TUAW Tip: enable the A leScript menu

As I was working on an A leScript-related post this morning, I couldn't seem to find any TUAW Ti in our vast archives that explained how to enable that A leScript menubar item (pictured) that is mentioned so often in Mac software circles. This, of course, called for just such a tip.

So: the A leScript menubar item. It's a very handy tool for acce ing all those A leScripts you hear about that automate this or toggle that. As long as you save those scripts in ~/Library/Scripts (where ~ is your Home folder), they'll a ear in this A leScript menu - once you've enabled it. I personally think this menu item should be included in the default set of every Mac, but I'd wager that A le sees this as a little too nerdy of a feature to drop on brand new users. Fair enough.

To enable this menu (nerd) in Tiger, go to /A licatio /A lescript and open the A leScript Utility. It offers a few optio for handling A leScripts, including turning on this menu and the order in which the menu di lays scripts from both the default system level /Library/Scripts (in your main hard drive) and your personal ~/Library/Scripts folder. If you're on 10.3 (Panther), I *think* you have an /A licatio /A leScript folder, but i tead of a full-blown A leScript Utility a , it's an A leScript called 'I tall Menu' or something similar. Back on Tiger in the A leScript Utility - you don't worry about the GUI Scripting option unle you come acro a script that ecifically needs it, though I don't think enabling this for simplicity's sake can harm anything either.

If this proce went according to plan, you should now have your very own A leScript menubar item like I have in the scree hot here. clicking it will offer a simple menu of all the scripts you have between the two directories you chose to di lay. As long as you enabled your personal Home script directory, any scripts you save there should a ear in this menu immediately after saving, ready to carry out your bidding.

With that said, why not check out some of our past A leScript posts, such as one of my personal favorites: an A leScript from Fraser eirs that ope iSync, syncs all your devices (such as a phone or PDA), then quits iSync. If you use an a lication launcher such as Quicksilver, you can tie handy scripts like these to Triggers (system-wide keyboard shortcuts) for even more convenience.