AMWorkflow Class Reference
| Inherits from | |
| Conforms to | |
| Framework | /System/Library/Frameworks/Automator.framework |
| Availability | Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
|
| Declared in | AMWorkflow.h |
| Companion guides |
Overview
The AMWorkflow class lets you use an Automator workflow in your application. You can display a workflow with an instance of AMWorkflowView and control its operation with an instance of AMWorkflowController.
A workflow consists of one or more actions (discrete tasks), which together can perform complex automation tasks. Your application can use workflows to package its own features and to take advantage of features provided by other applications. You create actions with Xcode, while you create workflows with the Automator application.
You can load and run a workflow with minimal overhead by using the AMWorkflow class method runWorkflowAtURL:withInput:error:. However, in situations where you need greater control, such as the ability to start and stop the workflow, you can use an instance of the AMWorkflowController class instead. In that case, you’ll have to create and initialize both a workflow and a workflow controller object.
In either case, the workflow is run in a separate process so that any actions it contains are executed in a separate memory space. That helps to insulate your application from crashes, memory leaks, or exceptions that might occur from running the actions in the workflow.
Tasks
Running a Specified Workflow
Creating and Initializing a Workflow
Saving Changes to a Workflow
Getting Information About the Workflow
Manipulating the Workflow’s Actions
Class Methods
runWorkflowAtURL:withInput:error:
Loads and runs the specified workflow file.
+ (id)runWorkflowAtURL:(NSURL *)fileURL withInput:(id)input error:(NSError **)error
Parameters
- fileURL
URL that specifies the location of a workflow file.
- input
Specifies the input for the first action in the workflow. Pass
nilif the first action doesn’t need input.- error
If no workflow is found or if an error occurs in initializing or running it, upon return contains an instance of
NSErrorthat describes the problem.
Return Value
On error, returns nil. Otherwise, returns the output of the last action in the workflow. Your application may need to convert the data to a desired type.
Discussion
Use this method to run a workflow without the overhead of performing a separate allocation, setting up a workflow controller, and so on. However, in situations where you need greater control, such as the ability to start and stop the workflow, use an instance of the AMWorkflowController class instead.
The workflow is run in a separate process so that any actions it contains are executed in a separate memory space. This helps to insulate the application from crashes, memory leaks, or exceptions that might occur from running the actions in the workflow.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hInstance Methods
actions
Returns an array of the workflow’s actions.
- (NSArray *)actions
Return Value
An array of actions for the workflow file. Actions are instances of classes such as AMBundleAction, AMAppleScriptAction, and AMShellScriptAction.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.haddAction:
Adds the specified action at the end of the receiving workflow.
- (void)addAction:(AMAction *)action
Parameters
- action
The action to add.
Discussion
The workflow retains the action but does not copy it.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hfileURL
Returns a URL that specifies the location of the workflow file.
- (NSURL *)fileURL
Return Value
URL that specifies the location of the workflow file.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hinitWithContentsOfURL:error:
Creates and initializes a workflow based on the contents of the specified file.
- (id)initWithContentsOfURL:(NSURL *)fileURL error:(NSError **)outError
Parameters
- fileURL
URL that specifies the location of a workflow file.
- outError
If the workflow file can’t be found, or if an error occurs in initializing the workflow, upon return contains an instance of
NSErrorthat describes the problem.
Return Value
The initialized workflow object. On error, returns nil.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hinput
Returns the input data that is passed to the first action in the workflow.
- (id)input
Return Value
The input for the first action in the workflow. Should be a data type the action can use, or a type that can be converted to one the action can use.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
See Also
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hinsertAction:atIndex:
Inserts the specified action at the specified position of the receiving workflow.
- (void)insertAction:(AMAction *)action atIndex:(NSUInteger)index
Parameters
- action
The action to insert.
- index
The position in the receiver at which to insert the action. If the position is invalid, this method does nothing.
Discussion
The workflow retains the action but does not copy it.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hmoveActionAtIndex:toIndex:
Moves the action from the specified start position to the specified end position in the receiving workflow.
- (void)moveActionAtIndex:(NSUInteger)startIndex toIndex:(NSUInteger)endIndex
Parameters
- startIndex
The start position of the action to move.
- endIndex
The end position for the action that is moved.
Discussion
If either index is invalid, this method does nothing.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hremoveAction:
Removes the specified action from the receiver.
- (void)removeAction:(AMAction *)action
Parameters
- action
The action to be removed.
Discussion
The action receives an AMAction closed message before being released.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hsetInput:
Sets the input data that is passed to the first action in the workflow.
- (void)setInput:(id)input
Parameters
- input
The input for the first action in the workflow. Should be a data type the action can use, or a type that can be converted to one the action can use.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
See Also
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hsetValue:forVariableWithName:
Sets the value of the workflow variable with the specified name.
- (BOOL)setValue:(id)value forVariableWithName:(NSString *)variableName
Parameters
- value
The value to set for the named variable.
- variableName
The name of a variable to set the value for.
Return Value
YES if variableName was found and its value set; otherwise NO.
Discussion
This method does nothing if the variable specified by variableName is not found.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hvalueForVariableWithName:
Returns the value of the workflow variable with the specified name.
- (id)valueForVariableWithName:(NSString *)variableName
Parameters
- variableName
The variable name.
Return Value
The value for the variable. Returns nil if no variable is found with the specified name.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
See Also
Declared In
AMWorkflow.hwriteToURL:error:
Writes the workflow to the specified file.
- (BOOL)writeToURL:(NSURL *)fileURL error:(NSError **)outError
Parameters
- fileURL
URL that specifies the file location to write the workflow to.
- outError
If the workflow file can’t be written, upon return contains an instance of
NSErrorthat describes the problem.
Return Value
YES if the workflow was successfully written; otherwise NO.
Discussion
You might want to save the workflow, for example, because you have made changes to a variable it contains.
Availability
- Available in Mac OS X v10.5 and later.
See Also
Declared In
AMWorkflow.h
Last updated: 2006-10-26
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