New UUID in JavaScript for Automation Action

mattbowlby · April 7, 2023, 12:51pm

I am working on a macro that uses a JavaScript script to generate a UUID. I am using this code:

When I run the UUID node.JS module in Terminal, it works fine. However, when I run this script in Keyboard Maestro, it doesn't appear to be importing the node.js module properly.

Here is the macro:

Here is the error message:

I would appreciate any guidance on getting the uuid module to work or where to look further.

Thanks in advance.

mattbowlby · April 7, 2023, 2:29pm

Alternatively, I realized I can run the UUID as a shell script. See screenshot. This macro works well. However, what is the best way to generate multiple UUIDs based on a user input. For example, a user requests 150 UUIDs and the shell script generates 150 and puts them in the clipboard.

Nige_S · April 7, 2023, 3:10pm

I believe KM's own randomly-generated UUIDs are v4. So:

Generate UUIDs.kmmacros (3.6 KB)

Image

ComplexPoint · April 7, 2023, 4:02pm

For a JavaScript for Automation context (rather than Node JS context):

// newUUID :: () -> IO UUID String
const newUUID = () =>
    ObjC.unwrap($.NSUUID.UUID.UUIDString);

For example:

Generate UUIDs in JXA.kmmacros (2.5 KB)

mattbowlby · April 7, 2023, 11:49pm

Preformatted textThank you! This works well, but I am having a hard time passing in the KM variable for the count of UUIDs that I want to insert.

I used the following:

(() => {
"use strict";

const main = () =>
    enumFromTo(1)(kmvar.local_uuidAmount)
    .map(newUUID)
    .join("\n");


// --------------------- GENERIC ---------------------

// enumFromTo :: Int -> Int -> [Int]
const enumFromTo = m =>
    n => Array.from({
        length: 1 + n - m
    }, (_, i) => m + i);


// newUUID :: () -> IO UUID String
const newUUID = () =>
    ObjC.unwrap($.NSUUID.UUID.UUIDString);


// MAIN ---
return main();

})();

It doesn't pick up the KM variable. Any suggestions?

Generate UUID v4 Multiple JXA Macro (v10.2)

Generate UUID v4 Multiple JXA.kmmacros (7.0 KB)

ccstone · April 8, 2023, 2:31am

You're trying to use the syntax for a browser JavaScript action in a JXA action...

How to Get and Set KM Variables from JXA?

ComplexPoint · April 8, 2023, 3:14am

For example:

Generate give number of UUIDs in JavaScript for Automation context.kmmacros (2.6 KB)

Expand disclosure triangle to view JS source

(() => {
    "use strict";

    const main = () =>
        enumFromTo(1)(
            Number(
                Application("Keyboard Maestro Engine")
                .getvariable("uuidCount")
            )
        )
        .map(newUUID)
        .join("\n");


    // --------------------- GENERIC ---------------------

    // enumFromTo :: Int -> Int -> [Int]
    const enumFromTo = m =>
        n => Array.from({
            length: 1 + n - m
        }, (_, i) => m + i);


    // newUUID :: () -> IO UUID String
    const newUUID = () =>
        ObjC.unwrap($.NSUUID.UUID.UUIDString);

    // MAIN ---
    return main();
})();

JavaScript is an embedded scripting language, and the libraries available to a JS interpreter vary with the context is in which it is embedded.

For example:

A JS interpreter embedded in a browser has access, in the global context, to a library exposing an instance of the Document Object Model
The JXA embedding provides no DOM library – there is no web-page in sight – but does expose, in the global context, an Application library object with various methods and properties that are useful for synchronous scripting and access to ObjC libraries.
Neither of these has any connection to the Node JS embedding (of a V8 JS interpreter) in a non-browser local run-time context, for which the uuidv4 module is written.

mattbowlby · April 8, 2023, 12:42pm

This is fantastic. Thank you - it's clear now how to bring a KM variable into JavaScript.

ComplexPoint · April 8, 2023, 12:46pm

Not into all "JavaScript"

Just into the particular JS context of JavaScript for Automation.

(There's a different syntax for resolving KM variable names into values in browser-embedded JS)

The most concrete way to get a sense of the difference between each distinct JS context is to run the single-word program:

this

which will list, inter alia, the libraries defined in the global context – different for each embedding context.

The JXA context is the WebKit JS interpreter equipped, in the global context, with definitions for these objects and methods:

Automation
    Application
        currentApplication
    Library
    ObjC
        $
        Ref
            equals
        bindFunction
        block
        castObjectToRef
        castRefToObject
        deepUnwrap
        dict
        import
        interactWithUser
        registerSubclass
        super
        unwrap
        wrap
    ObjectSpecifier
    Path
    Progress
    delay
    getDisplayString
    initializeGlobalObject
    log

New UUID in JavaScript for Automation Action

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