For example, the Finder's 'Get Selected Finder Items' action outputs the Files/Folders data type. The type of input and output are important, because you should only tie actions together if they use compatible data types. Selecting an action causes the description pane to display information about the selected action, such as what it does, what it expects for input, and what kind of output it creates. As you create workflows, different actions will float to the top as their relevancy increases. The Action panel contains the actions available for that particular app, organized by relevancy. Selecting an application from the list will filter that app's actions in the Action panel. The Library panel lists all of the applications with available actions, as well as some sample workflows and any workflows you might have saved. The Automator window is broken up into four main panels. Automator opens a blank workflow, as shown in Figure 13-4. To create a new workflow, select File New. Workflows are simply an ordered set of actions. Now that you're a bit more familiar with Automator actions, let's take a look at workflows. To see some of the latest actions, visit Apple's Automator Actions site. Not all applications have Automator actions yet, but there are more available each day.

For example, Apple's Mail includes about a dozen actions that do everything from checking for new mail to sending birthday cards. Each application is responsible for providing actions that perform a function within that app. Actions are the individual steps that are processed in a workflow. Using drag-and-drop simplicity, you add various actions to a workflow, crafting the order they are processed to suit the task at hand.Īutomator ships with a library full of actions. It's an easy way to automate repetitive tasks that you'd normally have to perform by hand. Automator brings the power of scripting to the masses. One of the most touted new features in Mac OS X Tiger is Automator ( /Applications).

Best mac automator workflows