To use this AppleScript script, as a script (.scpt) or an application (.app), you need to first select the target conversation in the list of conversations in Messages.app that you want it to always return to thereafter, and initially run this twice. This then sets property theSelectedRow : 0 to property theSelectedRow : i where the value of i will be the row number of the conversation in the list of conversations that was selected when initially run twice. The script also sets property thisName : "" to a value that is the name contained within the description of UI element 1 of row i. Between the value of these two properties, the script will always set focus back to the selected target conversation in subsequent runs, providing it still exists, even as its row number changes. If the selected target conversation no longer exists, the user is notified.
Read the comments throughout the script so as to have an understanding of what the code is doing.
AppleScript code:
-- # These two properties are used to hold information about the target
-- # conversation in order to always set focus to it when the script runs
-- # after the initial runs. Initially, the script must be run twice to have
-- # the selected target conversation be returned to on subsequent runs.
-- #
-- # Note: This is also true anytime the script is modified or compiled, in
-- # Script Editor, as that resets the value of a property to its original value.
property thisRowNumber : 0
property thisName : ""
-- # See if the shift modifier key was pressed. This allows
-- # setting the focus to a different target conversation.
-- # Note: Unlike when the script is modified or compiled from within
-- # Script Editor, when invoking this, the change is immediate when
-- # done after the initial runs to have the values of the properties set.
if my shiftKeyWasDown() then set thisRowNumber to 0
-- ### Main ###
tell application "Messages"
if running then
my selectTargetConversation()
if minimized of window "Messages" is true then
set minimized of window "Messages" to false
end if
else
activate
delay 2 -- # Allow time for Messages.app to open, adjust as/if necessary.
my selectTargetConversation()
end if
activate
end tell
-- ### Handlers ###
-- # Detects if the shift modifier key was pressed.
on shiftKeyWasDown()
if (do shell script "/usr/bin/python -c 'import Cocoa; print Cocoa.NSEvent.modifierFlags() & Cocoa.NSShiftKeyMask '") > 1 then
return true
else
return false
end if
end shiftKeyWasDown
-- # The 'getNameFromDescription' handler extracts the name portion of the 'description'
-- # within the 'UI element' of the 'row' of the target conversation. Example 'description':
-- # "Conversation with: Johnny Appleseed. Last activity: 6:10 PM. Last message: Look at all these trees!. "
-- # This is called from within a 'repeat' loop within the 'selectTargetConversation' handler:
-- # 'set thisName to my getNameFromDescription(description of UI element 1 of row i)'
-- # The 'thisName' property, in this example, would get set to: "Johnny Appleseed"
on getNameFromDescription(theText)
set TID to AppleScript's text item delimiters
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {": "}
set theText to text item 2 of theText
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to {". "}
set theText to text item 1 of theText
set AppleScript's text item delimiters to TID
return theText
end getNameFromDescription
-- # This handler provides all the logic necessary to ensure the 'Messages' window
-- # is available to set/reset focus back to the target conversation with each run,
-- # providing the target conversation still exists and sets focus to the target if it does.
on selectTargetConversation()
tell application "System Events"
-- # Make sure the 'Messages' window is available.
-- #
-- # This branch of the 'if' block handles when Messages.app
-- # is open, but without any windows showing.
if (count of windows of application process "Messages") is equal to 0 then
click UI element "Messages" of list 1 of application process "Dock"
delay 0.25
else
-- # A least one window is open, make sure it's the 'Messages' window.
-- # Set a flag to test against.
set theMessagesWindowIsNotOpen to true
set theWindowList to every window of application process "Messages"
repeat with thisWindow in theWindowList
if name of thisWindow is equal to "Messages" then
set theMessagesWindowIsNotOpen to false
exit repeat
end if
end repeat
-- # If the value of 'theMessagesWindowIsNotOpen' is still 'true',
-- # then the 'Messages' window was not open, so open it.
if theMessagesWindowIsNotOpen then
tell application "Messages" to activate
delay 0.25
keystroke "0" using {command down}
end if
end if
-- # When 'thisRowNumber is equal to 0' it's either the first time the script has run or it has been reset.
-- # Get the 'row' number of the selected target conversation and set its value to 'thisRowNumber'.
-- # Get the name within the 'description' of the 'UI element' of the selected 'row' and set it to 'thisName'.
-- # Between the value of these two properties, the script will always set focus back to the selected target
-- # conversation, providing it still exists. If the selected target conversation no longer exists, notify user.
tell table 1 of scroll area 1 of splitter group 1 of window "Messages" of application process "Messages"
if thisRowNumber is equal to 0 then
repeat with i from 1 to (count rows)
if selected of row i is equal to true then
set thisRowNumber to i
set thisName to my getNameFromDescription(description of UI element 1 of row i)
exit repeat
end if
end repeat
else
-- # Make sure the 'row' number, 'thisRowNumber', and the name within 'description of UI element'
-- # matches the value of the 'thisName' property, and if so, then set focus to it.
if description of UI element 1 of row thisRowNumber contains thisName then
set selected of row thisRowNumber to true
else
-- # The values no longer match. Ascertain the new 'row' number for 'thisRowNumber' that
-- # contains the value of 'thisName', while verifying the target conversation still exists, and
-- # reset focus back to the original selected target conversation, if it still exists.
-- # Set a flag to test against.
set theConversationNoLongerExists to true
repeat with i from 1 to (count rows)
if description of UI element 1 of row i contains thisName then
set thisRowNumber to i
set selected of row i to true
set theConversationNoLongerExists to false
exit repeat
end if
end repeat
-- # If the value of 'theConversationNoLongerExists' is still 'true',
-- # then the conversation no longer exists, notify the user.
if theConversationNoLongerExists then
tell current application
display dialog "The target conversation has been deleted since the target was last set. Reset to a new target by selecting a conversation and then press the shift key down when running this script." buttons {"OK"} default button 1 with title "Target Conversation Reset Needed"
end tell
end if
end if
end if
end tell
end tell
end selectTargetConversation
Note: This was written and tested under OS X 10.8.5, however, I believe it will work as is under later versions of OS X/macOS and Messages.app, even with the current macOS 10.13 beta.
Additionally, the script employs minimal error handling and is absent of any try statements and on error handlers. Although aside from the value from the delay commands, that can be adjusted as/if needed, it should run fine without additional error handling. As always, the user can add/remove and or adjust the code as/if needed or wanted.
