Getting the bundle identifier of an OS X application in a shell script

Question

One option would be to use AppleScript:

$ osascript -e 'id of app "Finder"'
com.apple.finder

You could also do something like this:

$ bundle=$(mdfind -onlyin / kMDItemKind==Application | grep -i "/Finder.app$" | head -1)
$ defaults read "$bundle/Contents/Info" CFBundleIdentifier
com.apple.finder

Both of these are fairly slow (about 0.05-0.2s on my Air) though. Are there any faster or less hacky options?

Using defaults read seems like the right way to do it (or else querying LaunchServices via Obj-C) - why do you consider 0.1s slow? — Asmus, Oct 16 '11 at 22:15
I like the osascript solution. How many times a second do you need to run this though? — arya, Mar 06 '15 at 08:00

score 52 · Answer 1 · answered May 30 '13 at 22:25

52

How about reading the bundle identifier from the application's Info.plist file directly using PlistBuddy (8):

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print CFBundleIdentifier' /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist

answered May 30 '13 at 22:25

surryhill

521

Can I get the bundle identifier for a deleted app? – zyy Jan 18 '21 at 04:22
+1 Worked for AnyDesk. – RHaguiuda Jan 31 '22 at 12:05
defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleIdentifier does the same trick – DawnSong Mar 30 '22 at 04:34

score 37 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 19 '14 at 10:30

37

mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier -r SomeApp.app

answered Nov 19 '14 at 10:30

Sean

471
4
4

score 20 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 20 '18 at 07:33

20

Use lsappinfo

CC@~ $ lsappinfo info -only bundleid Finder
"CFBundleIdentifier"="com.apple.finder"

To get only the bundleid value, add | cut -d '"' -f4 to that command

CC@~ $ lsappinfo info -only bundleid Finder | cut -d '"' -f4
com.apple.finder

You don't have to handle your code with the path of that application, even the path changes.

As long as the application is started, you got an value.

Though it is not as fast as @surry's answer, but it's fast enough.

edited Nov 20 '18 at 07:33

Mureinik

4,024

answered Nov 24 '15 at 07:22

C.W.

388
4
5

1

I’m not the downvoter, but this does not work reliably for me (while the others methods do). It’s working with some apps but not all. – user137369 Jan 25 '17 at 01:10
@user137369 Could you please tell me what's that app? BTW, the app has to be launched to use lsappinfo – C.W. Jan 25 '17 at 17:25
7

lsappinfo only works on currently-running apps. – mh. Sep 05 '17 at 20:39
lsappinfo outputs only a blank line for my currently-running apps. – Devon May 06 '22 at 00:17

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 12 '13 at 10:43

1

Values of kMDItemKind depend on the current localization.

How about this?

mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier \
     -raw "$(mdfind "(kMDItemContentTypeTree=com.apple.application) && (kMDItemDisplayName == 'photoshop*'cdw)" | head -1)"

answered Feb 12 '13 at 10:43

elmimmo

111

Lri · Accepted Answer · 2013-02-12T14:29:34.410

If showing all filename extensions is enabled, kMDItemDisplayName contains .app for some applications but not others. This would also escape names that contain ', ", or \:

a="Consultant's Canary"; a="${a//\'/\'}.app"; a=${a//"/\\"}; a=${a//\\/\\\\}; mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier -raw "$(mdfind 'kMDItemContentType==com.apple.application-bundle&&kMDItemFSName=="'"$a"'"' | head -n1)"

Another option:

a=Finder; mdls -name kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier -raw "$(mdfind kMDItemContentType==com.apple.application-bundle | sed -E $'s|(.*/)(.*)|\\1\t\\2|' | grep -F $'\t'"$a".app -m1 | tr -d '\t')"

A single osascript command might also be faster:

osascript -e 'on run args
set output to {}
repeat with a in args
set end of output to id of app a
end
set text item delimiters to linefeed
output as text
end' Finder 'AppleScript Editor'

Getting the bundle identifier of an OS X application in a shell script

5 Answers5