Services problems in new Pages in Mavericks

[Bret Hicks]

I am a big user of Joe Weaks services for copying from Accordance into Pages and Keynote. They have worked flawlessly until I upgraded to Mavericks and the new pages and Keynote. Now when I try to use them - nothing. It never asks me which verses I would like to copy. The services are listed in Pages and Keynote, but they do not activate when I hit the appropriate keystroke. Also, the particular function I want to do (Insert Query from the 1st version) is not listed under services in Keynote or Pages (but it is listed when I show Services preferences, and is checked so that it should show). Does anyone know if there is anything I have to do to get these functions to work again?

 

 

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[R. Mansfield]

Bret, as I mentioned in the other thread, you still have the earlier versions of iWork in your Applications folder. Unless it's a Mavericks issue that's keeping you from using the services, they should still work with the earlier iWork apps.

[Tony Lawrence]

Bret,

 

After having used the new iWork app (Pages and Keynote) I am not impressed. Until they fix some major flaws I will be using the older versions. My guess some are simply items they were unable to include when getting them out the door. I know they were very concerned about having cross-platform compatibility (open, edit and save) on iPad, Mac and web-based. However, for many of us those are not as critical as often used features. I just found that guides are also missing in Pages. I used to align text blocks in our church bulletin by the use of guides. So, for the time being I am going to stay with the older Keynote and Pages.

 

I did find one improvement in the Services under Mavericks. Previously if one used the scripts to place a Scripture afterward you would have to mouse click to edit, now that is no longer necessary.

[Joe Weaks]

I have had contact from other users that the Services don't work in the new version iWork vs. 5.

I have not loaded it, so can not test yet.

I can confirm that the Accordance Script Library still works in mavericks 10.9, including the Quicksilver scripts. So, the problem is in the Services with iWorks (only?).

We'll learn more soon.

 

Tony, that ghosted window where you have to click on it to make it active to edit has been an applescript bug that I'm glad to hear you report has been fixed.

 

I always enjoy a major upgrade (to Accordance or to OSX) and hearing the reports from users using the Accordance Script Library. OSX 10.9 has brought some new scripting goodies to the toolbag that I'm excited about.

[Bret Hicks]

Tony,

 

Thanks for the info. I realized I still had the old apps, and have reverted the files to use those. Is there anyway to get back to the old apps on iOS? I generally share the files between my Mac and my iPad, but of course once I open them on the iPad, then they are in the new format. Is there a way to revert?

 

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[Tony Lawrence]

Hi Bret,

 

Getting back older iOS apps is a much greater challenge. IF you set up your iPad using iTunes, AND if you have not updated your apps on iTunes then you can restore from your most recent backup on your iPad. You woudl have to reload your Accordance modules after the restore. I have updated my iOS devices as well but generally create my presentations and documents on my Mac and transfer them to my iPad. You would still be able to do this. If you choose to keep the new versions of Pages and Keynote on your iPad, when you send them back to your Mac you could open them in the newer versions of Pages and Keynote and there export them as Pages09 or Keynote09 files. I wish I had a better solution to offer. Others might.

[Bret Hicks]

Tony,

 

Thanks. That is what I thought. This is a pain. I have not played with the newer versions much, but if they reduced functionality, I am not excited about that. And for the most part it is not a problem to create in old Pages/Keynote, the open on the iPad in the newer versions, since for most documents I do not really edit on the iPad, only view. But there are some documents that I was really editing on both, and for those it will be a pain until I fully convert to the new apps.

 

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[Bret Hicks]

And to be clear, the services do work fine in the older Pages and Keynote. It is clearly some problem in the new apps themselves. Here's to hoping Apple fixes it soon.

 

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[SWallace]

Probably what is happening is that in Pages 5, Apple has stripped out almost ALL of the AppleScript functionality. So that's probably why the scripts aren't working in the newer version. Bad move Apple. I too am completely frustrated with the direction of the iWork apps.

 

Stephen

[Joe Weaks]

From a bit of reading, the best way of thinking about the new iWork apps, is that they were written "from the ground up" in much of the code. This was done so the OSX and iOS versions could have the same file format and achieve feature parity, etc.

So, there are some iWork app features that have not been [yet] added into the new versions.

 

Note that the Services are just one way of accessing the Accordance Script Library.

I will mention that the Quicksilver actions that access my Accordance Script Library still work great. And when you save a QS action as a Trigger and assign a global key command, it works grand in any app, including those which don't use Services well.

In due time, I will explore new possibilities in 10.9 (of which there are some).

[Bret Hicks]

Joe,

 

How do I access the Quicksilver actions? I have never used Quicksilver before and so am unfamiliar with how to make it work. Is there something I need to do with your Scripts, or do I just read up and learn how to use Quicksilver itself, and it will find the Scripts and allow me to trigger them?

