AppleScript Error -1728

For some time I’ve been frustrated by a problem with Automator on my Mac that made a couple of workflows almost impossible to open and change.

These workflows perform multiple find/replace checks on Microsoft Word documents and are very useful. However, the error message would pop up for every entry in these workflows whenever I tried to open them. This meant I had to hit enter every time which, given the number of entries, was tedious to the point that I’d usually give up and force-quit Automator. An example of the error is as follows:

AppleScript Error
Can’t get «class conW» “sheetNum” of «class view» id 545 of «class view» id 544 of «class view» id 6 of «class scrV» id 5 of «class splV» id 4 of «class view» id 3 of «class splV» id 2 of window is 1. (–1728)

Having for some months been resigned to the fact I was effectively locked out of these workflows, I think I’ve identified the problem.

In the Automator actions list for Word, I‘ve discovered that I have two entries of Find and Replace Text in Word Document. More accurately, I have one entry of Find and Replace Text in Word Document, and one of Find and Replace Text in Word Documents. There are differences in the information related to each of these actions, with the one that works having somewhat questionable English. I can’t for the life of me work out why this is. Have I downloaded something from somewhere and don’t remember?

Anyway, changing the action used in the workflows to Find and Replace Text in Word Document seems to have fixed the problem. I get an error even when trying to add Find and Replace Text in Word Documents to a workflow.

Having delved into Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Automator to remove any duplicates, I’m surprised to find only one entry of the offending action. And even more perplexing is the fact that the one I can see appears to be the one that’s problematic. I don’t know why this is, but I’m pleased I’ve isolated the issue.

If you’re having similar problems check the actions used in your workflows. I’m not sure whether my problem was the result of upgrading to OS X Lion or my version of Office – possibly neither – but it appears that something has gone awry at some point. To avoid similar issues in future, the next time I buy a new Mac I think I’ll be starting afresh rather than using Migration Assistant as I have on every previous occasion.

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Workflow – a blog on effective file management

There are three different aspects to my working life: report editing for my client in London, fiction writing, and blogging. Although the latter two are related, they are distinct in my mind.

For a long time I was unsatisfied with my filing system, which felt somewhat clunky and ineffective. As a result I looked for a solution, something more streamlined and logical.

Diversity

I’ve had a satisfactory workflow in place for some time with regard to the work I do for my London client: emails come in with attachments; I save these files to my Downloads folder; when I’m ready to work on them the files are moved to my Current folder. It’s a simple, linear system.

My own work is different, however. I have a variety of projects in various stages of development at any one time: novels, short stories, radio scripts and blog posts. I also have a lot of material related to my published work, such as manuscripts, PDFs, cover art images, interviews and various other bits and pieces.

Generally this older material is not the problem as I don’t need to access it regularly. As a result this resides only on my iMac’s hard drive and backup disks rather than in Dropbox.

It’s the current work that’s the real issue – pieces I’m actively working on at any given time, at whatever stage. These need to be available on either my iMac or my MacBook Pro, my iPad or phone, and be up to date. I also need to be able to access fiction ideas and blog drafts to consider or tinker with whenever the fancy takes me.

The problem I had was organising these various items in a way that was consistent and came naturally to me. I needed a system that was so intuitive that I didn’t find myself either trying to remember where I’d put a file, or trying to work out where to put it.

Software

I tried several different methods and applications – Things, Evernote, Simplenote, among others – but I seemed to end up with duplicates of files like ideas for short stories: I might make a note of a story idea in Simplenote, then add it to Evernote, then change it in one and forget to remove the other. This is not fault of the applications in question, but really more due to my flawed way of working.

I really thought Evernote would be the answer, with its desktop and iOS apps and online syncing, but the app never really worked for me. Perhaps this is because I operate almost exclusively in text, whether writing or consuming. The app is also rather more complicated than a lightweight text editor.

Old school

I began to think about how I would physically work with documents and projects. It occurred to me that I would not have one large folder into which I put everything: that’s just not the kind of person I am. Instead, I’d have a separate folder for each project.

I was also drawn to the concept of text files, their simplicity and longevity, being compatible with just about every Word processor out there. Think of a text file as a sheet of paper: if I have different ideas, notes, things to think about, I don’t want all of these on a single sheet – I want separate sheets for each so that I can edit, expand and develop in a more effective way, as and when I want to.

Yet while I like my files to be organised, I don’t like to have too many folders: putting items in folders is like putting them away, and if a project or document is “active”, whether I’m actually working on it or it’s simply being considered, I want it to be available at a glance. This makes it convenient, and also acts as a reminder that it’s something I need to think about.

Less is more

After some trial and error I think I’ve found a streamlined solution that works for me:

• General notes, snippets of information and ideas, recipes, miscellaneous stuff like that, I create quickly and easily using nvALT, which syncs the notes as text files to a folder within my WriteRoom folder on Dropbox. I can access these items via nvALT on my Macs, with the application’s fast search function, and via WriteRoom on my iPad and phone. For organisation, if the text in question is an idea for a blog post I’ll name it something like Blog – workflow; if it’s an idea for a story it’ll begin with Development; a note of the process to reset the SMC on my computer, for example, is prepended with Mac. This way, related items are grouped together in a logical and clearly visible way.

