Preview or Acrobat, it cannot be done. Any ideas?
I wouldn't hold your breath for it being scriptable - Apple seem to be
putting less and less effort into this nowadays - look at Pages :-(
But, at the very least I'm certain they'll fix the patchy Speech function in
the Services menu which won't work in Preview unless you've got text
selected - not much use for the visually impaired...
In the meantime, you could use a shell tool like pdftotext.
Unlike Preview, Acrobat Reader does have a properly functioning "Select All"
option. If the Speak Items menu doesn't work, you could probably find a way
of UI scripting OS X's inherently insecure "Services" menu - AFAIK you can
still use Services/Script Editor/Make New AppleScript to dump all the
selected text of a protected PDF into Script Editor :-(
I've just had another idea - I'll report back later if I can get it to work.
--
Martin Orpen
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