Applescript run code at specific time

Question

I tried different way to run a script on a specific schedule / time, I found Lingon quite handy, I also try using calendar but the result was very bad.

I wrote this :

repeat
    set myDate to date string of (current date)


    set myTime to time string of (current date)

    set myDateTime to myDate & " - " & myTime

    if myTime > "11:30:00" and myTime < "11:30:10" then
        display notification "demo - This is the time"
    end if
end repeat

which seems to work fine but obviously, generate a few notification. How can I run a script only once when this condition is found ?

I thought I can play with some delay but then I'm worried I would miss the time condition.

Answer 1

This is just a slightly more efficient re-hash of the existing answer...

set gIsThisTime to false

repeat until gIsThisTime is true
    delay 60
    set myTime to time string of (current date)
    if myTime > "1:15:00 pm" and myTime < "1:20:00 pm" then
        set gIsThisTime to true
    end if
end repeat

set myDate to date string of (current date)
set myDateTime to myDate & " - " & myTime
display notification "time = " & myDateTime

Notes:
leaving out am/pm means it will trigger on either am or pm, whichever it hits first
it doesn't work on 24-hour clock, so 13:15:00 will not trigger

Answer 2

REVISED SOLUTION:

The AppleScript code I used in my first solution used a repeat until theTime is greater than or equal to requested_time loop with a delay 10 command to keep checking the current time versus the requested time, every 10 seconds. Although running that code as a script or an application, did not use a huge amount of the System Resources... Saving the new following AppleScript code as a stay open application with an on run and on idle handler, in my opinion, had significantly less of an impact on the System Resources. Save this following AppleScript code as a stay open application.

This app, when run, will allow you to input your desired time, then choose a file or app to launch at that given time.

This AppleScript code works for me using the latest version of macOS Mojave.

global chosenApp
property theTime : missing value
property requested_time : missing value

on run
    set theTime to time string of (current date)
    activate
    set requested_time to text returned of (display dialog ¬
        "Please Enter Your Start Time With The Following Format: Hour:Minutes:Seconds" default answer theTime ¬
        buttons {"CANCEL", "OK"} default button "OK" cancel button "CANCEL" with title ¬
        "Choose App Launch Time")
    activate
    set chosenApp to choose file with prompt ¬
        "Choose The App Or File You Would Like To Run At Your Specified Time" without multiple selections allowed, invisibles and showing package contents
end run

on idle
    runAtSpecificTime()
    return 30 -- in seconds
end idle

on runAtSpecificTime()
    set theTime to time string of (current date)
    if theTime is greater than or equal to requested_time then
        tell application "Finder" to open chosenApp
        quit me
    end if
end runAtSpecificTime

on quit
    continue quit -- allows the script to quit
end quit

Answer 3

Ok I think I found it :

set isThisTime to false
repeat
    set myDate to date string of (current date)


    set myTime to time string of (current date)

    set myDateTime to myDate & " - " & myTime

    if myTime > "11:30:00" and myTime < "11:47:26" then
        set isThisTime to true
        exit repeat
    end if
end repeat

if isThisTime is true then
    display notification "in the time"
end if