[patzoul]

How can I trigger an applescript to run whenever I receive a message in a specific account?

[clarkgoble]

I don't think there is a way to trigger Applescripts with Mail.app. I know that folder triggers were only added to the Finder with OSX 10.2. (Called Folder Actions) So hopefully this will be something added soon to Mail.app.

Probably what you'd have to do is have some Applescript that checks your mailboxes for new mail and then runs an other Applescript when there is new mail. But that's not the ideal situation.

Depending upon what you want to do, you may be able to do it by having a shell script check your pop server just prior to Mail doing it. You can then filter your mail on the pop server using this shell script. Shell scripts can call Applescript. However, depending upon what you want to do though this can be tricky.

For some software that does this to implement something like Mail's spam filter see the following:

http://e-scribe.com/osx/mailfilter/

Note that most of these programs don't work that well as they are little more than regular expressions. Mail uses I believe a Bayesian inferrence program. There are those available if you need them though.


Obviously to use this to trigger an Applescript as opposed to simply deleting the message you'd have to modify the source somewhat.

[clarkgoble]

Oh, one other thought. If you just want to be able to send mail to trigger some applescript rather than use it to organize your MAil app, there is a solution.

Albert allows you to take actions on incoming mail. All it actually consists of is a simple Pop checker that then runs an application when a particular pattern occurs in the subject. Further it is actually a RealBasic application instead of a nice clean C program. C'est la vie. It might fit your needs.

http://www.versiontracker.com/morein...129&db=mac


I should add that I find it odd that Mail can't run scripts since Claris Emailer could way back in the pre-OSX days. It seems to me that this would be a very good thing to add to either folders or rules. Perhaps if enough people go to the OSX suggestion page over on Apple's home page?

If you really need this feature I believe that BareBone's MailSmith mail program provides it. Further most scripts written for BBEdit purportedly work on it.

[patzoul]

Thanks for all this info.

[clarkgoble]

One other solution I just thought of while working on something else is to create a folder action Applescript. These are triggers for Applescripts that occur when something in a folder changes. I've not played with them much, but I know they are very powerful and work even when files are changed by applications or by the Terminal.

The folder with the mailboxes for Mail is ~/Library/Mail/Mailboxes. There is also a separeate inbox for each account. i.e. for my pop account it is in ~/Library/Mail/POP-clark.goble@clark.goble@attbi.com.

That obviously keeps you from doing a nice generic Applescript, but you can do it.

After your Applescript has triggered you can iterate through the mailboxes by scripting Mail to see what new messages are present and act accordingly.

[clarkgoble]

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[Camelot]

Originally posted by patzoul:
How can I trigger an applescript to run whenever I receive a message in a specific account?

Mail.app has one of the weakest AppleScript integrations of ANY Mac OS X email client.

If you're serious about AppleScript and email, you need Entourage or Eudora.

It's ironic that a Microsoft app implements Apple's technologies better than Apple themselves. Apple should be ashamed.