Toggle State of Context via AppleScript?
 

Does a simple way exist via AppleScript to toggle the state of an entire context Active, On Hold, and Dropped? It seems this is not a property of contexts that can be altered via AppleScript. I wonder if that means the only way to accomplish it is via a loop through actions to toggle their state?

The application is to set up a background app to toggle on/off such contexts as Errands at particular times.

--
JJW

Yes, here's a sample script that will toggle the availability of the Errands context each time it is run:

[code]
tell application "OmniFocus"
tell front document
set idHome to id of first item of (complete "Errands" as context)
set homeContext to first item of (every context where id is idHome)
tell homeContext
set allows next action to not allows next action
end tell
end tell
end tell
[/code]

Looking at the variable names, you might well deduce that I originally was toggling the state of a different context :-)

And to cycle a whole clump of selected contexts between three states:

[CODE]-- Toggle selected contexts
tell application id "OFOC"
tell front document window of front document
-- GET A REFERENCE TO THE SELECTED CONTEXTS
repeat with oPanel in {sidebar, content}
set refContexts to (a reference to (selected trees of oPanel where class of its value is context))
set lngContexts to count of refContexts
if lngContexts > 0 then exit repeat
end repeat
if lngContexts < 1 then return

-- GET THE STATE OF THE FIRST SELECTED CONTEXT
tell (value of first item of refContexts) to ¬
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {allows next action, effectively hidden}

-- CYCLE THE STATE AROUND A TRIANGLE
-- Active --> on hold --> dropped --> active
if blnNotOnHold then
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {false, false}
else if blnHidden then
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {true, false}
else -- on hold
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {false, true}
end if
tell value of refContexts to ¬
set {allows next action, hidden} to {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden}
end tell
end tell
[/CODE]

[COLOR="White"]--[/COLOR]

Thanks. Unfortunately, the context I am trying to reach is a sub-context. Substituting "@ : Errands" is not working. How do I get to a sub-context level?

--
JJW

If you are working with nested contexts, one word should do it:

[I]every context [/I]--> [I]every flattened context[/I]

In truly churlish fashion, I'll point out that you won't get the results you want if you are toggling a group of contexts which are not all in the same availability state :-)

If you had two sets of contexts which were mutually exclusive (set A is available when set B is unavailable, and vice versa), Rob's improved version would set them all to be available or unavailable. Here's an improvement on the improvement:

[code]
-- Toggle selected contexts
tell application id "OFOC"
tell front document window of front document
-- GET A REFERENCE TO THE SELECTED CONTEXTS
repeat with oPanel in {sidebar, content}
set refContexts to (a reference to (selected trees of oPanel where class of its value is context))
set lngContexts to count of refContexts
if lngContexts > 0 then exit repeat
end repeat
if lngContexts < 1 then return

repeat with curContext in refContexts
set blnOnHold to not allows next action of value of curContext
set allows next action of value of curContext to blnOnHold
end repeat
end tell
end tell
[/code]

Ah, the endless fun opportunities that OmniFocus offers for tinkering rather than working :-)

[QUOTE=RobTrew;100965]If you are working with nested contexts, one word should do it:

[I]every context [/I]--> [I]every flattened context[/I][/QUOTE]

Oh happy day! Thank you.

--
JJW

Well, a difference in management style perhaps :-)

I like to dragoon my children into some kind of unison ...

(but I'm demonstrably just as willing to be distracted :-)

Here's yet another variation! This one prompts for a context name substring to match, in response to another thread where this sort of is being discussed. The new state for each context is independently determined, though to make full use of that, you might want to change the logic to have it just go between two states (active/dropped or active/on hold being the likely candidates) instead of active/on hold/dropped as is done here. Left as an exercise for the reader :-)

[code]

tell application "OmniFocus"
-- prompt user for context substring to match
set Matchstr to text returned of (display dialog ¬
"Context substring to match" default answer ¬
"" buttons {"OK", "Cancel"} ¬
default button 1)

tell front document
set refContexts to (every flattened context where name contains Matchstr)
set lngContexts to count of refContexts
if lngContexts < 1 then -- oops, didn't find any matches!
display alert "No matching contexts found for " & Matchstr
return
end if

repeat with curContext in refContexts
tell curContext to ¬
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {allows next action, effectively hidden} of curContext

-- CYCLE THE STATE AROUND A TRIANGLE
-- Active --> on hold --> dropped --> active
if blnNotOnHold then
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {false, false}
else if blnHidden then
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {true, false}
else -- on hold
set {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden} to {false, true}
end if

tell curContext to ¬
set {allows next action, hidden} to {blnNotOnHold, blnHidden}
end repeat

end tell
end tell

[/code]