Open Source Macro Programs?

BlueCup asks: "I've wanted to switch to Linux for quite a while, but my work requires a lot of automated tasks. For these tasks I have global macros set up using Toolsworks and Macro Express. So far I've looked for equivalents for Linux, but have been unsuccessful. Does anyone know of a similar program that reaches the same level of complexity of the above programs for Linux?"

Comments

Re:is this a trick question?

[RevAaron]

"macros" usually have to do with scripting GUI apps, yet another thing Linux mostly blows at, especially compared to AppleScript/OSA on Mac OS X but even Windows' WSH is better. There is KDE's and Qt's DCOP system, which is neat but very poorly supported.

There are a lot of things you can't do with bash or perl. The unix mindset would be to simply rewrite the whole app that they want to automate's functionality all over again in bash, perl or C, and then control that app with perl/bash/whatever. But that is a royal pain in the ass.

I don't think the poster would care if the particular macro package happened to be a perl module that added the ability to write automation macros for X apps, but if such a thing existed, it would be worth naming.

Applescript!!

[moosesocks]

One of Apple's best kept secrets is (and always has been) the astonishing power of AppleScript.

By adding a few simple functions and classes to your program (read: there's no reason for a developer NOT to implement applescript in their program), all programs can talk with each other, control one another, etc. through a common, scriptable interface.

This interface is applescript. It's a natural-language scripting language (almost as easy to learn as BASIC).

The concept is simple, each program has a 'library' of functions the program can provide to the user or other functions, as well as controls which are input-only (ie. an interface for skipping to the next song in iTunes). Any program can access these functions, and pass them to other programs through a ridiculously easy language.

I've always wished that a similar interface would exist between platforms, and even over a network. Imagine how great it would be if we could transparently tell our computer at home to stream us some music at our office (sorry I can't think of a better example...).

Actually, I believe the original GNOME project aimed to do something very similar to what I described above, however, it failed it's key original goal primarily as a result of hasty development to compete with KDE. And it was a real pity, as GNOME had so much more potential than KDE based upon the original goals of the project.