Glossary

Glossary

[ a | b | c | d | e | g | h | i | m | o | p | q | r | s | t ]

1-based
Indexes can be 0-based or 1-based. If they are 1-based, as all of UserTalks indexes are, the first element in a list or array is element number 1. In zero-based indexes, the first element is element number 0.

a

address
A shorthand way of describing an objects location in the Frontier Object Database. It consists of one or more terms. If more than one term is needed to identify an objects address, the elements of the address are separated by periods. Each segment of an objects address represents a sub-table with the possible exception of the last segment, which is of a datatype appropriate to the element being addressed.

agent
A UserTalk script that executes as a background task. All such scripts are stored in the table system.agents. Agents execute repeatedly, triggered as often as called for by their script contents or every second in the absence of contrary instructions in the script.

Apple Event
Messages sent from one application or process to another within the Apple Macintosh system. Apple Computer has defined and cataloged a great many such events, but individual application developers also define their own. UserTalk has special code to deal with Apple Events generically.

b

background script
See agent bar cursor
The highlight that indicates the selection of an entry in a Frontier outline-type object (outline, script or menubar). The bar cursor highlights the entire visible portion of the entry on which it is positioned (i.e., the entire line).

Boolean
A datatype that can have a value of true or false. Name derives from a historical figure in computing.

built-in
A verb is said to be built-in if it is included as part of UserTalk as it is delivered by UserLand Software.

bundle
A programming construct in UserTalk that permits you to group a number of related lines under a single heading so that they can be collapsed. The keyword bundle does not itself have any execution significance. It provides a means of organizing scripts.

bundle-ize
To create a bundle of lines in a UserTalk script.

c

callback
A script that is executed repeatedly as a result of the use of one of UserTalks verbs that iterates over a group of windows or table entries. See the verbs op.visit and table.visit in DocServer for examples.

case
A programming construct that facilitates choosing among two or more alternative courses of action depending on the value of a variable or the outcome of a calculation.

character
A single ASCII character enclosed in single quotation marks.

chevron
A character made by holding down the Option key and pressing the backslash key and used to delineate comments in UserTalk scripts. It looks like this: «.

d

de-bundle
To reverse a bundle operation.

de-hoist
To reverse the effects of a hoist operation in a Frontier outline-type object (outline, script, or menubar) desktop script
A UserTalk script designed to be executed from the Finder desktop by double-clicking on it. Such scripts generally operate on files and/or folders. Their scope is usually confined to the folder or volume in which they are stored, and all sub-folders and their contents. A desktop script is created by exporting a UserTalk script using the Export a Desktop Script... option on the UserLand menu.

e

event
A message sent by one program to another or by the user (via actions such as mouse clicks and menu selections) to a program. Events are at the core of the Apple Event based model for interapplication communication.

f

factoring
The process of defining the component scripts and event processors into which to divide a particular group of related or potentially related functions. Proper factoring of a UserTalk script into several small scripts can increase reusability of the components.

fileloop
A UserTalk keyword that initiates a loop that iterates over a collection of files and/or folders.

Frontier.root
The default name for the file containing the Object Database. More than one root file may be defined and opened at one time. Root files need not be named root so long as they were created as root files. The root is a database file whose contents must be explicitly saved as opposed to such a file whose contents are continuously updated as changes occur as is the case with traditional database files.

h

heading
An entry in an outline type object (outline, script, or menubar) consisting of one line indicated by an item marker. Headings may be either summits or sub-headings.

headline
See heading hoist
A process which is applicable to an outline type object (outline, script, or menubar) heading in which the immediate sub-headings of the selected heading appear to be converted to summits. The display is changed to show only those sub-headings and their sub-headings. This has the practical effect of limiting editing to a selected portion of the outline. This operation can be undone with de-hoist operations.

i

IAC
An acronym that stands for interapplication communication, the process of two or more applications transferring information and commands between or among one another. On the Macintosh, IAC is supported primarily via Apple Events. An application that supports IAC is said to be "scriptable".

item marker
The right-pointing triangle that appears at the start of every line of every Frontier outline-type object (outline, script, or menubar). A solidly black item marker means a heading has one or more collapsed and invisible subheads. A gray item marker means the heading has no collapsed subheads (in other words, any sub-headings it does have are visible).

m

Main Window
The Frontier window which is associated with a Frontier.root file. It has two display modes. In one, only a message area, close box, popup menu, and flag are visible. In the other, the flag is activated to reveal four buttons in a second area immediately beneath and attached to the Main Window. Closing the Main Window has the effect of closing a root file.

o

Object Database
All of the information stored in or required by Frontier and UserTalk is stored in the built-in Object Database. This database is displayed to the user as a series of tables and sub-tables, each of which can in turn contain either another table or an object of any Frontier datatype. From a scripting standpoint, the Object Database can be thought of as an extensible global variable storage area.

outline window
A Frontier window in which an outline, script, or menubar is displayed.

p

parameter
Sometimes referred to as an argument. A value that accompanies a verb to provide additional information about the execution of the verb. Verbs that require parameters generally use them as either focusing information (aiming the verbs action at a particular object or file, or example) or as an object on which to perform some operation.

path
A Macintosh file path is a string consisting of the name of the volume on which the file or folder is stored, followed by a colon, followed by the name of the folder in which the object (folder or file) being sought is stored or the name of the folder or file itself. This path name description of an object can continue arbitrarily deeply, but the Macintosh imposes a 255-character limit on the entire name of the path to any object in the Operating System.

protocol
A set of agreed-upon methods by which a process involving two or more entities takes place. Specifically in Frontier and IAC, the suite of verbs and events which together make up the agreed-upon process by which two or more applications communicate with one another. The Macintosh uses Apple Events for IAC.

q

Quick Script Window
The Frontier window in which the user can type UserTalk scripts and execute them immediately by pressing the Enter key or the Run button in the window itself.

r

root
The main table in the Frontier Object Database. This table is always called root regardless of the name of the database file of which it is part. See Frontier.root.

s

scratchpad
Generically, an area of memory or disk space designed for transient use in a computer system. Frontier is equipped with a sub-table of root called scratchpad for which you may find frequent use in UserTalk scripting.

string
A Frontier datatype consisting of one or more characters enclosed in double quotation marks.

string4
A Frontier datatype consisting of exactly four characters enclosed in either single or double quotation marks. This type of data is used to designate a Macintosh files creator and type as well as resource types.

subhead
A heading in an outline object (outline, script, or menubar) which is subordinate to another is said to be a subhead of its parent heading.

sub-heading
See subhead.

suite
A collection of one or more UserTalk scripts (usually at least two scripts are involved but this is not a requirement) with related functionality. Suites can be thought of as miniature Frontier applications which can be loaded and unloaded by the user at will. Suites are typically stored in the Object Database table called suites, a sub-table of the root table.

summit
Also referred to as summit heading or summit-level heading. An outline heading at the highest (left-most) level of an outline. A Frontier outline object (outline, script, or menubar) can have more than one summit. See subhead.

t

table
Generically, a two-dimensional array consisting of one or more rows, each of which contains one or more columns. In Frontier, all objects in the Object Database are stored in tables consisting of one or more rows of three columns each. The three columns are Name, Value, and Kind.

table window
A Frontier window in which a table object is displayed and in which it may be edited.

target
The Frontier object to which targeted verbs apply. Verbs which rely on the existence of a target and operate solely on the target are listed in DocServer. The target is, by default, the frontmost window in Frontier but it can be explicitly changed with UserTalk verbs.

target window
The window containing the object which is the current target for UserTalk verbs.

text window
A Frontier window in which a word processing text object is displayed and in which it may be edited.