Answer by red_menace for Compile AppleScript into application with parameters

To get command line arguments for an AppleScript application, you can use NSProcessInfo via some AppleScriptObjC. The main issue is that there isn't a handy way to return a result to the command line, so you will need to do something else such as write to a file.

The process info arguments include the executable path, but that can be skipped. Getting the arguments this way also works with osascript, although its path is also added to the arguments.

The following will work as a script or an application:

use framework "Foundation"use scripting additionson run    set arguments to (current application's NSProcessInfo's processInfo's arguments) as list    if first item of arguments contains "osascript" then set arguments to rest of arguments -- skip osascript path    if (count arguments) is 1 then set end of arguments to "no arguments"    repeat with anItem in rest of arguments -- skip the main executable path        displayError(anItem)    end repeat    # osascript still returns the last resultend runon displayError(theErrorMessage)    display dialog theErrorMessage    return "done"end displayError

From the Terminal, you can use a variety of commands:

/path/to/application.app/Contents/MacOS/applet "this is a test""Another test"open /path/to/application.app --args "this is a test""Another test"osascript /path/to/script.scpt "this is a test""another test"

To use arguments to a script for compiling an AppleScript application, you can use placeholder text in a source file, then use a script or text editor to replace it. The osacompile shell utility can then be used to compile the source into an application. It takes a text or script file, with the result based on the extension of the output file (the -o option).

For a complete example:

The Test.applescript file (this will be used as a template - the placeholder text will be replaced in an edited output file):

display dialog "This is a test.It is only a test.The date is ##DATE##Some name: ##NAME##An Identifier: ##ID##End of test."

The application script:

use framework "Foundation"use scripting additionsglobal arg1 -- this will be the replacement for the NAME parameterglobal arg2 -- this will be the replacement for the ID parameteron run -- example    try        set arguments to (current application's NSProcessInfo's processInfo's arguments) as list        if first item of arguments contains "osascript" then set arguments to rest of arguments        set arguments to rest of arguments        if (count arguments) < 2 then set arguments to getArguments()        set {arg1, arg2} to arguments        processFile(choose file with prompt "Choose the AppleScript source text file:" of type "com.apple.applescript.text")    on error errmess        display alert "Error" message errmess    end tryend runto getArguments()    set theName to text returned of (display dialog "Enter 'Name' parameter:" default answer "Jane Scripter")    set theID to text returned of (display dialog "Enter 'Identifier' parameter:" default answer "42")    return {theName, theID}end getArgumentsto processFile(theFile) -- get a list of file items for fixPlaceholders    set outputFile to (((path to desktop) as text) & "edited.applescript")    set datePlaceholder to "##DATE##"    set namePlaceholder to "##NAME##"    set idPlaceholder to "##ID##"    set _date to " -e \"s/"& datePlaceholder & "/`date '+%m-%d-%y'`/g\""    set _name to " -e \"s/"& namePlaceholder & "/"& arg1 & "/g\""    set _id to " -e \"s/"& idPlaceholder & "/"& arg2 & "/g\""    set theFile to theFile as text    set output to (do shell script "cat "& quoted form of ((POSIX path of theFile)) & " | sed "& _date & _name & _id)    (my output:output toFile:outputFile)    do shell script "osacompile -o "& quoted form of POSIX path of (((path to desktop) as text) & "Finished.app") & space & quoted form of POSIX path of outputFileend processFilesto output:someThing toFile:someFile    try        set fileRef to (open for access someFile with write permission)        set eof of fileRef to 0 -- clear any existing        write someThing to fileRef -- overwrite        close access fileRef    on error errmess        log errmess        try -- make sure file is closed on any error            close access fileRef        end try    end tryend output:toFile:

From the Terminal, the above application can be run by using the following, where the first argument will be used for the "NAME" parameter and the second for the "ID" parameter:

open /path/to/application.app --args "First, Last""Yep, looks like you."

The application will ask for the source file ("Test.applescript", above) and then output an edited source file and an application built from it onto your desktop.