Copy & Get Selection to Clipboard using JavaScript for Automation (JXA) [Ver 1.1.1]

Copy & Get Selection to Clipboard JXA.js

'use strict';

var app = Application.currentApplication()
app.includeStandardAdditions = true

var mySelection = copySelection("Safari", 1)
mySelection

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
function copySelection(pAppName, pTimeLimitSec) {
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/*  VER: 1.1.1     DATE: 2016-06-18

PARAMETERS:
  •  pAppName  : Name of App in which to copy selection
      • IF pAppName is invalid, script will stop with error msg
  • pTimeLimitSec    :  Max number of seconds to wait for App Copy to complete
                        • usually 2-3 sec is adequate
                        • If you are expecting a short text selection and
                          possibly no selection, then 1 sec should work
  
RETURNS:
  •  Items that were selected in the App (text, rich text, images, etc)
  • IF no selection was made, an empty string is returned
  
PURPOSE:    Copy Selection to Clipboard, & Return Value

AUTHOR:  JMichaelTX (in most forums)
           Find any bugs/issues or have suggestions for improvement?
           Contact me via PM or at blog.jmichaeltx.com/contact/
           
CHANGE LOG:

  1.1.1  2016-06-18    ADD Parameter for pTimeLimitSec
  1.1    2016-06-17    ADD timeout loop to wait for App to complete copy
  1.0    2016-06-17    First Release
  
REF:     https://github.com/dtinth/JXA-Cookbook/wiki/System-Events
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*/
  'use strict';
  
  
  //--- GET A REF TO CURRENT APP WITH STD ADDITONS ---
  var app = Application.currentApplication()
    app.includeStandardAdditions = true
  var seApp = Application('System Events')
  
  //--- Set the Clipboard so we can test for no selection ---
  app.setTheClipboardTo("[NONE]")
  
  //--- Activate the App to COPY the Selection ---
  try {
    var activeApp = Application(pAppName)
  }
  catch (e) {
    throw(new Error("Invalid Application Name: " + pAppName));
  }
  activeApp.activate()
  delay(0.2)  // adjust the delay as needed

  //--- Issue the COPY Command ---
  seApp.keystroke('c', { using: 'command down' }) // Press ⌘C 

  //--- LOOP UNTIL TIMEOUT TO PROVIDE TIME FOR APP TO COMPLETE COPY ---
  
  var startTime = new Date().getTime()  // number of milliseconds since 1970/01/01
  var timeLimitMs = pTimeLimitSec * 1000.0
  var clipContents = ""
  
  while ((new Date().getTime() - startTime) < timeLimitMs) {
  
    delay(0.2)  // adjust the delay as needed
    
    //--- Get the content on the Clipboard ---
    clipContents = app.theClipboard()
    //console.log(clipContents)
    
    if (clipContents !== "[NONE]") break;
  
  } // END WHILE waiting for copy to complete
  
  //--- Display Alert if NO Selection was Made ---
  if (clipContents === "[NONE]") {
    clipContents = ""
    var msgStr = "App: " + pAppName
  //  console.log(msgStr)
    app.displayNotification(
      msgStr, 
      {
        withTitle: ("Copy Selection"),
        subtitle:  "NO SELECTION was made!",
        soundName: "Glass.aiff"
      })
  }  // END IF (clipContents === "[NONE]")
  
  return clipContents

} // END function copySelection()
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update: Ver: 1.1.1 2016-06-18

ADD Parameter for pTimeLimitSec

function copySelection(pAppName, pTimeLimitSec)

• pTimeLimitSec : Max number of seconds to wait for App Copy to complete

• usually 2-3 sec is adequate
• If you are expecting a short text selection and possibly no selection, then 1 sec should work

If you are new to installing and/or using Mac scripts, or would like detailed instructions, see:

• How to Install AppleScripts or JXA Scripts

• AppleScript: Beginner's Tutorial

at MacOSXAutomation.com

This may also be of interest:
Understanding AppleScript Scripting Additions 

@JMichaelTX Thanks for your fantastic sharing! 👍