Text/Message on iMessage directly from Alfred

[gpmalone1]

Thanks for the info.  Appreciate it.

[pasteur]

Hey Nolan,

 

Great workflow! I use iMessages as work chat client, so your workflow is one of the most used ones.

 

One problem I have is that I cannot send messages to the users whose contact card has only jabber username. Such contacts are not found by your workflow. And if I add a phone number for such contacts, the workflow sends imessage directly (which, of course, is not delivered).

 

Is it possible somehow to send a message to the jabber contact (which is visible in iMessages app)?

[anaderi]

+1 for sending messages to my jabber contacts

[Hatticus24]

For some reason the workflow is sending messages as SMS rather than iMessages. If I send directly from Messages.app they send correctly. I've tried "imu" to rebuild my contacts, but still having problems. Contacts have their phone numbers saved as "mobile". 

 

Am on 10.10.2, Alfred v2.6 and the latest version of the workflow (as of Feb 17th) from github. Any ideas?

Edited February 17, 2015 by Hatticus24

[Hatticus24]

For some reason the workflow is sending messages as SMS rather than iMessages. If I send directly from Messages.app they send correctly. I've tried "imu" to rebuild my contacts, but still having problems. Contacts have their phone numbers saved as "mobile". 

 

Am on 10.10.2, Alfred v2.6 and the latest version of the workflow (as of Feb 17th) from github. Any ideas?

 

It seems to be something to do with having the country code at the beginning of the number? I've edited a contact to add +44 and it works as an iMessage (but seems a bit temperamental).

 

Also, the contacts then display differently - the one I've added +44 to shows the number, the others (starting 07xx) show the contact name - http://cl.ly/ZpAw

 

 

EDIT: think I've worked it out! If Messages.app is open, then it sends as an iMessage, if not, it sends as an SMS. When Messages is open I get the contact list as above, if it's not open, I don't see the phone number, just the name

Edited February 17, 2015 by Hatticus24

[forgetfulfellow]

It seems to be something to do with having the country code at the beginning of the number? I've edited a contact to add +44 and it works as an iMessage (but seems a bit temperamental).

 

Also, the contacts then display differently - the one I've added +44 to shows the number, the others (starting 07xx) show the contact name - http://cl.ly/ZpAw

 

 

EDIT: think I've worked it out! If Messages.app is open, then it sends as an iMessage, if not, it sends as an SMS. When Messages is open I get the contact list as above, if it's not open, I don't see the phone number, just the name

 

Hi Hatticus24,

 

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I'm intrigued as to your solution, and I was wondering what adding +44 does to a phone number? 

 

-Nolan

[RuslanI]

Also, the contacts then display differently - the one I've added +44 to shows the number, the others (starting 07xx) show the contact name - http://cl.ly/ZpAw

I was wondering the same thing.

It looks like if there is more than one mobile number assigned to a contact it will display the number it is going to use to send a message. And if there is only one mobile number, then it will display just the name. But in case of two or more mobile numbers, how the workflow decides which number to use i have no idea. 

[forgetfulfellow]

And if there is only one mobile number, then it will display just the name. 

 

This shouldn't be the behavior if messages is opened, it should display the number. Can you confirm once more?

Edited March 11, 2015 by forgetfulfellow

[Hatticus24]

Hi Hatticus24,

 

Sorry for taking so long to reply! I'm intrigued as to your solution, and I was wondering what adding +44 does to a phone number? 

 

-Nolan

+44 is the country code for the UK (and it replaces the first 0 in the phone number).

 

Any thoughts on messages not sending as iMessage?

[forgetfulfellow]

+44 is the country code for the UK (and it replaces the first 0 in the phone number).

 

Any thoughts on messages not sending as iMessage?

 

After a quick google, it seems that the internet has found out how to specifically send SMS's using applescript. 

 

http://www.tenshu.net/2015/02/send-imessage-and-sms-with-applescript.html

 

However, I still need to search for a way to actually label phone numbers as "iMessage" or "SMS" numbers

[Hatticus24]

After a quick google, it seems that the internet has found out how to specifically send SMS's using applescript. 

 

http://www.tenshu.net/2015/02/send-imessage-and-sms-with-applescript.html

 

However, I still need to search for a way to actually label phone numbers as "iMessage" or "SMS" numbers

Ah OK. Ideally I want it to default to trying iMessage first (as most people I know use it), but revert to SMS if not. I just sent another test message to my wife, and it sent as SMS, not iMessage, even though anything I send via Messages.app sends as iMessage.

[forgetfulfellow]

Ah OK. Ideally I want it to default to trying iMessage first (as most people I know use it), but revert to SMS if not. I just sent another test message to my wife, and it sent as SMS, not iMessage, even though anything I send via Messages.app sends as iMessage.

 

So you're saying that after you added the +44, your messages always default to 'SMS'? My workflow (I believe) should always default to iMessage unless under very specific circumstances (the switchover to SMS is primarily handled by the Messages app which I don't fully understand).

[Hatticus24]

So you're saying that after you added the +44, your messages always default to 'SMS'? My workflow (I believe) should always default to iMessage unless under very specific circumstances (the switchover to SMS is primarily handled by the Messages app which I don't fully understand).

