How to check in AppleScript if an app is running, without launching it - via osascript utility

Question

Consider the following AppleScript:

on is_running(appName)
    tell application \"System Events\" to (name of processes) contains appName
end is_running

set         


        

Answer 1

tell application "Finder"
    set applicationsnames to get the name of every process whose visible is true
end tell

set appName to "Safari"

if applicationsnames does not contain appName then
    say (appName & " is not running")
    --add here what you want to happen

end if
return applicationsnames

This is returning {"Finder", "JavaAppLauncher", "firefox", "Microsoft Word", "iTunes", "AppleScript Editor"} for me

Hope this helps