• Posts such as this I draft in iA Writer on my Mac or iPad. I then finalise markdown and hyperlinks in Byword for export to HTML, which I then paste into WordPress.

• Fiction ideas are mulled over in WriteRoom, developed in iA Writer, then moved to Scrivener when they become the current work in progress. Until the iOS version of Scrivener is available I can also sync my projects between devices using the “sync with external folder” feature. As well as in Scrivener itself, these files can then be edited or reviewed in WriteRoom or Writer on my iOS devices.

WriteRoom could easily be used on its own for the above processes, but I’m a fan of Writer’s interface and its iCloud syncing. Creation of and searching for text notes in nvALT is quick and easy, and there is a clear chain of development for fiction texts.

This is all far simpler and consistent than my previous attempts at file organisation, increases differentiation, and is much more intuitive for me.

Bingo.

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UPDATE – 27/06/12: I’m now using Brett Terpstra‘s Marked to preview files in Markdown. Marked has a great many output options, including the ability to export to PDF – a feature I’ve already found useful in, for example, creating a cheat sheet for my Keyboard Maestro shortcuts.

Superfluous Software

A recent post by a friend of mine led me to think about those apps on my Mac which are absolutely essential, those I simply could not do without. I had a look through the 70+ applications installed on my system, and came up with the following list:

• Scrivener
• Mail
• Safari
• Word
• Excel
• Dropbox

That’s it. Everything else is a luxury, simply adds convenience, or could be replaced by one of the above or a physical alternative. And much as I hate the appalling Microsoft programs, I have to use them for my day job. Give me an opportunity to ditch them and I will.

There are a few apps that I‘d be reluctant to give up:

• Keyboard Maestro
• iA Writer
• nvALT/Notational Velocity/Simplenote
• Freedom

But while these are useful, they’re by no means essential.

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iA Writer addendum

Writer’s iCloud syncing works even when my Mac’s disconnected from the Internet – something I find rather magical and impressive. Presumably the app syncs to devices on the home network or something.

The 21st Century typewriter

A blog about my new favourite Mac app – iA Writer

Writer is the purest form of writing app. It’s the 21st Century equivalent of a typewriter.

I’m a writer, so text editors are important to me. For fiction writing I exclusively use Scrivener. In my day job I have to use Word, but I don’t like it. I’ve bought Byword, and also WriteRoom on both OSX and iOS. I bought WriteRoom several years ago and recently rediscovered it. I bought Byword not so long ago, attracted by its appearance and the fact that it also offers markdown preview and HTML export. Although I read about Information Architects’ Writer some time ago, I didn’t buy it because I wasn’t sure about the lack of customisation or its appearance – factors which are not unrelated.

A few weeks back I set WriteRoom to be my default text editor, but it didn’t quite work for me: it felt a little out of date, and there were too many customisation options to fiddle with. Plus, having been prompted to upgrade, which I did, I started to get a nag screen to pay for the upgrade every time I opened the app. This bugged me somewhat, not because I’m averse to paying, but because I assumed the update was just bug fixes or such like. I liked the way the old version worked, and the updated WriteRoom was all different, with themes and what have you.

Byword does what it does just fine, and previews markdown very well, although the display is a little small even on my 21.5-inch Mac. I just didn’t gel with the app, though. I can’t really give a good reason why, other than the display settings didn’t really work for me no matter how much I changed them.

Zen

In the search for the perfect text editor I thought I’d give iA Writer a go. I’m glad I did. I knew the moment I opened the app that it was for me. Having a complete lack of customisation options really works – when the appearance is already perfect there’s no need to change it. The font is beautiful to look at and the perfect size for my Mac, and the slight texture to the off-white background works very well. The iOS version has equal aesthetics on the iPad.

The only thing I’d change about this app on the OSX version is the blinking cursor: the cursor stands out because it’s bright blue – I don’t need it to blink to attract my attention, and the blinking somewhat detracts from the overall zen of the app in my view. But that’s a small point.

Purity

Writer also increases your output. You open a document and you type. That’s all you can do. Writer is the purest form of writing app. It’s the 21st Century equivalent of a typewriter. Coupled with my Das Keyboard, this is a winner.

The syncing of documents via iCloud seems to work faultlessly, and is also quick. Writer reads plain text files so I can still use nvALT to quickly create text files in my Dropbox folder, open these in Writer and edit them, as well as in WriteRoom on my iOS devices. Byword didn’t seem to play well with text files in Dropbox, possibly because the plain text and markdown formats were merged in that application – I don’t know.

Writer is now the default text editor on my Mac, with WriteRoom deleted, and Byword consigned to the role of markdown preview and HTML output: I’ll draft posts such as this in Writer, preview markdown and copy HTML output from Byword, then paste into WordPress. Bingo.

If you’re looking for a minimalist text editor that will increase your productivity and is a pleasure to use, iA Writer is the one to go for.

Martin
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ADDENDUM: worth noting that the iOS version of Writer reads both text and markdown files, which is something the iOS version of WriteRoom doesn’t do – looks like I’ll be deleting that as well…