Applescripts & automation tasks: Pages '09 + PDFs

Question

I've been searching for an answer to this for quite some time. I've searched discussions and everything on all these mac forum websites...
Hopefully someone that has knowledge with automator or scripts or command line will have an answer for me...
I have an 80-some odd page pdf that contains a conflation of several organic chemistry lectures that were important throughout the semester. Due to the fact that I am a student, poor as can be, I cannot spend my money on Adobe acrobat (unless someone has $150-200 they would like to send me). If you've been in my situation before, _*you know don't have the time*_ to sit at your computer and copy, PAGE BY PAGE, the thumbnails in Preview.app into the said Pages.app or Word.app document (or .jpeg, png, etc...). I plan on using the 80-some page lecture (already in pdf form) as a background for each succeeding document page either in Pages.app or Word.app. This will make it extremely easy for me to free-write, annotate and make links within the document as I please.
Yes, I do realize that it is entirely possible to do some of these annotations in Preview.app but I assure you, this would be a lot easier to present or review if I could add these pdf pages as backgrounds in a pages/word.app document. I do not have the original powerpoints these came from.
(Oh, I apologize if I sound redundant; I'm just trying to articulate my issue by the best means possible to avoid confusion... even though - I'm sure I did)

Answer 1

I tested pdfsam-2.0.0 under 10.6.3.
The app evolved to version 2.2.0 but this version is not online at this time and only the very old 1.2.0 is reachable.
So I uploaded temporarily version 2.0 on my iDisk :
<http://public.me.com/koenigyvan>
Download :
pdfsam-2.0.0.app.dmg.zip
Under 10.5, look at :
http://gephi.org/users/install-java-6-mac-os-x-leopard/
to learn how to activate the required java 6 (but it would perhaps be easier to use the PDFLab app)
This app did its job flawlessly.
For me, the boring point was to understand the way to use the tool.
So, now that I was able to do, I will try to explain.
Of course,
step 1 : print or export the Pages document in a PDF file.
step 2 : create a folder in which will be stored the splitted pages.
step 3 : run pdfsam
step 4 : click the 'button' split
step 5 : click the button Add
navigate to the PDF file to split
step 6 : click the buttons _Choose a folder_ and Browse
navigate to the destination folder
step 7 : click the button Run
Let's do it .
When the task is finished, use this script :
--[SCRIPT pdfs2Pages]
Enregistrer le script en tant que Script : pdfs2Pages.scpt
déplacer le fichier ainsi créé dans le dossier
<VolumeDeDémarrage>:Users:<votreCompte>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Il vous faudra peut-être créer le dossier Numbers et peut-être même le dossier Applications.
menu Scripts > Numbers > pdfs2Pages
Naviguer jusqu'au dossier contenant les pages PDFs à insérer.
Il est également possible d'enregistrer le script sous forme de Progiciel (Application sous 10.6).
Dans ce cas il peut être activé par un double clic ou par glisser-déposé d'un dossier sur son icône.
--=====
L'aide du Finder explique:
L'Utilitaire AppleScript permet d'activer le Menu des scripts :
Ouvrez l'Utilitaire AppleScript situé dans le dossier Applications/AppleScript.
Cochez la case "Afficher le menu des scripts dans la barre de menus".
--=====
Save the script as a Script: pdfs2Pages.scpt
Move the newly created file into the folder:
<startup Volume>:Users:<yourAccount>:Library:Scripts:Applications:Numbers:
Maybe you would have to create the folder Numbers and even the folder Applications by yourself.
menu Scripts > Numbers > pdfs2Pages
Navigate to the folder containing the PDFs pages to insert.
Alternatively, the script may be saved as an Application package (Application under 10.6).
In this case, it may be triggered by double click on by drag & drop of a folder on its icon.
--=====
The Finder's Help explains:
To make the Script menu appear:
Open the AppleScript utility located in Applications/AppleScript.
Select the "Show Script Menu in menu bar" checkbox.
--=====
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France)
2010/04/19
--=====
on run
set dossier to choose folder "Choose a folder containing PDFs files"
my main(dossier)
end run
--=====
