Summarize Articles Using Automator

DEVONthink Automation
1

I would like to be able to use the ‘Services/Summarize’ feature of OS X to summarize long articles stored in DTP. I would like to do so, by using Automator to look for the group, or by selecting articles from a search. My challenge is - I do not find a “summarize” action in DTP actions for Automator, or in any of the Apple Applications, ‘Finder,’ or 'System actions.

My objective is to summarize articles; convert the text to audio and then save the audio files to iTunes and have iTunes automatically transfer the files to my iPod. [Apples ‘Summarize’ feature is very cool (and accurate) and using Cepstral voices, it is very understandable as an audio file!]

I am a novice with Automator but have successfully created an Automator workflow that finds a group in DTP, reads a [full] article and converts the text to speech and saves it to iTunes. I just can’t create the ‘summary’ of the article before the text to speech conversion.

Can anyone help?

2

Someone could write an Apple Script to do at least part of what you need.

Have you looked at automator world or macscripter.net?

If I knew Apple Script, I’d be happy to try. Alas, I do not.

Your workflow sounds neat (pun intended).

For example, an apple script might capture text to the clipboard, launch summary services from the services menu and then hand off the result to your workflow.

Alternatively, an applescript could capture the text, launch summary services and create a new file in a specific DTP group, which could be acted upon by your workflow.

Good luck.

3

You can create an AppleScript action with the following code:


on run {input, parameters}
	
	set theSummary to summarize input in 10
	
	return theSummary
end run

Here ‘10’ designates the number of lines you want for your summary.

4

Thanks to both who replied. Sadly, I do not know how to use scripts. Can the script be used directly in Automator? Or does it need to somehow be converted, for use in Automator.

5

Yes you have to drag an AppleScript action (from the Automator application) into your workflow and paste the code there exactly as shown.

6

Thanks again for the help. The AppleScript did exactly what I was looking for :smiley: