Working with Functions and Macros

I was inspired to write this blog post after reading a thought-provoking point on Reddit:

"During all of those years, there has been one key feature [within Shortcuts] that I found missing and thought would come soon: Function. What's that? It's useless? You can already do it? Well, I disagree. I wish for it regularly, as well as elif and [and/or] in if blocks (which is finally coming)." — 0zzySheIIey on Reddit

The beauty of this complaint is that it’s already addressed—thanks to Jelly Language and the Jellycuts IDE.

Jelly Language is a powerful tool designed for developers looking to create more sophisticated shortcuts, beyond what’s typically available.

Jellycuts is a mobile-first IDE that empowers you to write these advanced shortcuts using code.

Take the example below: we’re creating a macro that triggers a countdown timer. With each passing second, a notification displays the remaining time—all achieved in under 20 lines of code (excluding comments).

We'll delve into why we call it a Macro instead of a function in an upcoming post. For now, enjoy exploring this newly added feature that simplifies writing functions within Apple Shortcuts.

import Shortcuts
#Color: red, #Icon: clock


macro countdown(count){

	// Print out a Countdown Using Notifications 
	macro printMsg(idx, msg){
	
		// Subtract total secs - current 
		math(input: count, operation: -, operand: idx) >> remaining
		
		// Create notification message
		var message = "${remaining} seconds"
		
		// Publish notification
		sendNotification(body: message, title: "Countdown", sound: false)
	}
   
   // Create a Loop
	repeat(count) {
		
		// Update countdown timer
		// RepeatIndex = Auto Index
		printMsg(RepeatIndex)
		
		// Wait
		wait(seconds: 1)
	}
}

// Start function
countdown(10)