Script: New Key-Combo Voice Control Command

Here is an AppleScript script tool (macOS) for generating the XML of a new Voice Control Key-Combo command. The script generates the values for all of the placeholders (shown in orange). If you choose to use a placeholder for the value for the CustomShortcutKeyCode element, you can look up on the key code afterwards on the Eastman Reference website. (Many thanks to Eastman Reference for making those key codes available!)

AppleScript Script: New Key-Combo Command XML
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<key>COMMAND-ID</key>
<dict>
	<key>CustomAppName</key>
	<string>TARGET-APP-NAME</string>
	<key>CustomCommands</key>
	<dict>
		<key>LOCALE-CODE</key>
		<array>
			<string>COMMAND-STRING</string>
		</array>
	</dict>
	<key>CustomModifyDate</key>
	<string>ISO-DATE-STRING</string>
	<key>CustomScope</key>
	<string>TARGET-APP-ID</string>
	<key>CustomShortcutKeyCode</key>
	<integer>KEY-CODE-GOES-HERE</integer>
	<key>CustomShortcutModifierFlags</key>
	<integer>MODIFIER-FLAGS</integer>
	<key>CustomType</key>
	<string>Shortcut</string>
	<key>Enabled</key>
	<true/>
</dict>

* NOTE: If not modifier keys are indictated, the key CustomShortcutModifierFlags is omitted.

Property List Editor and Tools

To edit Voice Control commands files, you’ll need an XML editor application that accepts the creation of XML elements via the pasting of XML text from the clipboard. The examples and downloads provided on this website were created using PlistEdit Pro from Fat Cat Software.

AppleScript Script: New Key-Combo Voice Control Command
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use AppleScript version "2.4" -- Yosemite (10.10) or later
use framework "Foundation"
use scripting additions

-- classes, constants, and enums used
property NSUserDefaults : a reference to current application's NSUserDefaults
property NSNumberFormatter : a reference to current application's NSNumberFormatter
property NSString : a reference to current application's NSString

property scriptID : "com.nyhthawk-productions.script.vc-key-combo-command"
property defaultTargetAppName : "Finder"
property defaultTargetAppID : "com.apple.finder"

global targetAppName, targetAppID

## USER DEFAULTS
set theDefaults to NSUserDefaults's alloc()'s initWithSuiteName:scriptID
theDefaults's registerDefaults:{targetAppName:defaultTargetAppName, targetAppID:defaultTargetAppID}
set targetAppName to (theDefaults's stringForKey:"targetAppName") as string
set targetAppID to (theDefaults's stringForKey:"targetAppID") as string

## USER PROMPT
repeat
	set dialogMessage to "This script will generate the XML text for a new Key-Combo Voice Control command element." & return
	set dialogMessage to dialogMessage & return & "Target Application: " & targetAppName
	set dialogMessage to dialogMessage & return & "Application ID: " & targetAppID
	display dialog dialogMessage with title "Voice Control Command: Key-Combo" buttons {"Cancel", "Set App", "Continue"} default button 3
	set actionChoice to the button returned of the result
	if actionChoice is "Continue" then
		exit repeat
	else if actionChoice is "Set App" then
		set targetApp to choose application with prompt "Select the application to use:"
		tell targetApp
			set targetAppID to the id of it
			set targetAppName to the name of it
		end tell
		theDefaults's setObject:targetAppID forKey:"targetAppID"
		theDefaults's setObject:targetAppName forKey:"targetAppName"
	end if
end repeat

## GENERATE THE COMMAND ID
set IDstring to ("Custom." & generateAbsoluteTimeID()) as string

## GENERATE THE CURRENT DATE IN ISO FORMAT
set dateString to do shell script "date +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ'"

## GET THE CURRENT LOCALE
set localeString to user locale of (system info)

## PROMPT FOR COMMAND STRING
repeat
	display dialog "Enter the command text or phrase:" default answer "" with title "Voice Control Command: Key-Combo"
	set commandString to the text returned of the result
	if commandString is not "" then exit repeat
end repeat

## PROMPT FOR KEY
set keyCode to keycodeForCharacter()
if keyCode is false then error number -128
if keyCode is "X" then
	set keyCode to "REPLACE-WITH-KEY-CODE"
end if

## PROMPT FOR MODIFIER KEYS
set modiferFlags to modiferFlagsForKeyCombo()
if modiferFlags is false then error number -128

