Question

I’d like to control iTunes through Objective-C ( I just can’t get Python appscript installed correctly on my OS/X 10.6.3 system … that would have been my first choice ).

From what I gather, the IPC on Cocoa is based on Apple Events : is there either:

1. Online documentation on iTunes / Apple Events API ?
2. Instrospection mechanism to get to iTunes API?

I know about Applescript Editor / Open Dictionary functionality but I can’t figure out how to translate the information I see into IPC calls.

Note: I have already tried working out a solution through PyObjC but the main function I am after is track searching which I can’t figure out.

Disclaimer: OS/X super-newbie here.

Answer 1

Have you considered using Scripting Bridge? It’s built into the OS and also works with PyObjC. There’s no distinct searching API because searching is built into AppleScript (whose clauses), which map to NSPredicate in Scripting Bridge.

>>> from Foundation import *
>>> from ScriptingBridge import *
>>> itunes = SBApplication.applicationWithBundleIdentifier_(u"com.apple.itunes")
>>> tracks = itunes.sources()[0].libraryPlaylists()[0].tracks()
<SBElementArray @0x468a630: every ITunesTrack of ITunesLibraryPlaylist 0 of ITunesSource 0 of application "iTunes" (157)>
>>> predicate = NSPredicate.predicateWithFormat_(u'artist == "Pink Floyd"')
>>> tracks.filteredArrayUsingPredicate_(predicate)
<SBElementArray @0x457b6c0: ITunesTrack whose 'cmpd'{ 'relo':'=   ', 'obj1':'obj '{ 'want':'prop', 'from':'exmn'($$), 'form':'prop', 'seld':'pArt' }, 'obj2':'utxt'("Pink Floyd") } of ITunesLibraryPlaylist 0 of ITunesSource 0 of application "iTunes" (157)>

Also, if you’re new to AppleScript, I highly recommend Script Debugger’s dictionary explorer.