How do I launch Play-in-window from AppleScript

Question

I'd like automatically launch Keynote's "Play->Play slideshow in window" feature. There's no predefined shortcut. Can that be done from AppleScript? How? Thanks.

Answer 1

You can define custom keyboard shortcuts for pretty much erverything via System Preferences.

Open the "System Preferences" app ➔ "Keyboard" preferences ➔ "Shortcuts" pref pane ➔ App Shortcuts. Click the Plus (+) button.

Choose Keynote from the "Application:" list. Enter the name of the menu title, in this case "Play Slideshow in Window" exactly as it appears in the menu item (spaces, upper/lower case etc.). Enter a keyboard shortcut (Control-Option-Command-W in the screenshot below). Click the "Add" button.

Tadaaa! :) Custom keyboard shortcut in Keynote.

You can then automate this via AppleScript just like with "default" keyboard shortcuts, like so:

tell application "Keynote"
    activate
    tell application "System Events"
        keystroke "w" using {control down, option down, command down}
    end tell
end tell

(The keystroke in the script is corresponding to the example used above.)

Please remember that you have to allow the respective script editor/compiled script app to control the computer in the Accessibility settings pane in "Security & Privacy" ➔ "Privacy" settings so that the app can send keystrokes.