AppleScript: move cursor (up/down arrow) – with repeat loop

Question

I’m trying to write an AppleScript to insert ["some text"] above ["found text"].

Here is what I wrote:

tell application "BBEdit"
   activate
   find "====" searching in text 1 of text document 1 with selecting match
   key code 126 # Up Arrow
   key code 126 # Up Arrow
   keystroke "<tabhere>"
   key code 125 # Down Arrow
   key code 125 # Down Arrow
   key code 125 # Down Arrow
end tell

I get the following error, with the first instance of "code" highlighted:

"Expected end of line, etc. but found identifier"

Following suggestion by @red_menace, I amended as follows:

tell application "BBEdit"  
    activate  
    find "====" searching in text 1 of text document 1 with selecting match  
    tell application "System Events"  
        key code 126 # Up Arrow  
        key code 126 # Up Arrow  
        keystroke "<tabhere>"  
        key code 125 # Down Arrow  
        key code 125 # Down Arrow  
        key code 125 # Down Arrow  
    end tell  
end tell

… which works, but of course only once.

Now how can I get this into a repeat loop that runs until the end of the document? The following attempt runs amok (it caused my computer to cycle wildly through all open windows in all applications and I had to fore quit):

tell application "BBEdit"
    activate
    repeat
        find "====" searching in text 1 of text document 1 with selecting match
        set findClass to find "====" searching in text 1 of text document 1 with selecting match
        if not found of findClass then exit repeat
        tell application "System Events"
            key code 126 # Up Arrow
            key code 126 # Up Arrow
            key code 48 # Tab
            key code 125 # Down Arrow
            key code 125 # Down Arrow
            key code 125 # Down Arrow
        end tell
    end repeat
end tell

Thanks for any further help.

key code is a System Events command.

red_menace
– red_menace

2022-06-14 18:24:47 +00:00
Commented Jun 14, 2022 at 18:24 — red_menace
– red_menace, Commented Jun 14, 2022 at 18:24

Chino22 · Accepted Answer · 2022-06-15 12:40:02Z

0

BBedit can replace text without keystrokes

tell application "BBEdit"
   tell front document
      replace "===" using "---" & return & "===" options {wrap around:true}
   end tell
end tell

answered Jun 15, 2022 at 12:40

Chino22

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1 Comment

user13569721 Over a year ago

Thx 4 this. Can BBEdit also directly accept arrow keys? For what I need is not to replace the found "====", but to insert a tab two lines above "====", leaving the line directly above in place.

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