Using AMWorkflow with stand-alone software

Question

I am trying to execute an Automator workflow from an isolated AppKit application.

Minimal example + github repo :

NSOpenPanel * panel = [NSOpenPanel openPanel]; [panel setAllowsMultipleSelection:NO]; [panel setCanChooseFiles:YES]; [panel setCanChooseDirectories:NO]; [panel setAllowedFileTypes:[NSArray arrayWithObject: @"com.apple.automator-workflow"]]; NSInteger result = [panel runModal]; if (result == NSFileHandlingPanelOKButton) { NSURL * workflow = [[panel URLs]objectAtIndex:0]; NSLog(@"selected url %@", workflow); NSError * error = nil; [AMWorkflow runWorkflowAtURL:workflow withInput:[NSArray arrayWithObject:workflow] error:&error]; if(error) { NSLog(@"Error while executing workflow %@", [error localizedDescription]); } } 

From my current understanding of the AMWorkflow API, I assume that it uses Mach IPC to execute the workflow in a separate Automator Runner process.

This is why I added the following right to my application:

  <key>com.apple.security.temporary-exception.mach-lookup.global-name</key> <array> <string>com.apple.AutomatorRunner</string> <string>com.apple.Automator</string> </array> 

But, apparently, Automator Runner is trying to connect to the calling application, which crashes with the following msg error:

 Automator Runner(2717) deny mach-lookup /Users/pbrc/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/AMWorkflowCaller-arjgkslqihljquelyvybmpsnljrn/Build/Products/Debug/AMWorkf 0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff96ce9686 mach_msg_trap + 10 1 liblaunch.dylib 0x00007fff8db637c4 2 liblaunch.dylib 0x00007fff8db624d9 bootstrap_look_up3 + 69 3 liblaunch.dylib 0x00007fff8db62609 bootstrap_look_up2 + 40 4 Foundation 0x00007fff8f4acffe -[NSMachBootstrapServer portForName:options:] + 102 5 Foundation 0x00007fff8f4b84cb +[NSConnection connectionWithRegisteredName:host:usingNameServer:] + 30 6 Automator Runner 0x0000000100001a51 -[AMRunnerDelegate processArguments] + 487 

Any ideas?

Answer 1

The simple answer is that the AMWorkflow API does not work in sandboxed applications. Recently, there is an alternative API that works with isolated applications:

 NSUserAutomatorTask executeWithInput:completionHandler: 

Using this API, you can run automation scripts that are in the script folder of your application:

/ Users / USERNAME / Library / Application Scripts /BUNDLENAME.APPNAME

There is one significant nuance: despite the “input” method, the input argument will not be missed into the Automator workflow on Mac OS versions up to version 10.8.3 12D75 (this was an error):

  NSUserAutomatorTask * task = [[NSUserAutomatorTask alloc] initWithURL:workflow error:&error]; if(error) { NSLog(@"Error while creating script task %@", [error localizedDescription]); } [task executeWithInput: @"this will never reach your workflow" completionHandler:^(id result, NSError *error){ if(error) NSLog(@"Error while executing workflow %@", [error localizedDescription]); }];