Seems to be the opposite - by adding +44 it sends as iMessage, without it, it sends as SMS.

 

Also, I've just noticed that if Messages.app is not open, it will now not even pick up my contacts - just hangs on 'searching'.

 

Could the latest OS X security update have affected things? That's pretty much all I can think that has changed

[RuslanI]

This shouldn't be the behavior if messages is opened, it should display the number. Can you confirm once more?

 

OK, by trial and error, these are my findings:

 

1. iMessage closed (as in not running in the background) then the workflow displays as follows:

 

2. iMessage is open (window closed but the app runs in the background as denoted by a dot underneath the icon):

 

Also I found this strange behaviour

1. When I type first three letters of the last name i get this:

 

2. When i type four letters of the last name i get this:

 

As you can see when i type three letters of the last name i get absolutely irrelevant results. When i type four letters of the last name then the first line is correct but why does it show other contacts? 

 

The other workflows that involve actions on the contacts display proper contacts upon entering first two letters, so i think there is something in this workflow that does that. 

[RuslanI]

Another thing i just noticed:

 

(iMessage is open and running in the background)

 

i type this:

 

 

The number that is suggested is wrong. I opened the Contacts app and checked, it is listed as home number and the  mobile number is different. After that i started the workflow again and get this:

 

 

Now the number suggested is correct, the mobile number. 

 

This happened to several contacts i tried. The workflow would suggest non-mobile number but once i check the contact in the Contacts app and call the workflow for the second time, it would suggest correct number, which is mobile. 

[RuslanI]

Ah OK. Ideally I want it to default to trying iMessage first (as most people I know use it), but revert to SMS if not. I just sent another test message to my wife, and it sent as SMS, not iMessage, even though anything I send via Messages.app sends as iMessage.

As far as i know, iMessage first would try to send your text as iMessage anyhow and only if the number is not registered with Apple or if it is but would not "ping" then it sends the text as regular sms. 

[boysbytes]

Hi,

 

Is it normal for the workflow to take a long time to search for a name?

 

In Alfred, I type "im", a space, and then the name of my contact. It takes more than 20 seconds before Alfred shows a list of matching names.

 

When I installed this workflow, I ran "imu". I also checked the text file, and it contains the names and the phone numbers of my contacts.

 

I hope there's something I missed because this workflow could be really useful for me.

 

Thanks!

 

Louis

[gfarrar]

Hi,

 

Thanks for your work on this.

 

I've got the workflow installed... I ran the imu keyword and got the 'failed check forum for errors message'

I ran the checkforcommas keyword and found a contact with a comma that i removed

I ran imu again and get the same message.

 

I tracked down the python scrip that imu runs and tried it from the terminal.. The error it spits out there is:

 

python UpdateiMessageContacts.py

AllContactsAndAllNumbers.scpt:1515:1545: execution error: item 2 of {{}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, {}, {}, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, missing value, missing value, missing value, missing value, {}, {}, {}} doesn’t understand the “count” message. (-1708)

Contacts Update Failed. Please check forum post for possible reason(s)

 

I tried deleting and reinstalling the workflow - thought maybe a temp file got generated with the contacts with commas in it that needed to be cleared out.

 

I'm stuck there, any suggestions on what to try next?

 

Thanks again,

Graham

[rajeshksv37]

If message contains & , I am not able to send the message to the contact. Its a problem when I am sending web links.

 

The moment I type & the down bar says

 

"Search Google for '&'"

 

instead of

 

"To <<Contact>> : " 

 

Please fix.

[rajeshksv37]

Contact search is not accurate. I have to type whole name sometimes to get exact match.

 

Say I am searching for a name starting with "sunee". When I type s, it gives names starting with s. Works good till now. When I type su, it gives names starting with other alphabets as well (lot of unneeded values). This continues till I type all letters. Lot of spam will be there. Only after typing all letters "sunee", it gives correct name.

 

Please improve the searching. Instead if we search just using prefix search, it would be soo much better.

[gustebeast]

On the el capitan beta the reply to latest message feature always sends messages to one of my group chats (even if I haven't sent anything to it in a long time). Is there any information I could provide to get this issue fixed?

[forgetfulfellow]

On the el capitan beta the reply to latest message feature always sends messages to one of my group chats (even if I haven't sent anything to it in a long time). Is there any information I could provide to get this issue fixed?

 

Actually, David Ferguson wrote this portion of the workflow, and I don't believe I'll be installing the el capitan beta. I guess this is a long ways to say that I don't believe this will get fixed unless another workflow adds this functionality.

[gustebeast]

Do you have any idea why it might break? Perhaps it might be something simple I could fix myself.

[forgetfulfellow]

Do you have any idea why it might break? Perhaps it might be something simple I could fix myself.

 

The Applescript seems pretty straightforward, I really don't know how El Capitan could mess things up (although it did) :\

[gustebeast]

Well it is also possible that something unrelated happened to cause the issue. No guarantee yet that el capitan is causing the problem. Is there any way I could check?