Use a named clipboard that changes name based on the iteration of my FOR EACH loop

[cvc8445]

I am trying to reference a named clipboard that changes name based on the iteration of my FOR EACH loop.

Similar concept to Peter's solution with variables here:

Store Values in Dynamically Created Variables?

You can do that already. The Variable field of the Set Variable action can contain tokens, and the Value of Named Variable filter can go in the other direction, so you can use a Counter index and use that in variable names to read and write them now. Something like this: [image] But when v8 is released, there will be a better way.

Can this be done? ( I am using KM 7.1.1 at the moment).

This code is not working:

[peternlewis]

No, you can't use a similar technique for styled text from Named Clipboards.

You could do it using the more tricky XML technique shown here:

Find Image on Screen using Clipboard Image?

The tricky part is, as it often is, the UI. It's hard to see what UI would allow entering a variable for the fuzz or a path or named clipboard for the image well. Adding complexity to the UI to support this has to be worthwhile doing, so that means there has to be enough users who need this facility to make it worth the cost in complexity to everyone else. Without a good UI for allowing this with minimum complexity it's hard to make it happen and hard to justify the time to do it. Creating a…

[cvc8445]

Not sure I get this concept (after reading the post)…

[peternlewis]

Basically, you need to get the XML for the action you want to mangle (Set Clipboard to Styled Text) and adjust the text of the named clipboard within the action and then execute the XML as an action using AppleScript.

You can get the XML for the action from the Gear menu Copy as XML.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<array>
	<dict>
		<key>JustDisplay</key>
		<false/>
		<key>MacroActionType</key>
		<string>SetClipboardToText</string>
		<key>StyledText</key>
		<data>
		cnRmZAAAAAADAAAAAgAAAAcAAABUWFQucnRmAQAAAC5kAQAAKwAAAAEAAABc
		AQAAe1xydGYxXGFuc2lcYW5zaWNwZzEyNTJcY29jb2FydGYxNTA0XGNvY29h
		c3VicnRmODMwCntcZm9udHRibFxmMFxmbmlsXGZjaGFyc2V0MCBIZWx2ZXRp
		Y2FOZXVlO30Ke1xjb2xvcnRibDtccmVkMjU1XGdyZWVuMjU1XGJsdWUyNTU7
		XHJlZDBcZ3JlZW4wXGJsdWUwO30Ke1wqXGV4cGFuZGVkY29sb3J0Ymw7O1xj
		c2dyYXlcYzA7fQpccGFyZFx0eDU2MFx0eDExMjBcdHgxNjgwXHR4MjI0MFx0
		eDI4MDBcdHgzMzYwXHR4MzkyMFx0eDQ0ODBcdHg1MDQwXHR4NTYwMFx0eDYx
		NjBcdHg2NzIwXHBhcmRpcm5hdHVyYWxccGFydGlnaHRlbmZhY3RvcjAKClxm
		MFxmczI2IFxjZjIgJU5hbWVkQ2xpcGJvYXJkJXdvbWJhdCV9AQAAACMAAAAB
		AAAABwAAAFRYVC5ydGYQAAAA5lFpWrYBAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==
		</data>
		<key>Text</key>
		<string>%NamedClipboard%wombat%</string>
	</dict>
</array>
</plist>

Then you need to adjust the XML for the StyledText to match %NamedClipboard%WHATEVER%, and then run the XML using the AppleScript:

tell application "Keyboard Maestro Engine"
	set v to getvariable "ActionXML"
	do script v
end tell

Unfortunately, for your purposes, to use the Styled Text, you need to adjust the StyledText field, and while that is doable, it is difficult as well. @JMichaelTX has a script for doing it here:

KM8: XML of Display Text in Window Does Not Update by Script

@peternlewis, Many thanks for your help and patience in solving this problem. The key was the ObjC code you provided here: Thanks to you and @ShaneStanley, we now have a complete solution that does all of the following: Converts the KM Action XML into an ASObjC Dictionary object Extracts the "<StyledText>" section, which contains the RTFD of the action Converts that into "normal", updatable, rich text Updates the rich text, changing the variable names in it. Updates the Dictionary object, …

But it is tricky to put it all together.

[peternlewis]

Perhaps a simpler solution is to use a Switch statement, switch on the variable and each branch does a different named clipboard.

[cvc8445]

I will try the SWITCH approach. Thanks also for the info on the XML approach which sounds interesting here and perhaps in other KM Actions (?)