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31 MacSpeech DictateChapter 6 — Controlling Your Mac
In Mac OS X, shell scripts are most commonly created with
Apple’s Terminal program, which you will find inside the
Utilities folder on your hard drive. If you save a Shell Script
from within Terminal, you can drag it into the Automatic
area of a new Command and name it to easily create the
command.
To manually create a Shell Script command, select Shell
Script from the Type pop-down menu and write the shell
script directly into the Source field of the Command window,
then choose a name for your command.
Text Macro
Text Macros put whatever is in the Text area of the Command
window at the insertion point whenever the command’s name
is spoken. They can have an unlimited amount of text in
them.
Text Macros work almost like any other command — you speak
the command name to invoke the macro. Instead of executing
an action, however, a Text Macro enters pre-defined text at
the insertion point in the active document. Like with dictation,
MacSpeech Dictate doesn’t care where the insertion point
is. It can be in a word processing document, a cell in a
spreadsheet, using the text tool of a graphics program, or
even the name of a file in the Finder.
Text Macros are great for form letters, email signatures, starting
a letter – just about anything you need to type frequently.
Creating Your Own Text Macros
Creating text macros is similar to creating other commands.
Here’s how:
Turn off MacSpeech Dictate’s microphone.
1. Switch to the MacSpeech Dictate application by
clicking the MacSpeech Dictate icon in the Status
window Dock.
2. Select “Commands…” from MacSpeech Dictate’s
Tools menu.
3. Click the Plus Sign or select “New Command…”
from the File menu to create a new command.
4. Select “Global” from the “Context” menu to store
the command in the Global command set. You
can also store Text Macros in ApplicationSpecic
command sets. Doing so will mean the command
will only be available when that application is
active.
5. Select “Text Macro” from the Type pop-down
menu.
6. Enter text in the “Text” area that is to be typed
when the name of the command is spoken (you
canalsopasteordictateintothiseld).
7. Enter a name for the new command in the
“Command”eld.
8.Optionally,entertextintothe“Description”eld
(this is for informational purposes only and will not
be typed out).
Your command will automatically be saved.
That’s all there is to it. Whenever you say the name you gave
that command, it will insert the text you put in the Text area for
that command at the insertion point of the active application.
Automator Workflows
Mac OS X comes with some examples of Automator Workflows.
Let’s try making one speakable. We’re going to make the
Copy Unread Mail to iPod Notes workflow speakable.
1. Launch MacSpeech Dictate if it is not already run-
ning and turn on its microphone.
2. Say “Open Automator”
3. With your mouse, select “Open Examples Folder”
from Automator’s Help menu. This will open a
Finder window with the Automator Examples in it.
4. Say “Microphone Off.”
5. Switch to MacSpeech Dictate by clicking it’s icon
in either the Status window or the Dock.
6. Select ”Commands…” from the Tools menu.
7. Click the Plus Sign to open a new Command win-
dow, or select “New Command…” from the File
menu.
8. Make sure “Globals” is selected from the Context
pop-down menu in the Command window (unless
you want the macro to only execute when a par-
ticular application is active. If so, then put it in that
Application’s command set).
9. At this point, you simply drag the Automator
Workowiconnamed“CopyUnreadMailtoiPod
Notes” to the automatic area in the Command
window, name the command, and (optionally) pro-
vide a description and you are done.
If you want to manually create the command, do the following
instead of step 9:
9.Select“AutomatorWorkow”fromtheTypemenu
in the Command window.
10. Click the Browse button and navigate to the ex-
ampleworkow.Itislocatedatthefollowingpath:
<HARD DRIVE>/Library/Application Support/
Apple/Automator/Workows