Applescript

by Neuburg, Matt

• ISBN13: 9780596102111
• ISBN10: 0596102119
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

AppleScript: The Definitive Guide Second Edition explores and teaches the language from the ground up. If you're a beginner and want to learn how to write your first script or just understand what the excitement is all about, you'll be able to do so after reading this book.

Author Biography

Matt Neuburg has been programming computers since 1968. He majored in Greek at Swarthmore College, and received his PhD from Cornell University in 1981. Hopelessly hooked on computers since migrating to a Macintosh in 1990, he's written educational and utility freeware, and became an early regular contributor to the online journal TidBITS. In 1995, Matt became an editor for MacTech Magazine. He is also the author of "Frontier: The Definitive Guide" and "REALbasic: The Definitive Guide" for O'Reilly.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Part I. AppleScript Overview
Why to Use AppleScript	3	(11)
The Nature and Purpose of AppleScript	3	(2)
Is This Application Scriptable?	5	(2)
Calculation and Repetition	7	(1)
Reduction	8	(1)
Customization	9	(2)
Combining Specialties	11	(3)
Where to Use AppleScript	14	(20)
Script Editor	14	(4)
Internally Scriptable Application	18	(4)
Script Runner	22	(3)
Automatic Location	25	(1)
Application	26	(4)
Unix	30	(1)
Hyperlinks	30	(2)
Automator	32	(2)
Basic Concepts	34	(41)
Apple Events	34	(9)
The Open Scripting Architecture	43	(6)
Script	49	(3)
Compiling and Decompiling	52	(3)
Compiled Script Files	55	(3)
Script Text File	58	(1)
Applet and Droplet	59	(1)
Scripting Addition	60	(1)
Dictionary	61	(3)
Missing External Referents	64	(5)
Modes of Scriptability	69	(6)
Part II. The AppleScript Language
Introducing the Language	75	(8)
A Little Language	76	(1)
Extensibility and Its Perils	77	(1)
The ``English-likeness'' Monster	78	(2)
Object-likeness	80	(1)
LISP-likeness	80	(1)
The Learning Curve	81	(2)
Syntactic Ground of Being	83	(10)
Lines	83	(3)
Result	86	(2)
Comments	88	(2)
Abbreviations and Synonyms	90	(1)
Blocks	91	(1)
The	92	(1)
A Map of the World	93	(8)
Scope Blocks	93	(2)
Levels and Nesting	95	(1)
The Top Level	96	(1)
Code and the Run Handler	97	(3)
Variables	100	(1)
Variables	101	(8)
Assignment and Retrieval	101	(2)
Declaration and Definition of Variables	103	(2)
Variable Names	105	(4)
Script Objects	109	(25)
Script Object Definition	109	(1)
Run Handler	110	(1)
Script Properties	111	(1)
Script Objects as Values	111	(2)
Top-Level Entities	113	(5)
Compiled Script Files as Script Objects	118	(5)
Inheritance	123	(11)
Handlers	134	(22)
Handler Definition	134	(1)
Returned Value	135	(3)
Handlers as Values	138	(1)
Parameters	139	(1)
Pass by Reference	140	(1)
Syntax of Defining and Calling a Handler	141	(5)
Event Handlers	146	(2)
The Run Handler	148	(1)
Recursion	149	(2)
Power Handler Tricks	151	(5)
Scope	156	(24)
Regions of Scope	156	(1)
Kinds of Variable	157	(1)
Scope of Top-Level Entities	158	(3)
Scope of Locals	161	(2)
Scope of Globals	163	(4)
Scope of Undeclared Variables	167	(2)
Declare Your Variables	169	(2)
Free Variables	171	(1)
Redeclaration of Variables	172	(3)
Closures	175	(5)
Objects	180	(28)
Messages	180	(2)
Attributes	182	(1)
Class	182	(1)
Target	183	(7)
Get	190	(1)
It	191	(2)
Me	193	(2)
Properties and Elements	195	(2)
Element Specifiers	197	(7)
Operations on Multiple References	204	(2)
Assignment of Multiple Attributes	206	(1)
Object String Specifier	206	(2)
References	208	(12)
Reference as Target	208	(1)
Reference as Incantation	209	(2)
Creating a Reference	211	(1)
Identifying References	212	(1)
Dereferencing a Reference	213	(3)
Trouble with Contents	216	(1)
Creating References to Variables	217	(1)
Reference as Parameter	218	(2)
Datatypes	220	(24)
Application	220	(1)
Machine	220	(1)
Data	221	(1)
Boolean	221	(1)
Integer, Real, and Number	221	(1)
Date	222	(3)
String	225	(3)
Unicode Text	228	(3)
File and Alias	231	(5)
List	236	(3)
Record	239	(5)
Coercions	244	(12)
Implicit Coercion	244	(2)
Explicit Coercion	246	(2)
Boolean Coercions	248	(1)
Number, String, and Date Coercions	249	(2)
File Coercions	251	(1)
List Coercions	252	(3)
Unit Conversions	255	(1)
Operators	256	(15)
Implicit Coercion	256	(1)
Arithmetic Operators	257	(2)
Boolean Operators	259	(1)
Comparison Operators	260	(2)
Containment Operators	262	(3)
Concatenation Operator	265	(2)
Parentheses	267	(1)
Who Performs an Operation	268	(3)
Global Properties	271	(4)
Strings	272	(1)
Numbers	273	(1)
Miscellaneous	274	(1)
Constants	275	(3)
Commands	278	(3)
Application Commands	278	(1)
Standard Commands	279	(1)
Logging Commands	280	(1)
Control	281	(30)
Branching	281	(2)
Looping	283	(8)
Tell	291	(1)
Using Terms From	292	(3)
With	295	(3)
Considering/Ignoring	298	(2)
Errors	300	(7)
Second-Level Evaluation	307	(4)
Part III. AppleScript In Action
Dictionaries	311	(48)
Resolution of Terminology	312	(3)
Terminology Clash	315	(8)
Nonsensical Apple Events	323	(2)
Raw Four-Letter Codes	325	(3)
Multiple-Word Terms	328	(1)
What's in a Dictionary	329	(14)
The `aeut' Resource	343	(1)
Inadequacies of the Dictionary	344	(15)
Scripting Additions	359	(19)
Pros and Cons of Scripting Additions	360	(1)
Classic Scripting Additions	361	(1)
Loading Scripting Additions	362	(1)
Standard Scripting Addition Commands	363	(15)
Speed	378	(8)
Tools of the Trade	379	(1)
Apple Events	379	(3)
List Access	382	(1)
Scripting Additions	383	(1)
Context	384	(2)
Scriptable Applications	386	(15)
Targeting Scriptable Applications	386	(9)
Some Scriptable Applications	395	(6)
Unscriptable Applications	401	(6)
Historical Perspective	401	(2)
Getting Started with Accessibility	403	(2)
GUI Scripting Examples	405	(2)
Unix	407	(11)
Do Shell Script	407	(4)
Osascript	411	(7)
Triggering Scripts Automatically	418	(12)
Digital Hub Scripting	419	(1)
Folder Actions	420	(3)
CGI Application	423	(3)
Timers, Hooks, Attachability, Observability	426	(4)
Writing Applications	430	(95)
Applets	430	(7)
AppleScript Studio	437	(22)
Cocoa Scripting	459	(13)
AppleScript Studio Scriptability	472	(11)
Part IV. Appendixes
A. The AppleScript Experience	483	(25)
B. Apple Events Without AppleScript	508	(8)
C. Tools and Resources	516	(9)
Index	525