on open sel
my main(item 1 of sel as alias)
end open
--=====
on main(theFolder)
my activateGUIscripting()
set pagesDoc to my makeAnIworkDoc("Pages")
tell application "Finder"
open folder theFolder
set ref1 to a reference to window 1
tell ref1
set lesIcones to get items
repeat with i from 1 to count of lesIcones
if my getTypeId((item i of lesIcones) as alias) is "com.adobe.pdf" then
select item i of lesIcones
my copyPaste2Pages(pagesDoc)
end if
end repeat
end tell
end tell
end main
--=====
on copyPaste2Pages(d)
my shortcut("Finder", "c", "c") (* Copy *)
my shortcut("Pages", "v", "c") (* Paste *)
tell application "Pages" to tell document d to insert page break of body text
end copyPaste2Pages
--=====
on getTypeId(f)
set t_id to type identifier of (info for f)
return t_id
end getTypeId
--=====
Creates a new iWork document from the Blank template and returns its name.
example:
set myNewDoc to my makeAnIworkDoc(theApp)
on makeAnIworkDoc(theApp)
local t, n
if theApp is "Pages" then
set t to ((path to applications folder as text) & "iWork '09:Pages.app:Contents:Resources:Templates:Blank.template:") as alias
else if theApp is "Numbers" then
set t to ((path to applications folder as text) & "iWork '09:Numbers.app:Contents:Resources:Templates:Blank.nmbtemplate:") as alias
else
if my parleAnglais(theApp) then
error "The application “" & a & "“ is not accepted !"
else
error "l’application « " & a & " » n’est pas gérée !"
end if
end if
tell application theApp
set n to count of documents
open t
repeat
if (count of documents) > n then
exit repeat
else
delay 0.1
end if
end repeat
set n to name of document 1
end tell -- theApp
return n
end makeAnIworkDoc
--=====
on activateGUIscripting()
tell application "System Events"
if not (UI elements enabled) then set (UI elements enabled) to true (* to be sure than GUI scripting will be active *)
end tell
end activateGUIscripting
--=====
==== Uses GUIscripting ====
This handler may be used to 'type' text, invisible characters if the third parameter is an empty string.
It may be used to 'type' keyboard shortcuts if the third parameter describe the required modifier keys.
on shortcut(a, t, d)
local k
tell application a to activate
tell application "System Events" to tell application process a
set frontmost to true
try
t * 1
if d is "" then
key code t
else if d is "c" then
key code t using {command down}
else if d is "a" then
key code t using {option down}
else if d is "k" then
key code t using {control down}
else if d is "s" then
key code t using {shift down}
else if d is in {"ac", "ca"} then
key code t using {command down, option down}
else if d is in {"as", "sa"} then
key code t using {shift down, option down}
else if d is in {"sc", "cs"} then
key code t using {command down, shift down}
else if d is in {"kc", "ck"} then
key code t using {command down, control down}
else if d is in {"ks", "sk"} then
key code t using {shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "k" then
key code t using {command down, shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "a" then
key code t using {command down, shift down, option down}
end if
on error
repeat with k in t
if d is "" then
keystroke (k as text)
else if d is "c" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down}
else if d is "a" then
keystroke k using {option down}
else if d is "k" then
keystroke (k as text) using {control down}
else if d is "s" then
keystroke k using {shift down}
else if d is in {"ac", "ca"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, option down}
else if d is in {"as", "sa"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {shift down, option down}
else if d is in {"sc", "cs"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down}
else if d is in {"kc", "ck"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, control down}
else if d is in {"ks", "sk"} then
keystroke (k as text) using {shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "k" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down, control down}
else if (d contains "c") and (d contains "s") and d contains "a" then
keystroke (k as text) using {command down, shift down, option down}
end if
end repeat
end try
end tell
end shortcut
--=====
--[/SCRIPT]
As with most of my scripts, explanations are given at the beginning in French then in English.
Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) lundi 19 avril 2010 15:45:58