Create a RichText note with Javascript for Automation

Automation OmniFocus Automation
#1

I’m integrating the QuickEntry with my Outlook workflow, and every thing looks great. Now I’m trying to make the task note a bit more beautiful with RichText.

I look on lots of forums and posts but apparently no one needed to do this:

Create a RichText note equivalent to the following HTML:

My Linked Text

I’m aware of this post (Making link clickable in OF2), but besides not having a clear answer for the question, it’s using Applescript instead of Javascript. Does anyone know how to do this?

#2

I’m not familiar with Javascript for Automation, but I can give you a starting point.
Try this code. It set the note of value of first tree of content of front document window


    var of = Application('OmniFocus'),
    oValue = of.defaultDocument.documentWindows[0].content.trees[0]['value']();
    of.strictPropertyScope = true
    of.strictCommandScope = true
    
    oValue.note = 'OmniFocus'
    oValue.note.paragraphs[0].style.attributes['link'].value = 'https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus';
#3

Yeah, that didn’t help. was able to create a RichText object with the same structure as your example:

OmniFocus.RichText({text: sender.name, style: {attributes: {link: {value: `mailto:${sender.address}`}}}})

But this does not generate anything on the Note.

#4

Ok, but if I run my code, I’am getting this:

And if I click the word “OmniFocus”, the browser opens in this address: https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus
Don’t you experience this behavior?

#5

I agree. The problem is that your code depends on a task being already present.
What I’m trying to achieve is this:

OmniFocus = Application("com.omnigroup.OmniFocus2");
OmniFocus.includeStandardAdditions = true;
OmniFocus.strictPropertyScope = true
OmniFocus.strictCommandScope = true

var task = OmniFocus.InboxTask({
    name: "Email task",
    note: OmniFocus.RichText({
        text: "Some Person",
        style: {
            attributes: [
                {
                    name: "link",
                    value: "http://www.yahoo.com"
                }
            ]
        }
    })
});

OmniFocus.activate();
OmniFocus.quickEntry.inboxTasks.push(task);

As you can see, I don’t have the task beforehand and the new task, although it is created on the Quick Entry panel, it does not have a note.

#6

Ah, now I understand.
Maybe this helps.

Code:

    var of = Application('OmniFocus'),
    ofDoc = of.defaultDocument,
    inbox = ofDoc.inboxTasks;
    
    //of.strictPropertyScope = true
    //of.strictCommandScope = true
    
    task = of.InboxTask({name: 'New Task', note:'OmniFocus'});
    num = of.quickEntry.inboxTasks.push(task);
    of.quickEntry.inboxTasks[num - 1].note.paragraphs[0].style.attributes['link'].value = 'https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus';
    
    of.quickEntry.open();
#7

I think I got it. I have to add the task to the quick entry in order to have a RichText note.

I couls use the .insert() method on the RichText class to add stuff to it but I need to find how to use it. Its documentation says:

insert method : Insert text in the middle of an existing blob of text.
insert text : the string to insert.
at: location specifier : Where to insert the text.
[using: Style] : The style to use when inserting the text. If missing, the default style for this text will be used.

But I have no idea how to define the “at” argument of it. I tried:

of.quickEntry.inboxTasks[num - 1].note.insert({
  text: "This is a test",
	at: 0
});

But it gives me the “Can’t convert types.” error.

#8

In Applescript, the at parameter would be, for example:

at before paragraphs

The problem is, I think, relative reference forms aren’t working very well in JXA. This is my hipotesis based on my investigation.
One option would be: create the note text and then set the value of the attribute in the desired paragraph.
Example:


    var of = Application('OmniFocus'),
    ofDoc = of.defaultDocument,
    inbox = ofDoc.inboxTasks;
    
    //of.strictPropertyScope = true
    //of.strictCommandScope = true
    
    task = of.InboxTask({name: 'New Task', note:'Welcome to OmniFocus\n\nOmniFocus HomePage'});
    num = of.quickEntry.inboxTasks.push(task);
	
	of.quickEntry.inboxTasks[num - 1].note.paragraphs[2].style.attributes['link'].value = 'https://www.omnigroup.com/omnifocus';
    of.quickEntry.open();
#9

Do you know what was supposed to be the syntax for location specifiers?

#10

As it happens I’m not an OF user so I can’t test specifically, but generally, objects in JXA dictionaries tend to have .before() and .after() functions on them, which should return values of the ‘location specifier’ variety.

#11

Unfortunately for Paragraphs and Words, the before() and after() functions do not retun a location specifier.