 

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[Joe Weaks]

Bret,

 

I have info on my blog on QS, and lots of info is available on the web. You can search for it, or read the docs that come with the Accordance Script library package.

 

However, I have found a simple fix for my Services to overcome the current limitation of iWorks.

I want to test the parameters a bit more before posting a fuller how to, but here's a sneak Peak:

1. Open the Service in Automator,

2. uncheck "Output replaces selected text",

3. Change the property outputTo : "pasteResult" instead of "returnResult",

4. Save and quite and it should now be available,

5. allow any permissions it requests in the System Preferences/Privacy

[Bret Hicks]

Joe,

 

I tried what you suggested for modifying the Script to insert query verses. I made a duplicate copy of the file "Insert Query Verses 1st" and then edited the original file as you indicated. When I saved it and tried to run it, the popup appeared, I entered the text I wanted copied, but then I just heard a beep, but no verse was inserted. I then renamed the files so the original would be used, but now I receive an error - "An error of type -25133 has occurred." I then tried to re-download the scripts from the exchange, but it says they no longer exist. Any ideas?

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

Bret Hicks

[Bret Hicks]

Actually I figured out my problem. In Pages it was still pointed to the modified file. Once I deleted the modified Script it ran the old one, which still works. Sorry for the false report.

 

 

Bret Hicks

[Ed Cross]

Joe,

 

Your suggested modifications works for the "Insert Verses KJVS.workflow" the only problem that I am having is that if I use it in Pages 4.3 it pastes the verses with the Citation formatting, but if I use it in Pages 5.0 it pastes in only plain text. If I paste it into Pages 4.3 first and then copy/paste into Pages 5.0 the Citation formatting is preserved.

 

 

Any thoughts or suggestions may be helpful.

[Joe Weaks]

Ed,

 

Sorry I've not had time to do more with a solution. Do you get the same results when you manually copy and paste plain and citation formats into pages 4.3 and 5.0?

[Paul Meiklejohn]

Bret,

just to offer an alternative solution. Alfred / worklows and Joe Weaks scripts work really well together.

Its a bit more limited, but has great great potential for new scripts. There has been no breaks in the Mavericks update - It still works brilliantly.

 

It can be used to:

1. Enter verse(s) and it copies it ready for pasting. (I've tweaked Accordance settings so that I get the perfect paste result for my particular style).

There's even an option to paste it straight into the active word processor.

2. Enter verse(s) and displays it (large) on the screen.

3. Enter an accordance word and it will do a simple Accordance search.

See forum link http://www.accordancebible.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9667&hl=alfred

 

Hope this helps.

[Bret Hicks]

Paul,

 

That sounds great. I downloaded the Alfred Script. Excuse my ignorance, but how do I get it to run. If I double click, OS X tells me there is no app to run it. Do I have to purchase something, or is there something I am just missing here?

 

In Christ,

 

 

Bret

[Paul Meiklejohn]

Brett,

Unfortunely for workflows to work you need to purchase the Alfred Power Pack. You will of course be able to download and use dozens of really useful scripts that have been written by other Alfred users. Alfred is a really great app and file launcher. I use it constantly. Have a look at youtube.

 

1. Download free version of Alfred @ http://www.alfredapp.com

2. Buy Alfred power pack.

3. Download Nathan Lovell's workflow from previous links. ( If this fails let me know and I'll email you his workflow, I'm sure he won't mind since he made it public for a while.)

4. Download Joe's Weak's scripts

5. You will need to tell Alfred where Joe's script is.

 

n.b . I've set up hotkeys for the three main commands to give me quick keyboard shortcuts.

 

Its not as complicated as it sounds if you know your way around your mac and read through the previous 'Alfred' posts. You can always come back to me if you get stuck.

 

God Bless

 

Paul

Edited November 6, 2013 by Paul Meiklejohn

[Paul Meiklejohn]

N.B the previous alfred link appears to have the wrong address

 

http://www.alfredapp.com

[Joe Weaks]

FWIW, I would recommend Quicksilver. It is an open source launcher, been developed a very long time. There is a pack of Quicksilver Actions ready to download to work with the Accordance Script Library. They are actually more robust than using Services to interface with the Accordance Script Library.

 

I can not recommend Alfred.

[Ed Cross]

Joe,

 

When I manually copy citation from Accordance and then paste into 4.3 the formatting is intact with superscripts and colors. With 5.0 the colors and superscript are gone. But if I copy what I manually pasted into 4.3 and then paste it into 5.0 the colors and superscripts stay.

[Joe Weaks]

Yeah, I thought as much. Pages 5 is limited and quirky in so many ways we can't keep track.

[Tony Lawrence]

Some very good news!

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6049?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

[R. Mansfield]

Some very good news!

 

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6049?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

I saw that earlier today, but I noticed it mentioned improvements for AppleScript in Numbers and Keynote, but not in Pages. I hope that was just an oversight. Why would they improve two components of iWork and not the third?