Correct way to call Pythonista script from within a Shortcuts workflow?

[felciano]

Hi —

I’m trying to call Pythonista for the first time from a Shortcuts workflow. I understand that I should be able to call the Python code, passing values into argv somehow, but that there isn’t a direct way to return values unless you use a workaround (e.g. store the output value in the clipboard from Python, then retrieve the clipboard when the shortcut picks up again).

I’m having trouble getting the Shortcut to actually find my Pythonista script. I’ve tried saving it both on iCloud and “on my iPad”.

I’m triggering Pythonista by adding the “Run Script” step to my workflow, and then providing the name of the script. I’ve trying various syntaxes:

• MyScript.py
• MyScript
• pythonista3://getPTEimg.py
• pythonista3://iCloud/getPTEimg.py
• pythonista3://iCloud/getPTEimg.py?action=run&root=iCloud
• pythonista3://iCloud/getPTEimg.py?action=run

The last one is the one that Pythonista seems to recommend, in that it is auto-generated when I select Wrench > Shortcuts... > Pythonista URL > Copy URL.

In all cases, the call fails a "The file [filename] cannot be found" dialog box in Pythonista.

Can someone confirm that I should, in fact, be using the "Run Script" command in Shortcuts for this, as well as the syntax to use and location the script needs to be at in order to be found?

Thanks in advance!

Ramon

[7upser]

This works for me, the script is in This iPad/dir:

The iCloud Path should be:
/private/var/mobile/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~com~omz-software~Pythonista3/Documents

but i dont use parameter

Edit:
Did a test for parameter with url scheme:
see here: Pythonista Url scheme

works too

[felciano]

Thanks @7upser -- very helpful. I've been able to reproduce your example with the Pythonista Url scheme and the script is now found and launched correctly. However it jumps into/drops me into Pythonista proper. Is there a way to avoid that (i.e. just run the whole script in the background)?

[cvp]

@felciano said:

just run the whole script in the background

I don't think that Pythonista can run in the background.
Apple only authorizes that for music or Bluetooth apps.

[7upser]

You can Start a Shortcut with Pythonista:

import webbrowser
vUrl = 'shortcuts://run-shortcut?name=testStartWithUrlScheme&input=10'
webbrowser.get('safari').open(vUrl)

Maybe you can split your Shortcut into 2 different Shortcuts.
This should work, if you use Url Scheme on both sides.
(it's not really in the Bachground, as cvp mentioned)

[mikeno]

Hi everybody, I could call a Pythonista script from shortcuts using url and safari but it works only if the iPad is awake, is there a way to let it work when the iPad is asleep?
I also tried running a Pythonista script using scheduler but it works only if I stay in the Pythonista app.
What I want to achieve is writing some info into a file every hour

[cvp]

@mikeno I don't know what you want to do while your IPad is asleep but Shortcuts offers automations. Perhaps that could help.

[mikeno]

Yes but only everyday, I want to read the value of the barometer sensor every hour, I can get this value with Pythonista. I didn’t find a way to get this information in shortcuts nor in JS (scriptable).
I found also a way to do some tasks every hour in shortcuts but I don’t find a way to get the barometer sensor value.

[cvp]

@mikeno said

I found also a way to do some tasks every hour in shortcuts

But you could start a Pythonista script every hour?

[mikeno]

Yes, it works but only if the iPad is awake

[cvp]

@mikeno did you try to run an automation at specified time, which runs a Pythonista short script logging the pressure in a file and put your IPad asleep some time before the specified time?

[mikeno]

@cvp I’m not sure to understand what you mean, but calling a pythonista script from a shortcuts or an automation requires the iPad to be awake

[cvp]

@mikeno ok, I thought that calling the script from the shortcut did launch Pythonista even if iPad not awake. If you have Pyto, you could test because it runs really in background like a music player

[mikeno]

I don’t know PyTo but I will try, thx in any case

[cvp]

@mikeno not Py To but Pyto, I think there is a free test version

[mikeno]

I just downloaded it but my trial period already expired because I probably already tried it some times ago and since I don’t know if it works, I don’t want to buy it. If you’ve it, could you try if it runs when iPad is asleep?

[cvp]

@mikeno I'll do it and let it know

[cvp]

@mikeno I have tried a script which prints the time each second and closed my iPad cover during 200 seconds and when I have reopened it, the script was still running

[mikeno]

Thx, the question is now if Pyto can read the barometer sensor value, below a short code which runs fine under Pythonista:

from objc_util import ObjCInstance, ObjCClass, ObjCBlock, c_void_p

pressure = None

def get_pressure():
  
  def handler(_cmd, _data, _error):
    global pressure
    pressure = ObjCInstance(_data).pressure()

  handler_block = ObjCBlock(handler, restype=None, argtypes=[c_void_p, c_void_p, c_void_p])

  CMAltimeter = ObjCClass('CMAltimeter')
  NSOperationQueue = ObjCClass('NSOperationQueue')
  if not CMAltimeter.isRelativeAltitudeAvailable():
    print('This device has no barometer.')
    return
  altimeter = CMAltimeter.new()
  main_q = NSOperationQueue.mainQueue()
  altimeter.startRelativeAltitudeUpdatesToQueue_withHandler_(main_q, handler_block)
  try:
    while pressure is None:
      pass
  finally:
    altimeter.stopRelativeAltitudeUpdates()
    #print('Updates stopped.')
    return pressure.floatValue()*10

pressure = get_pressure()
print(pressure)

[cvp]

@mikeno I know this code but I'm new in Pyto and surely not (yet?) a specialist in ObjectiveC of Pyto.
I don't not yet know how to define an ObjcBlock in Pyto but I'll try.
But, obviously, I'll need some time

[cvp]

@mikeno Sorry, no idea how to define an ObjcBlock in rubicon (ObjectiveC in Pyto).
Hoping that @JonB will read this and be able to help, as usual.

# coding: utf-8
from rubicon.objc import *
from  ctypes import *

def handler(_cmd, _data, _error):
    print(ObjCInstance(_data))

handler_block = ObjCBlock(handler, None, [c_void_p, c_void_p, c_void_p])

def main():
    CMAltimeter = ObjCClass('CMAltimeter')
    NSOperationQueue = ObjCClass('NSOperationQueue')
    if not CMAltimeter.isRelativeAltitudeAvailable():
        print('This device has no barometer.')
        return
    altimeter = CMAltimeter.new()
    main_q = NSOperationQueue.mainQueue
    altimeter.startRelativeAltitudeUpdatesToQueue_withHandler_(main_q, handler_block)
    print('Started altitude updates.')
    try:
        while True:
            pass
    finally:
        altimeter.stopRelativeAltitudeUpdates()
        print('Updates stopped.')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Gives

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "iCloud/barometer.py", line 8, in <module>
    handler_block = ObjCBlock(handler, None, [c_void_p, c_void_p, c_void_p])
  File "Pyto.app/Lib/rubicon/objc/api.py", line 1834, in __init__
    self.struct = cast(self.pointer, POINTER(ObjCBlockStruct))
  File "Pyto.app/site-packages/python3.10/ctypes/__init__.py", line 510, in cast
    return _cast(obj, obj, typ)
ctypes.ArgumentError: argument 1: <class 'TypeError'>: wrong type