PowerPoint's save as PDF in AppleScript results in print job
I have a small AppleScript to save a PowerPoint pptx file as PDF from command line. I use the script every 6 months, and last autumn it still worked. But today I run into problems. I updated to 10.14 in the meantime, and I guess there were also quite some Office for Mac updates. But as I have no clue about where this problem is coming from, these can also be completely irrelevant information.
The problem with the script is: When calling the script, it doesn't save a PDF, but sends the file to the default printer.
Here is the already updated, but still not working script:
on run arguments
tell application "Finder"
set src to POSIX file (first item of arguments) as alias
set dest to (second item of arguments) as text
open src
delay 10
tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
save in dest as save as PDF
close
end tell
end tell
end run
As there is not much code, and as the script did work before, I have no idea on what is wrong with it now.
@MaxWyss's comment brought me to look at the script from command line. I executed the few steps as arguments via osascript:
$ osascript -e 'tell application "Finder"' -e 'set fileAlias to POSIX file ("file:///Users/me/folder/file.pptx") as alias' -e 'set theOutputPath to ("file:///Users/me/folder/test.pdf") as text' -e 'open fileAlias' -e 'delay 10' -e 'tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"' -e 'save in theOutputPath as save as PDF' -e 'end tell' -e 'end tell'
281:320: execution error: Microsoft PowerPoint got an error: Parameter error. (-50)
I'm a little surprised about the error message, so I tried to run the script again:
$ osascript pptx2pdf.scpt file:///Users/me/folder/file.pptx test.pdf
pptx2pdf.scpt: execution error: Microsoft PowerPoint got an error: Parameter error. (-50)
I don't know why I overlooked this error. I guess it is due to the many things I changed in the script. However, this is the error message, which, unfortunately, still leaves me without a clue, as the slides still get sent to the printer queue.
Solution 1:
It took me a few hours to come up with a solution that works in my environment. Please note that some elements need internationalization like "Vorschau" or "Sichern". This is a german solution working with PowerPoint for Mac 16.16.27 on macOS HighSierra 10.13.6.
I had to heavily debug things with Script Debugger ($99 well spent ..) to get things working. Please note how Preview is used for the actual PDF saving. I tried doing this from Powerpoint but it was unreliable.
-- 2018-01-31
-- https://github.com/irmowan/Convert-ppt-to-pdf/blob/master/Convert-ppt-to-pdf.applescript
-- modified by WF 2020-11-15
--
-- ppt2Pdf({"/Users/wf/Projekte/2020/Infrastruktur2020/ppt2pdf", "TestMe.pptx"})
--http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050523140439734
-- passing command line arguments to applescript
on run (argv)
log (count (argv))
if ((count of argv) < 2) then
log "usage: ppt2pdf basepath [filenames]"
else
my ppt2Pdf(argv)
end if
end run
--
-- convert powerpoint to pdf on the given list of files
--
on ppt2Pdf(fileNames)
log "launching Powerpoint ..."
set pp to "Microsoft PowerPoint"
tell application pp -- work on version 15.15 or newer
launch
set isfirst to true
repeat with fileName in fileNames
if isfirst then
set basepath to fileName
log "base path is " & basepath
set isfirst to false
else
if fileName ends with ".ppt" or fileName ends with ".pptx" or fileName ends with ".pptm" then
set filePath to basepath & "/" & fileName
-- set filePath to POSIX path of fileAlias
set pdfPath to my makeNewPath(filePath)
log "trying to convert powerpoint file " & filePath & " to " & pdfPath
open filePath
-- save active presentation in pdfPath as save as PDF
-- save in same folder
-- https://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=26342
--tell application "System Events"
-- set listOfProcesses to (name of every process where background only is false)
-- tell me to set selectedProcesses to choose from list listOfProcesses with multiple selections allowed
--end tell
--repeat with processName in selectedProcesses
-- log processName
--end repeat
if not my chooseMenuItem(pp, "Datei", "Drucken...") then
error number -128
end if
--my showUiElements(pp, "menu button")
-- my waitFor(button whose description is "PDF", 5, 0.5)
my choosePopUp(pp, "Layout für den Druck", "Notizen")
my choosePopUp(pp, "Farbausgabeformat", "Farbe")
--my chooseMenuButtonItem(pp, "PDF", "Als PDF sichern")
local myTitle
tell application "System Events"
-- the magic of Applescript
-- if you really want the title and not a reference to it you need to use an operator
-- http://books.gigatux.nl/mirror/applescriptdefinitiveguide/applescpttdg2-CHP-12-SECT-5.html
set myTitle to title of window 1 of process pp & ""
end tell
my chooseMenuButtonItem(pp, "PDF", "In Vorschau öffnen")
delay 5
tell application "System Events"
log "waiting for Vorschau to display " & myTitle
set timeLeft to my waitForAppearWindow(myTitle, process "Vorschau", 30, 0.5)
if timeLeft < 0 then
log "Vorschau " & myTitle & " window didn't show up after 30 secs"
error number -128
else
log "Vorschau appeared with " & timeLeft & "secs left"
tell process "Vorschau"
delay 0.2
click menu item "Als PDF exportieren …" of menu 1 of menu bar item "Ablage" of menu bar 1
delay 0.5
-- CMD-SHIFT-G to set the export director
-- https://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/keycodes.php
keystroke "g" using {command down, shift down}
delay 0.2
tell sheet 1 of window (myTitle)
tell sheet 1
-- dereference basePath
local basePathStr
set basePathStr to basepath & ""
set value of first combo box to basePathStr
delay 0.2
click button "Öffnen"
delay 0.2
end tell
click button "Sichern"
set timeLeft to my waitForAppear(sheet 1, 3, 0.2)
tell sheet 1
if timeLeft > 0 then
click button "Ersetzen"
end if
end tell
delay 5
keystroke "q" using {command down}
end tell
end tell
end if
end tell
--tell application "System Events"
-- set timeLeft to my waitForAppear("button", button "Sichern" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp, 5, 0.5)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "Sichern button didn't show up after 5 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- click button "Sichern" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp
--end tell
--tell application "System Events"
-- delay 0.5
-- try
-- set timeLeft to my waitForAppear("button", button "Ersetzen" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp, 5, 0.5)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "Ersetzen button didn't show up after 5 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- click button "Ersetzen" of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of sheet 1 of window 1 of process pp
-- end try
--end tell
log "done ..."