## INSERT VALUES INTO TEMPLATE
if modiferFlags is "0" then -- no modifier keys
	set commandXML to "		<key>" & IDstring & "</key>
		<dict>
			<key>CustomAppName</key>
			<string>" & targetAppName & "</string>
			<key>CustomCommands</key>
			<dict>
				<key>" & localeString & "</key>
				<array>
					<string>" & commandString & "</string>
				</array>
			</dict>
			<key>CustomModifyDate</key>
			<date>" & dateString & "</date>
			<key>CustomScope</key>
			<string>" & targetAppID & "</string>
			<key>CustomShortcutKeyCode</key>
			<integer>" & keyCode & "</integer>
			<key>CustomType</key>
			<string>Shortcut</string>
			<key>Enabled</key>
			<true/>
		</dict>
"
else
	set commandXML to "		<key>" & IDstring & "</key>
		<dict>
			<key>CustomAppName</key>
			<string>" & targetAppName & "</string>
			<key>CustomCommands</key>
			<dict>
				<key>" & localeString & "</key>
				<array>
					<string>" & commandString & "</string>
				</array>
			</dict>
			<key>CustomModifyDate</key>
			<string>" & dateString & "</string>
			<key>CustomScope</key>
			<string>" & targetAppID & "</string>
			<key>CustomShortcutKeyCode</key>
			<integer>" & keyCode & "</integer>
			<key>CustomShortcutModifierFlags</key>
			<integer>" & modiferFlags & "</integer>
			<key>CustomType</key>
			<string>Shortcut</string>
			<key>Enabled</key>
			<true/>
		</dict>
"
end if

## PUT COMMAND XML ON CLIPBOARD
set the clipboard to commandXML

## PROMPT THE USER
display dialog "The XML text for a new Key-Combo Voice Control command is on the clipboard." buttons {"Lookup Key Code", "Done"} default button 2 with title "Voice Control Command: Key-Combo"
if the button returned of the result is "Lookup Key Code" then
	## VISIT THE EASTMAN REFERENCE WEBSITE
	open location "https://eastmanreference.com/complete-list-of-applescript-key-codes"
end if

on generateAbsoluteTimeID()
	## 669490008.038141
	set currentAbsoluteTime to current application's CFAbsoluteTimeGetCurrent()
	set fmtr to NSNumberFormatter's new()
	fmtr's setFormat:"#.#########"
	set exportDateString to NSString's stringWithFormat_("%@", fmtr's stringFromNumber:currentAbsoluteTime) as string
	if length of exportDateString is not 23 then
		repeat until length of exportDateString is 18
			set exportDateString to exportDateString & (random number from 1 to 9) as string
		end repeat
	end if
	return exportDateString
end generateAbsoluteTimeID

on modiferFlagsForKeyCombo()
	set keyOptions to {"NO MODIFIER KEY(S): 0", ¬
		"COMMAND (⌘): 1048576", ¬
		"OPTION (⌥): 524288", ¬
		"SHIFT (⇧): 131072", ¬
		"CONTROL (⌃): 262144", ¬
		"OPTION SHIFT (⌥⇧): 655360", ¬
		"CONTROL OPTION (⌃⌥): 786432", ¬
		"CONTROL SHIFT (⌃⇧): 393216", ¬
		"CONTROL OPTION SHIFT (⌃⌥⇧): 917504", ¬
		"OPTION COMMAND (⌥⌘): 1572864", ¬
		"SHIFT COMMAND (⇧⌘): 1179648", ¬
		"OPTION SHIFT COMMAND (⌥⇧⌘): 1703936", ¬
		"CONTROL COMMAND (⌃⌘): 1310720", ¬
		"CONTROL OPTION COMMAND (⌃⌥⌘): 1835008", ¬
		"CONTROL SHIFT COMMAND (⌃⇧⌘): 1441792", ¬
		"CONTROL OPTION SHIFT COMMAND (⌃⌥⇧⌘): 1966080"}
	set chosenItem to choose from list keyOptions with prompt "Choose the modifer key(s):" default items {item 1 of keyOptions}
	if chosenItem is false then return false
	set chosenItem to chosenItem as string
	set x to the offset of ":" in chosenItem
	set modifierFlags to text from (x + 2) to -1 of chosenItem
	return modifierFlags
end modiferFlagsForKeyCombo

on keycodeForCharacter()
	set USKeyCodes to {"USE PLACEHOLDER	X", "A	0", "B	11", "C	8", "D	2", "E	14", "F	3", "G	5", "H	4", "I	34", "J	38", "K	40", "L	37", "M	46", "N	45", "O	31", "P	35", "Q	12", "R	15", "S	1", "T	17", "U	32", "V	9", "W	13", "X	7", "Y	16", "Z	6", "`	50", "1	18", "2	19", "3	20", "4	21", "5	23", "6	22", "7	26", "8	28", "9	25 ", "0	29", "-	27", "=	24", "⌫	51", "~	50", "!	18", "@	19", "#	20", "$	21", "%	23", "^	22", "&	26", "*	28", "(	25", ")	29", "_	27", "+	24", "{	33", "}	30", "[	33", "]	30", "|	42", "\\	42", "<	43", ">	47", ",	43", ".	47", "?	44", "/	44", "⬆︎	126", "⬇︎	125", "⬅︎	123", "➡︎	124"}
	set keyCode to (choose from list USKeyCodes default items {item 1 of USKeyCodes} with prompt "Character Key Code. TIP: Type the key character")
	if keyCode is false then return false
	set x to offset of tab in (keyCode as string)
	set keyCode to text from (x + 1) to -1 of (keyCode as string)
	return keyCode
end keycodeForCharacter

 

 

 

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