Added 'Start Textinator on login' option

Author: RhetTbull

README.md

@@ -60,19 +60,27 @@ To upgrade to the latest version, download the latest installer DMG from [releas
 - `Text detection threshold confidence`: The confidence threshold for text detection.  The higher the value, the more accurate the text detection will be but a higher setting may result in some text not being detected (because the detected text was below the specified threshold). The default value is 'Low' which is equivalent to a [VNRecognizeTextRequest](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/vision/vnrecognizetextrequest?language=objc) confidence threshold of `0.3` (Medium = `0.5`, Migh = `0.8`).
 - `Text recognition language`: Select language for text recognition (languages listed by [ISO code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_639-1_codes) and are limited to those which your version of macOS supports).
 - `Always detect English`: If checked, always attempts to detect English text in addition to the primary language selected by `Text recognition language` setting.
+- `Detect QR Codes`: In addition to detecting text, also detect QR codes and copy the decoded payload text to the clipboard.
 - `Notification`: Whether or not to show a notification when text is detected.
 - `Keep linebreaks`: Whether or not to keep linebreaks in the detected text; if not set, linebreaks will be stripped.
 - `Append to clipboard`: Append to the clipboard instead of overwriting it.
 - `Clear clipboard`: Clear the clipboard.
+- `Start Textinator on login`: Add Textinator to the Login Items list so it will launch automatically when you login. This will cause Textinator to prompt for permission to send AppleScript events to the System Events app (see screnshot below).
 - `About Textinator`: Show the about dialog.
 - `Quit Textinator`: Quit Textinator.
 
+When you first select `Start Textinator on login`, you will be prompted to allow Textinator to send AppleScript events to the System Events app.  This is required to add Textinator to the Login Items list. The screenshot below shows the prompt you will see.
+
+![System Events permission](images/system_events_access.png)
+
 ## Inspiration
 
 I heard [mikeckennedy](https://github.com/mikeckennedy) mention [Text Sniper](https://textsniper.app/) on [Python Bytes](https://pythonbytes.fm/) podcast [#284](https://pythonbytes.fm/episodes/show/284/spicy-git-for-engineers) and thought "That's neat! I bet I could make a clone in Python!" and here it is.  You should listen to Python Bytes if you don't already and you should go buy Text Sniper!
 
 This project took a few hours and the whole thing is a few hundred lines of Python. It was fun to show that you can build a really useful macOS native app in just a little bit of Python.
 
+Textinator was featured on [Talk Python to Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndFFgJhrUhQ&t=810s)! Thanks [Michael Kennedy](https://twitter.com/mkennedy) for hosting me!
+
 ## How Textinator Works
 
 Textinator is built with [rumps (Ridiculously Uncomplicated macOS Python Statusbar apps)](https://github.com/jaredks/rumps) which is a python package for creating simple macOS Statusbar apps.

build.sh

@@ -3,19 +3,32 @@
 # Build, sign and package Textinator as a DMG file for release
 # this requires create-dmg: `brew install create-dmg` to install
 
-#   --background "installer_background.png" \
-
 # build with py2app
 echo "Running py2app"
 test -d dist && rm -rf dist/
 test -d build && rm -rf build/
 python setup.py py2app
 
-# sign with adhoc certificate
+# sign with ad-hoc certificate (if you have an Apple Developer ID, you can use your developer certificate instead)
+# for the app to send AppleEvents to other apps, it needs to be signed and include the
+# com.apple.security.automation.apple-events entitlement in the entitlements file
+# --force: force signing even if the app is already signed
+# --deep: recursively sign all embedded frameworks and plugins
+# --options=runtime: Preserve the hardened runtime version
+# --entitlements: use specified the entitlements file
+# -s -: sign the code at the path(s) given using this identity; "-" means use the ad-hoc certificate
 echo "Signing with codesign"
-codesign --force --deep -s - dist/Textinator.app
+codesign \
+  --force \
+  --deep \
+  --options=runtime \
+  --entitlements=script.entitlements entitlements.plist \
+  -s - \
+  dist/Textinator.app
 
 # create installer DMG
+# to add a background image to the DMG, add the following to the create-dmg command:
+#   --background "installer_background.png" \
 echo "Creating DMG"
 test -f Textinator-Installer.dmg && rm Textinator-Installer.dmg
 create-dmg \

entitlements.plist

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?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">
+<dict>
+	<key>com.apple.security.automation.apple-events</key>
+	<true/>
+</dict>
+</plist>

images/system_events_access.png

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+py-applescript==1.0.3 
 py2app==0.28.2
 pyobjc-core==8.5; python_version >= "3.6"
 pyobjc-framework-cocoa==8.5; python_version >= "3.6"
@@ -6,4 +7,4 @@ pyobjc-framework-quartz==8.5; python_version >= "3.6"
 pyobjc-framework-vision==8.5; python_version >= "3.6"
 pyperclip==1.8.2
 rumps==0.3.0
-wheel==0.37.1
+wheel==0.37.1

images/textinator_settings.png

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
         "If you have changed the default location for screenshots, "
         "you will also need to grant Textinator full disk access in "
         "System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Full Disk Access.",
+        "NSAppleEventsUsageDescription": "Textinator needs permission to send AppleScript events to add itself to Login Items.",
     },
 }
 

requirements.txt

@@ -5,17 +5,20 @@
 
 import contextlib
 import datetime
+import os
 import platform
 import plistlib
 from typing import List, Optional, Tuple
 
