macOS Workspace Automation 🚀

Automatically start and position your apps on macOS with a single click - perfect for dual monitor setups!

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🎯 Problem

Every morning, you manually:

• Open 5+ applications
• Drag each window to the correct position
• Resize them to the perfect size
• Waste 5-10 minutes doing the same repetitive task

There has to be a better way!

💡 Solution

A simple AppleScript that:

• ✅ Starts all your apps automatically
• ✅ Positions every window exactly where you want it
• ✅ Works with dual/triple monitor setups
• ✅ Requires zero additional software (native macOS only!)
• ✅ Takes 30 seconds to set up
• ✅ Saves you 30+ hours per year

✨ Features

• 🚀 One-Click Startup - Double-click to launch your entire workspace
• 🖥️ Perfect Positioning - Every window in its exact place, every time
• ⚙️ Easy Customization - Simple copy & paste to add new apps
• 💯 Zero Dependencies - Uses only built-in macOS features
• 🔒 Privacy-First - Everything runs locally, no cloud services
• 📝 Well Documented - Complete guide included (German & English)

🚀 Quick Start

📺 Video Tutorial Coming Soon! I'm creating a complete video walkthrough. Subscribe to the newsletter for updates!

1. Read Current Window Positions

1. Open Script Editor (Applications → Utilities → Script Editor)
2. Copy the content of scripts/read-window-positions.scpt
3. Paste and click Run ▶
4. Copy the output from the "Result" window

2. Create Your Workspace Script

1. Copy scripts/launch-workspace.scpt as a template
2. Replace the app names and positions with your values from step 1
3. Save as Application (File → Save, Format: "Application")
4. Done! Double-click to launch your workspace

3. Optional: Auto-Start on Login

1. System Preferences → General → Login Items
2. Click + and add your saved app
3. Your workspace now starts automatically at login!

📖 Documentation

• 🇬🇧 English Quick Guide - You are here
• 🇩🇪 Comprehensive German Documentation - Detailed step-by-step guide with examples

📁 Repository Structure

macos-workspace-automation/
├── README.md                          # Quick start guide (English)
├── DOCUMENTATION.md                   # Detailed guide (German)
├── scripts/
│   ├── read-window-positions.scpt     # Script to read current positions
│   └── launch-workspace.scpt          # Main workspace launcher script
├── examples/
│   └── example-workspace.scpt         # Example configuration
├── LICENSE                            # MIT License
└── .gitignore                         # Git ignore file

🛠️ How It Works

Step 1: Read Window Positions

The read-window-positions.scpt script scans all open windows and outputs:

App: Visual Studio Code (1 Window)
Window 1: My Project
  Position: x=0, y=23
  Size: 1920 x 1057

Step 2: Launch & Position

The launch-workspace.scpt script:

-- Start apps
tell application "Visual Studio Code" to activate
delay 1

-- Position windows
tell application "System Events"
    tell process "Electron"
        set position of window 1 to {0, 23}
        set size of window 1 to {1920, 1057}
    end tell
end tell

💻 Example Configuration

This example workspace includes:

• Visual Studio Code - Main editor on left monitor
• Browser (Comet) - Documentation on right monitor
• Notes - Top right for quick reference
• Docker Desktop - Bottom right for monitoring
• Finder - File browser on second monitor

Result: Perfect workspace in 3 seconds! ⚡

🔧 Customization

Adding a New App

1. Open the app and position it where you want it

2. Run read-window-positions.scpt

3. Find your app in the output:

   App: Activity Monitor (1 Window)
     Position: x=2100, y=800
     Size: 900 x 600
   

4. Add to your workspace script:

   tell application "Activity Monitor" to activate
   delay 0.5
   
   tell application "System Events"
       tell process "Activity Monitor"
           set position of window 1 to {2100, 800}
           set size of window 1 to {900, 600}
       end tell
   end tell

Important Notes

• Process names are often in English, even if your system language is German
  • German: "Aktivitätsanzeige" → Process: "Activity Monitor"
  • German: "Systemeinstellungen" → Process: "System Settings"
• Electron apps (VS Code, Slack, Discord, etc.) have the process name "Electron"
• Add longer delay for heavy apps (e.g., Docker Desktop needs 2 seconds)

🎓 Use Cases

Perfect for:

• 💻 Developers - Instant coding environment
• ⚡ Power Users - Maximum productivity
• 🎯 Content Creators - Organized creative workspace
• 🖥️ Dual Monitor Users - Perfect window management
• 🏢 Remote Workers - Consistent workspace anywhere
• 📊 Data Analysts - All tools in the right place

🌟 Why This Solution?

vs. Commercial Tools

Feature	This Script	Moom	Rectangle Pro	BetterSnapTool
Price	Free	$10	$10	$3
Customization	Unlimited	Limited	Limited	Limited
No Dependencies	✅	❌	❌	❌
Version Control	✅	❌	❌	❌
Learning Experience	✅	❌	❌	❌

Advantages

• ✅ 100% Free - No subscriptions or licenses
• ✅ Fully Customizable - Every detail under your control
• ✅ Educational - Learn AppleScript and automation
• ✅ Portable - Works on any Mac
• ✅ Transparent - You see exactly what happens
• ✅ Future-Proof - No dependency on third-party updates

🔒 Privacy & Security

• All processing is local - No data leaves your Mac
• No network access - Works completely offline
• Open source - Review the code yourself
• No tracking - Zero analytics or telemetry
• System Events permission required - Standard macOS accessibility feature

⚠️ Requirements

• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer
• Accessibility permission for Script Editor
  • System Preferences → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
  • Enable "Script Editor"

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• 🐛 Report bugs
• 💡 Suggest features
• 📝 Improve documentation
• 🔀 Submit pull requests

📝 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

👤 Author

Steven Noack

• GitHub: @MacStenk

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Inspired by the need for a simple, free workspace automation solution
• Built with native macOS technologies
• Thanks to the AppleScript community

📚 Further Reading

• AppleScript Language Guide
• System Events Scripting
• German Detailed Documentation

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Made with ❤️ for productivity enthusiasts

Star ⭐ this repo if it saved you time!