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How do you set the selection for a table in Numbers using py-appscript?

This seems like it should be really simple to do but the solution is frustratingly evasive. I can get the current selection:

 current_table.selection_range

and I can get its cells:

  current_table.selection_range.cells()

but trying to set() either of them gets an angry appscript error.

Oleg Valter is with Ukraine
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Chris Redford
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1 Answers1

3

Looks like something like this works:

>>> current_table.selection_range.set(to=current_table.ranges[u'B3:C10'])

Note, looking at Number's script dictionary in AppleScript Editor or with ASDictionary, the property selection_range is defined as class range. So that's a clue that you need to come up with a reference of type range to set it.

Ned Deily
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  • Thanks again Ned. You are really saving my ass today :) I was afraid I might not find anyone on SO who knew about `appscript` since it is such a specialized technology. The whole reference / element system takes some getting used to.. – Chris Redford Nov 07 '09 at 22:42
  • And thanks for the extra advice too. I was going to ask you where you get your information and I am presuming from this note that you just use the `ASDictionary`'s and experience? – Chris Redford Nov 07 '09 at 22:44
  • You're welcome and thanks for the points. Yes, it does take some getting used to and, unfortunately, not all scriptable apps are as well-behaved as Numbers seems to be. Fortunately, the father of appscript, has, is a wonderful resource and he is known to hang out on SO as well as on the Python Mac SIG mailing list: http://dir.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.apple – Ned Deily Nov 07 '09 at 22:48
  • A combination of ASDictionary, the standard AppleScript Editor.app, trying snippets in a Python interpreter, the py-appscript docs, web searches, and a bit of experience. The biggest problem, IMO, with scriptable apps is lack of consistency: there's no way to know for sure how a particular app's object model really works without exploring it and sometimes the waters are really murky. – Ned Deily Nov 07 '09 at 22:55