-- close filePath
end if
end if
end repeat
-- still in tell powerpoint context
--tell application "System Events"
-- delay 0.5
-- try
-- set timeLeft to my waitForVanish("window", window "Sichern" of process pp, 60, 1)
-- if timeLeft < 0 then
-- log "print dialog didn't vanish after 60 secs"
-- error number -128
-- end if
-- end try
--end tell
quit
end tell
end ppt2Pdf
on showElement(uiElem)
local className
set className to class of uiElem as string
log (((«class pDSC» of uiElem as string) & "=" & value of uiElem as string) & "(" & className) & ")"
end showElement
--
-- show all UI elements
--
on showUiElements(appName, filterClassName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell (1st window whose value of attribute "AXMain" is true)
repeat with uiElem in entire contents of it as list
try
local className
set className to class of uiElem as string
if filterClassName is missing value or className is filterClasssname then
log (((description of uiElem as string) & "=" & value of uiElem as string) & "(" & className) & ")"
end if
end try
end repeat
end tell
end tell
end tell
end showUiElements
--
-- wait for the given element to appear
--
on waitForAppearWindow(elementName, parentElement, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
set appeared to false
repeat until (appeared) or timeLeft ≤ 0
try
set appeared to window elementName of parentElement exists
end try
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForAppearWindow
--
-- wait for the given element to appear
--
on waitForAppear(element, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
set appeared to false
repeat until (appeared) or timeLeft ≤ 0
try
set appeared to element exists
end try
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForAppear
---
--- wait for the given element to vanish
---
on waitForVanish(element, time, slice)
set timeLeft to time
try
repeat while (exists element) and timeLeft > 0
delay slice
log "."
set timeLeft to timeLeft - slice
end repeat
end try
log timeLeft
return timeLeft
end waitForVanish
on chooseMenuButtonItem(appName, buttonName, itemName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell window 1
local win1
set win1 to it
tell sheet 1
log "choosing " & itemName & " of menu button " & buttonName
tell menu button buttonName
click
delay 0.1
tell menu 1
click menu item itemName
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end chooseMenuButtonItem
--
-- choose a popup
--
on choosePopUp(appName, buttonName, itemName)
tell application "System Events"
tell process appName
tell window 1
tell sheet 1
log "choosing " & itemName & " of pop up menu " & buttonName
--repeat with pbutton in pop up buttons
-- local pbutton1
-- set pbutton1 to pbutton
-- log description of pbutton & "=" & value of pbutton
--end repeat
tell (1st pop up button whose description is buttonName)
click it
delay 0.5
pick menu item itemName of menu 1
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end choosePopUp
--
-- https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/
-- LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/MacAutomationScriptingGuide
-- AutomatetheUserInterface.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40016239-CH69-SW17
--
on chooseMenuItem(theAppName, theMenuName, theMenuItemName)
try
-- Bring the target app to the front
tell application theAppName
activate
end tell
-- Target the app
tell application "System Events"
tell process theAppName
-- Target the menu bar
tell menu bar 1
-- Target the menu by name
tell menu bar item theMenuName
tell menu theMenuName
-- Click the menu item
log "clicking " & theMenuItemName
click menu item theMenuItemName
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
return true
on error
return false
end try
end chooseMenuItem
on makeNewPath(f)
set t to f as string
if t ends with ".pptx" or t ends with ".pptm" then
return (text 1 thru -5 of t) & "pdf"
else
return (text 1 thru -4 of t) & "pdf"
end if
end makeNewPath