Comments on: How to Automatically Generate Application Lists http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/ TheAppleBlog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:05:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Domenico Bettinelli http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82918 Domenico Bettinelli Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:55:08 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82918 I'm curious why the Automator action is "Run Applescript" instead of "Run Shell Script". Works just as well without having to throw in the extra Applescript wrapper. Unless I'm missing something. I’m curious why the Automator action is “Run Applescript” instead of “Run Shell Script”. Works just as well without having to throw in the extra Applescript wrapper. Unless I’m missing something.

]]> By: Honza http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82751 Honza Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:53:21 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82751 If you dont want to overwrite the apps list every time its run (maybe you want a history of your installed apps incase something gets lost) then use this: > ~/Documents/app_list.txt_$(date +%d%m%y) This will give you a filename like: app_list.txt_071206 which will only get overwritten if you run it more than once on the same day. If you dont want to overwrite the apps list every time its run (maybe you want a history of your installed apps incase something gets lost) then use this:

> ~/Documents/app_list.txt_$(date +%d%m%y)

This will give you a filename like:

app_list.txt_071206 which will only get overwritten if you run it more than once on the same day.

]]> By: Michael Clark http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82646 Michael Clark Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:06:24 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82646 Another thing to keep in mind is if you have any Applications under your home folder (~/Applications/ ) you need to maintain that listing as well. When I am trying out a program, I install it under my home folder's App folder until I am pretty sure I will be using the app regularly. Another thing to keep in mind is if you have any Applications under your home folder (~/Applications/ ) you need to maintain that listing as well. When I am trying out a program, I install it under my home folder’s App folder until I am pretty sure I will be using the app regularly.

]]> By: Margit http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82595 Margit Thu, 07 Dec 2006 01:03:06 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82595 Although I didn't submit the idea, this was my ideal "dream app" but it would need to be able to extract the registration codes for each application as well as just listing it. Finding the assorted bundles, plug-ins and menu-extras has also been important to me when performing a clean install. An application list is nice, but it is only a start. Although I didn’t submit the idea, this was my ideal “dream app” but it would need to be able to extract the registration codes for each application as well as just listing it. Finding the assorted bundles, plug-ins and menu-extras has also been important to me when performing a clean install. An application list is nice, but it is only a start.

]]> By: Richard Neal http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82523 Richard Neal Wed, 06 Dec 2006 21:08:53 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82523 Hm, I don't know if this is possible with Automator or Terminal, but what if you used something like DownloadComment (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15833) beforehand to put the download URL of all your apps in their comments, and then could extract that and put it in the text file as well? That'd sure make it a lot easier to redownloaded them all. Hm, I don’t know if this is possible with Automator or Terminal, but what if you used something like DownloadComment (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15833) beforehand to put the download URL of all your apps in their comments, and then could extract that and put it in the text file as well? That’d sure make it a lot easier to redownloaded them all.

]]> By: Stephen Roberts http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82489 Stephen Roberts Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:02:33 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82489 I too use subdirectories to group applications so needed a way to dig through them more politely than 'ls -R'. Ugly, but it works: do shell script "find /Applications > ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt" do shell script "grep -h 'app$' ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt > ~/Documents/app_list.txt" do shell script "rm ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt" It creates a full 'ls -R' listing, greps it for applications (*.app) to build an application list, then deletes the full list. (tho I ended up leaving the full list in place too, just as a backup). Seems to work since apps seem to always have the *.app tags. I too use subdirectories to group applications so needed a way to dig through them more politely than ‘ls -R’.

Ugly, but it works:

do shell script “find /Applications > ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt”
do shell script “grep -h ‘app$’ ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt > ~/Documents/app_list.txt”
do shell script “rm ~/Documents/full_app_list.txt”

It creates a full ‘ls -R’ listing, greps it for applications (*.app) to build an application list, then deletes the full list. (tho I ended up leaving the full list in place too, just as a backup).

Seems to work since apps seem to always have the *.app tags.

]]> By: Marc D. http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82474 Marc D. Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:55:10 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82474 This is just like the hint I submittd to macosxhints.com last week. I run mine at startup, though some of the commenters offered advice for adding it to the cron jobs which makes it far more automated. Even though it isn't recursive, as long as the folder name is the same/similar as the application it's good enough for me since I can use that to find it on macupdate or versiontracker. http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20061126015107894 This is just like the hint I submittd to macosxhints.com last week. I run mine at startup, though some of the commenters offered advice for adding it to the cron jobs which makes it far more automated.

Even though it isn’t recursive, as long as the folder name is the same/similar as the application it’s good enough for me since I can use that to find it on macupdate or versiontracker.

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20061126015107894

]]> By: Michael Clark http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82470 Michael Clark Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:39:23 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82470 Replace the ls command with this: find -f /Applications/ | grep -v "/Contents" | grep .app$ and you'll get a listing of Folder's applications as well. Replace the ls command with this:

find -f /Applications/ | grep -v “/Contents” | grep .app$

and you’ll get a listing of Folder’s applications as well.

]]> By: David Appleyard http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82455 David Appleyard Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:42:14 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82455 The command: ls -R Does the same thing recursively, but that means it goes into every package and shows all the details about it, contents, resources etc. Not ideal :-) The command:

ls -R

Does the same thing recursively, but that means it goes into every package and shows all the details about it, contents, resources etc. Not ideal :-)

]]> By: Baz http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82446 Baz Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:58:40 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82446 Truly helpful but I see some things lacking. One the shell script used does not traverse folders for example if you have organize apps into subfolders. Or have put a app into the Utilities folder the shell script 'ls" will not list them. It will only list the Utilities Folder. Workarounds might be to change the ls command to perform a recursive listing or maybe use the find command instead as the step in automator to look for applications in the Applications folder. just my 2cents! :-) Truly helpful but I see some things lacking. One the shell script used does not traverse folders for example if you have organize apps into subfolders. Or have put a app into the Utilities folder the shell script ‘ls” will not list them. It will only list the Utilities Folder. Workarounds might be to change the ls command to perform a recursive listing or maybe use the find command instead as the step in automator to look for applications in the Applications folder.

just my 2cents!
:-)

]]> By: David Appleyard http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82427 David Appleyard Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:05:15 +0000 http://theappleblog.com/2006/12/06/how-to-automatically-generate-application-lists/#comment-82427 Great little tip - Thanks! Great little tip - Thanks!

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