+import applescript
 import objc
 import pyperclip
 import Quartz
 import rumps
 import Vision
 from Foundation import (
     NSURL,
+    NSBundle,
     NSDesktopDirectory,
     NSDictionary,
     NSFileManager,
@@ -30,7 +33,7 @@
     NSUserDomainMask,
 )
 
-__version__ = "0.7.2"
+__version__ = "0.8.0"
 
 APP_NAME = "Textinator"
 APP_ICON = "icon.png"
@@ -86,6 +89,9 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.clear_clipboard = rumps.MenuItem(
             "Clear Clipboard", self.on_clear_clipboard
         )
+        self.start_on_login = rumps.MenuItem(
+            f"Start {APP_NAME} on login", self.on_start_on_login
+        )
         self.about = rumps.MenuItem(f"About {APP_NAME}", self.on_about)
         self.quit = rumps.MenuItem(f"Quit {APP_NAME}", self.on_quit)
         self.menu = [
@@ -104,6 +110,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             self.append,
             self.clear_clipboard,
             None,
+            self.start_on_login,
             self.about,
             self.quit,
         ]
@@ -119,6 +126,8 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         # and shown the message assigned to NSDesktopFolderUsageDescription in the Info.plist file
         verify_desktop_access()
 
+        self.log(__file__)
+
         # start the spotlight query
         self.start_query()
 
@@ -151,6 +160,7 @@ def load_config(self):
                 "language": self.recognition_language,
                 "always_detect_english": True,
                 "detect_qrcodes": False,
+                "start_on_login": False,
             }
         self.log(f"loaded config: {self.config}")
         self.append.state = self.config.get("append", False)
@@ -164,6 +174,7 @@ def load_config(self):
         self.language_english.state = self.config.get("always_detect_english", True)
         self.qrcodes.state = self.config.get("detect_qrcodes", False)
         self._debug = self.config.get("debug", False)
+        self.start_on_login.state = self.config.get("start_on_login", False)
         self.save_config()
 
     def save_config(self):
@@ -176,6 +187,7 @@ def save_config(self):
         self.config["always_detect_english"] = self.language_english.state
         self.config["detect_qrcodes"] = self.qrcodes.state
         self.config["debug"] = self._debug
+        self.config["start_on_login"] = self.start_on_login.state
         with self.open(CONFIG_FILE, "wb+") as f:
             plistlib.dump(self.config, f)
         self.log(f"saved config: {self.config}")
@@ -257,6 +269,20 @@ def start_query(self):
         self.query.setDelegate_(self)
         self.query.startQuery()
 
+    def on_start_on_login(self, sender):
+        """Configure app to start on login or toggle this setting."""
+        self.start_on_login.state = not self.start_on_login.state
+        if self.start_on_login.state:
+            app_path = get_app_path()
+            self.log(f"adding app to login items with path {app_path}")
+            if APP_NAME not in list_login_items():
+                add_login_item(APP_NAME, app_path, hidden=False)
+        else:
+            self.log("removing app from login items")
+            if APP_NAME in list_login_items():
+                remove_login_item(APP_NAME)
+        self.save_config()
+
     def on_about(self, sender):
         """Display about dialog."""
         rumps.alert(
@@ -534,5 +560,41 @@ def detect_qrcodes(filepath: str) -> List[str]:
         return results
 
 
+def get_app_path() -> str:
+    """Return path to the bundle containing this script"""
+    # Note: This must be called from an app bundle built with py2app or you'll get
+    # the path of the python interpreter instead of the actual app
+    return NSBundle.mainBundle().bundlePath()
+
+
+# The following functions are used to manipulate the Login Items list in System Preferences
+# To use these, your app must include the com.apple.security.automation.apple-events entitlement
+# in its entitlements file during signing and must have the NSAppleEventsUsageDescription key in
+# its Info.plist file
+# These functions use AppleScript to interact with System Preferences. I know of no other way to
+# do this programmatically from Python.  If you know of a better way, please let me know!
+
+
+def add_login_item(app_name: str, app_path: str, hidden: bool = False):
+    """Add app to login items"""
+    scpt = (
+        'tell application "System Events" to make login item at end with properties '
+        + f'{{name:"{app_name}", path:"{app_path}", hidden:{"true" if hidden else "false"}}}'
+    )
+    applescript.AppleScript(scpt).run()
+
+
+def remove_login_item(app_name: str):
+    """Remove app from login items"""
+    scpt = f'tell application "System Events" to delete login item "{app_name}"'
+    applescript.AppleScript(scpt).run()
+
+
+def list_login_items() -> List[str]:
+    """Return list of login items"""
+    scpt = 'tell application "System Events" to get the name of every login item'
+    return applescript.AppleScript(scpt).run()
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     Textinator(name=APP_NAME, quit_button=None).run()