This is a collection of bash scripts, an AppleScript, and PHP code which will automatically publish the currently playing iTunes track to your web server. The end result is a web element such as this:

This is a modification of Siftah’s code, which is in turn an adaptation of Nevyn’s AppleScript. I found that several changes to Siftah’s code were necessary. The main improvements are as follows:

• The AppleScript is executed by calling "/usr/bin/osascript", which attempts to communicate with the Window Server. If the user isn't logged in, this generates the following (harmless) error message:

  /usr/bin/osascript: kCGErrorRangeCheck : Window Server communications from \
  	outside of session allowed for root and console user only
  

  In order to prevent the console filling up with these error messages, the script checks that a user is logged in and running iTunes before attempting to execute the AppleScript. This has the advantage of speeding up the execution of the script - checking for iTunes via a bash script is significantly faster than processing an AppleScript.
• The AppleScript now pre-processes track data so that quotation marks and other confusing (or potentially dangerous) characters are rendered safe before being returned to bash.
• Uploading of the data to the server has been made more intelligent. First, a local copy of the data is examined to check that the track information has changed. Only if there is a difference is the data uploaded. If the local host is also the server, then uploading is done simply by moving the file. If the local host is on the same LAN as the server then uploading is handled locally. Only as a last resort is the data transferred via the WAN.
• The PHP script now correctly converts the track data into HTML code. In particular, symbols such as &, á, è, etc. are transcribed into HTML (in fact all troublesome UTF-8 characters are converted). This is achieved via Prolifique’s conversion routines.
• Long track names etc. are truncated by the PHP script.

The code comes in five files:

• net.homeip.kasprzyk.checkitunes.plist - This LaunchAgents plist will load when a user logs in and call CheckiTunes every three minutes to see whether the track has changed.
• CheckiTunes - This is the main bash script which should be executed periodically on each local machine.
• UploadiTunesTrack.scpt - This is the AppleScript which, assuming that iTunes is running, is called by CheckiTunes. It obtains the track data from iTunes.
• UploadiTunesTrack - The track data is passed from the AppleScript to this bash script, which handles uploading to the web server.
• UploadiTunesTrack.php - This is the PHP script which renders the final HTML code. It needs to be placed on the web server.

For the sake of example we will assume that the three files "CheckiTunes", "UploadiTunesTrack.scpt", and "UploadiTunesTrack" are stored locally on each machine in the folder "/path/to/scripts/", that the web server is known on the LAN as "Web-Server.local" and is accessible via the WAN at "www.mywebserver.com", and that the PHP script resides on the web server in the folder "/path/to/phpscript/".

First make the LaunchAgents plist file. This will tell the local machine to run "CheckiTunes" every three minutes whilst a user is logged in. Use your favourite text editor in the Terminal (vi, pico, etc.) and save the file on the local machine as "/Library/LaunchAgents/net.homeip.kasprzyk.checkitunes.plist" (note that you will need to use "sudo" to create and edit the plist file).

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
        <key>Label</key>
        <string>net.homeip.kasprzyk.checkitunes</string>
        <key>Program</key>
        <string>/path/to/scripts/CheckiTunes</string>
        <key>StartInterval</key>
        <integer>180</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

#!/bin/bash

# Check whether a user is logged in
LOGGEDIN=`/bin/ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}' | fgrep -v root`
if [ "${LOGGEDIN}" != "" ]; then
    # Check whether the user is running iTunes
    if [ "`ps -x -u ${LOGGEDIN} | grep -v iTunesHelper.app | grep -c iTunes.app`" != "0" ]; then
        # If so, launch the AppleScript
        SCRIPT="/path/to/scripts/UploadiTunesTrack.scpt"
        /usr/bin/osascript "${SCRIPT}" &>/dev/null
    fi
fi

exit 0

Don't forget to "chmod +x" the script to make it executable.

Next we create the AppleScript. Simply paste the following code into the ScriptEditor and save it (on the local machine) as "UploadiTunesTrack.scpt" in "/path/to/scripts/".

tell application "System Events" to set doit to (exists process "iTunes")
tell application "iTunes" to set doit to doit and (player state is playing)
if doit then
    tell application "iTunes"
        set trk_arts to the artist of the current track
        set trk_name to the name of the current track
        set trk_albm to the album of the current track
    end tell
    set trk_desc to quoted form of (trk_name & "|" & trk_albm & "|" & trk_arts)
    set the_command to "/path/to/scripts/UploadiTunesTrack " & trk_desc
    do shell script the_command
end if

Now for the script which uploads the track information to the web server. Using your favourite text editor create the file "/path/to/scripts/UploadiTunesTrack":

#!/bin/bash

if [ "$1" != "" ]; then
    # Set the file paths
    LOGGEDIN=`/bin/ls -l /dev/console | awk '{print $3}' | fgrep -v root`
    if [ "$LOGGEDIN" == "" ]; then
        exit 0
    fi
    TEMPFILE="/tmp/${LOGGEDIN}_itunes_$$.txt"
    TRACKFILE="/tmp/.${LOGGEDIN}_itunes_track.txt"
    DESTFILE="/path/to/phpscript/${LOGGEDIN}_itunes_track.txt"
  
    # Save the new file and remove any "missing value"s
    TRACK=`echo "$1" | sed 's/missing value//g'`
    echo "$TRACK" > $TEMPFILE

    # Compare the new file with the old file -- is there anything to do?
    if [ -s $TRACKFILE ]; then
        cmp -s $TEMPFILE $TRACKFILE && (rm $TEMPFILE; exit 0)
    fi

    # The track has changed: replace the old file and update the webserver
    mv $TEMPFILE $TRACKFILE
    if [ "`hostname`" == "Web-Server.local" ]; then
        cp $TRACKFILE $DESTFILE
    else
        # We are not running on the web server: use ssh to upload the changes
        # Note that you'll need to have SSH Keys set up for this to work
        # First try using the local network, then try over the WAN
        scp -q $TRACKFILE name@Web-Server.local:$DESTFILE ||
            scp -q $TRACKFILE name@www.mywebserver.com:$DESTFILE
    fi
fi

exit 0

Once again you need to "chmod +x" the script to make it executable. Obviously you need to change "name@..." to the correct username for your web server. Public key authentication is required.

This is a good time to register your LaunchAgents plist file. In the Terminal, enter the command:

sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchAgents/net.homeip.kasprzyk.checkitunes.plist

Finally you need to install the PHP script "UploadiTunesTrack.php" on your web server, in the folder "/path/to/phpscript/". You can view the PHP code here. Of course, you should modify the appearance using your own css styles.

To display the iTunes track data on a web page, use the following code:

<?php require_once( "/path/to/phpscript/UploadiTunesTrack.php" ); ?>
...
<?php iTunesTrack( "username" ); ?>

where "username" is the name of the user whose iTunes data you wish to display. To ensure that all UTF-8 characters appear correctly, remember to include the <meta> tag:

<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />

at the start of your HTML code, immediately after the <head>.