automating-notes

Automating Apple Notes (JXA-first, AppleScript discovery)

Relationship to the macOS automation skill

• Standalone for Notes; reuse automating-mac-apps for permissions, shell, and Objective-C/UI scripting patterns.
• PyXA Installation: To use PyXA examples in this skill, see the installation instructions in automating-mac-apps skill (PyXA Installation section).

Core framing

• Notes uses an AEOM hierarchy: Application → Accounts → Folders → Notes (with nested folders).
• Load: automating-notes/references/notes-basics.md for complete specifier reference.

Workflow (default)

1. Resolve account/folder explicitly (iCloud vs On My Mac); validate existence and permissions.
2. Ensure target path exists (create folders if needed); handle creation failures gracefully.
3. Create notes with explicit name and HTML body; verify creation success.
4. Query/update with .whose filters; batch delete/move as needed; check counts before/after operations.
5. For checklists/attachments, use clipboard/Objective-C scripting if dictionary support is insufficient; test fallbacks.
6. For meeting/people workflows, file notes under meetings/<company>/<date>-<meeting-title> and people/<first>-<last>/...; validate final structure.

Quickstart (ensure path + create)

JXA (Legacy):

const Notes = Application("Notes");

// Ensure folder path exists, creating intermediate folders as needed
function ensurePath(acc, path) {
  const parts = path.split("/").filter(Boolean);
  let container = acc;
  parts.forEach(seg => {
    let f; try {
      f = container.folders.byName(seg);
      f.name(); // Verify access
    } catch (e) {
      // Folder doesn't exist, create it
      f = Notes.Folder({ name: seg });
      container.folders.push(f);
    }
    container = f;
  });
  return container;
}

try {
  // Get iCloud account and ensure meeting folder exists
  const acc = Notes.accounts.byName("iCloud");
  const folder = ensurePath(acc, "meetings/Acme/2024-07-01-Review");

  // Create new note in the folder
  folder.notes.push(Notes.Note({
    name: "Client Review",
    body: "<h1>Client Review</h1><div>Agenda...</div>"
  }));
  console.log("Note created successfully");
} catch (e) {
  console.error("Failed to create note: " + e.message);
}