Call w/Skype (like QS)

[adman635]

I was just about to go gripe on the other boards about how I couldn't interact with Skype via the services bar like I used to be able to in QS (I'm a 100% LB convert from QS, it's vastly superior in performance, style, and reliability - plus i love how it looks with Leopard - awesome out of the box. I'll stop).

Anyway, by using this search template:
x-launchbar:perform-service?name=Skype/Call&string=*

And naming it "Call" - I simply invoke the call search string and it calls that number via Skype. Amazing useful.

Hope this helps others as well.

[Dennis]

I hadn't considered using the Skype->Call option from the Services menu via LaunchBar - pretty cool. Instead, I've been using a variation of the AppleScript provided in the LaunchBar help (search for "Dialing Phone Numbers" in LaunchBar Help window), which allows you to dial phone numbers from Address Book with Skype by simply hitting return (note that you must also turn on that preference).

Also, if you find yourself using Skype a lot, I wrote a collection of AppleScripts to control Skype from LaunchBar, allowing you to mute calls, put calls on hold, and hang up calls without bringing Skype to the front.

You can download my scripts here:

http://homepage.mac.com/dennisrande/FileSharing41.html

-Dennis

[adman635]

Nice, I'll look into those scripts.

I love using Skype via the built-in scripts and Address Book. But there's always times when I'm online and need to just call a number on a website (No Skype plug-ins for Firefox for Mac like on XP unfortunately). For this the built-in functionality isn't useful at all.

Just grabbed your scripts though, will play with them. I especially like the idea of hanging up calls w/o that window. I hate having to find it to click that little red button.

[Dennis]

But there's always times when I'm online and need to just call a number on a website (No Skype plug-ins for Firefox for Mac like on XP unfortunately). For this the built-in functionality isn't useful at all.

So, do you select a phone number in some other app (e.g. Firefox or Text Edit) and then invoke the Skype Call service from LaunchBar and it dials successfully?

When I invoke the Call service from LaunchBar on my system, it doesn't dial the selected number. Instead, I get an input field where I have to paste the phone number. And I can do the same thing with the "Dial with Skype" AppleScript from LaunchBar Help. Just bring up the script on the bar and hit the spacebar.

I thought I used to be able to send a selected phone number to LaunchBar with Instant Send and then pass it to the "Dial with Skype", but now whenever I do an Instant Send on a phone number with dashes in it (e.g. 123-456-7890), it gets interpreted as a mathematic equation and gets sent to the calculator.

Just grabbed your scripts though, will play with them. I especially like the idea of hanging up calls w/o that window. I hate having to find it to click that little red button.

He he, yeah, that's exactly why I wrote it. Hope it works well for you.

-Dennis

[markn]

Hi Dennis -

GREAT scripts - very helpful.

What I really need is one more script that will answer an incoming call without having to bring Skype to the front. I'm not skilled enough at the Skype API to do this myself - could you contact me offline and I'd like to see about making an arrangement with you to create this.

THanks,

Mark

[Dennis]

At markn's request, I've added two new scripts to my LaunchBar-Skype Scripts: Answer Skype Call and Decline Skype Call. The complete collection now includes:

1. Answer Skype Call
2. Decline Skype Call
3. Hang Up Skype Call
4. Hold Skype Call
5. Resume Skype Call
6. Skype Mute Off
7. Skype Mute On
8. Toggle Skype Mute

You can download the LaunchBar-Skype Scripts collection (along with a variety of other scripts) at:

http://homepage.mac.com/dennisrande/FileSharing41.html

I hope you find them useful. And, as always, please let me know if you run into problems or have any suggestions.

-Dennis

[sjk]

How much does it cost to call landlines from Skype?

That's probably best answered by checking rates directly on Skype's web site, where you can also find other support if necessary.

[ape]

I'd love to be able to download these scripts, but the URL given above seems to not exist any longer. Are the scripts available from anywhere else?

Thanks.

[brenno]

I would also like to use these scripts. If anyone has them, it would be immensely appreciated if they could post here.

Thx - brenno

[vikfantom]

hi, I am a new user to LaunchBar, I was just wondering how can u make a custom search on LaunchBar? Can some one give me a step by step guide? thanks so much in advance.

[manfred]

What do you exactly mean by »custom search on LaunchBar«?

[ptujec]

I'm using this script … but the new skype version behaves a bit stupid … so you first have to confirm before its actually calling … and this popup isn't even activated

Code: Select all

on handle_string(s)
   tell application "System Events"
      if process "Skype" exists then
         set okflag to true --iTunes is running
      else
         set okflag to false
      end if
   end tell
   
   if okflag is true then
      tell application "Skype"
         get URL "skype:" & s & "?call"
         activate
      end tell
      
   else
      my growlRegister()
      growlNotify("Skype Call", "Starting Skype … \n Try again after Skype startup sound!", 0)
      
      tell application "Skype" to launch
      
   end if
end handle_string

on growlRegister()
   tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
      register as application "Skype Call" all notifications {"Alert"} default notifications {"Alert"} icon of application "Skype"
   end tell
end growlRegister

on growlNotify(grrTitle, grrDescription, grrPriority)
   tell application "GrowlHelperApp"
      notify with name "Alert" title grrTitle description grrDescription priority grrPriority application name "Skype Call"
   end tell
end growlNotify

[manfred]

Dennis was so kind to provide me his scripts. He wrote them back in 2008 but it seems that they still work fine.

The package contains the following scripts:

• Answer Skype Call
• Decline Skype Call
• Hang Up Skype Call
• Hold Skype Call
• Resume Skype Call
• Set Away Skype Status
• Set Do Not Disturb Skype Status
• Set Invisible Skype Status
• Set Not Available Skype Status
• Set Offline Skype Status
• Set Online Skype Status
• Set Skype Status
• Skype Mute Off
• Skype Mute On
• Toggle Skype Mute

[devananda]

I usually don't post on forums (does that make me a leecher?) but I want to say thanks for these apple scripts. I didn't even know where to put them so I just wanted to say after you unzip the file move them all to :user/library/application support/launchbar/actions/

then drag the unzipped folder into the /actions/folder/

Thanks for putting the .zip file here.

sincerely,

-D

[devananda]

Are these skype scritps still working for anyone?

They don't seem to work on latest version of mavericks and launchbar 6.1.3





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