1# get_live_text
2
3This tool uses Apple’s [Live Text feature](https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/preview/prvw625a5b2c/mac) to get text from an image on the command line.
4This gives you a way to OCR images programatically without installing any extra software.
5
6```console
7$ get_live_text "railway_sign.jpg"
8```
9
10This is the same as if you'd copy/pasted the text from the image using the Preview app, but now you can do so programatically and in bulk.
11
12<img src="railway_sign.jpg" alt="A picture of a railway sign with the text highlighted, and a popover menu offering several options: ‘Look up “Passengers must not pass this point or cross the line”’, ‘Translate “Passengers must not pass this point or cross the line”’, Search with Google, Copy, or Share.">
13
14## Motivation
15
16My priority is convenience, not absolute accuracy.
17
18I've had issues installing third-party OCR tools in the past, whereas Live Text is built into macOS.
19It's pretty quick for me to get this up and running on a new machine.
20
21There may be other frameworks which provide more accurate transcription of text, but Live Text is good enough for my purposes.
22Currently I have two use cases for this script:
23
24*   Transcribing screenshots from my ebook reader, to add to my notes app.
25    I go through and edit those transcripts, so I can fix any mistakes it’s made.
26*   Creating search indexes of scanned images, where a little bit of inaccuracy is fine, as long as it's good enough for me to find the right image.
27
28## Installation
29
30### Install from source
31
321.  Install the Xcode Command Line Tools
332.  Download the `get_live_text.swift` script from this repo
343.  Compile the script into a binary:
35
36    ```console
37    $ swiftc get_live_text.swift
38    ```
39
404.  Copy the compiled binary `get_live_text` to somewhere in your PATH.
41
42### Install a compiled binary
43
441.  Find the latest [GitHub release](https://github.com/alexwlchan/get_live_text/releases)
452.  Download the zip file which is appropriate for your system (Intel = `x86_64`, Apple Silion = `aarch64`)
463.  Open the zip file, and add the `get_live_text` app to your PATH
47
48The app is just a compiled version of the Swift script.
49It isn't notarised, so when you run it, you may get a warning that this app is from an unidentified developer.
50You can get around this by right-clicking the app icon in Finder, and choosing `Open` from the shortcut menu.
51
52## Usage
53
54Run the script passing one arguments: the path to the image you want to OCR.
55
56```console
57$ get_live_text "railway_sign.jpg"
58```