While working on a Rails project I always have at least 4 different Terminal tabs that I use for

1. spork server
2. autospec
3. ./script/server
4. command line stuff (generators and general shell commands)

Setting up the tabs all the time is kind of a boring and repetitive task. This truly deserved some automation and it was the perfect excuse for writing my first AppleScript.

After some googling around I came up with this bash/AppleScript to do these tasks for me (and also open up TextMate):

#!/bin/bash

if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
    PATHDIR=`pwd`
else
    PATHDIR=$1
fi

/usr/bin/osascript <<EOF
on new_terminal_tab()
	tell application "System Events" to tell process "Terminal" \
        to keystroke "t" using command down
end new_terminal_tab

set actions to {"spork rspec", "autospec", "./script/server"}

tell application "Terminal"
	do script with command "cd $PATHDIR && mate . && clear" \
	in selected tab of the front window
	repeat with action in actions
		my new_terminal_tab()
		do script with command "cd $PATHDIR && " & action \
		in selected tab of the front window
		if action contains "spork" then
			delay 7
		end if
	end repeat
end tell
EOF

If only I had used the right search words I would have found Nick Rutherfor had been through the same situation.