Download
News & Updates
Sample Scripts
Site Outline
Guestbook
BBS
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11
Main Open Suites
Web Window
Script Table WP
Frontier website on www.scripting.com
Frontier Site Outline
About this Site
Archives of the News Page
News & Updates -- Thru December 1996
News & Updates -- Thru June 1996
News & Updates -- Thru November 1996
News & Updates -- Thru September 1996
Credits Page
Many thanks to these people for their help with Frontier!
Frontier Mailing Lists
Here are seven mailing lists you can join to get help learning and writing scripts for Frontier.
How Are We Doing?
We're a few days into the release of Frontier 4.2, and I'd like to invite people to send me a private email on how we're doing.
How to Wear the Frontier Logo
How to tell the world that your site is built with Frontier.
Job Fair
Employment opportunities for people who know Frontier.
License Agreement
Nightly Uploads
Every night at 1AM an agent script runs that keeps our FTP server up to date. This page lists all the uploads.
Please Register Your Site
If you manage a website with Frontier, or run CGI scripts written in Frontier, please register your site so other developers can learn from your work.
Site Menu
This page invisibly includes a menu that can be displayed in your web browser's menu bar.
Source for Frontier Website
This page links to an archive of the source code for the Frontier website.
Stanford's Frontier-webmaster list
UserLand proudly supports the Stanford-hosted mailing list for people managing websites with Frontier.
The Low Tech Object Distribution Server
The LTODBS is the backbone for object distribution in the Frontier scripting community.
Apps that Work with Frontier
These are the key apps that people use in conjunction with Frontier to develop web content and to manage sites.
FileMaker and Frontier
How to bring the power of Filemaker databases to your scripting projects.
Microsoft's Mac Web Server
Microsoft's personal web server works well with Frontier.
NetPresenz
A pointer to a web page that explains how to set up the NetPresenz web server to run Frontier CGIs.
Netscape-compatible browsers
Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer support compatible Apple Event interfaces.
Playing with Apple's Web Server
Apple's CGI Docs
Information of interest to CGI script writers about Apple's personal web server software. The docs on this page are © copyright 1996 Apple Computer.
Scripting Eudora with Frontier
Qualcomm's Eudora emailer app is nicely scriptable.
Scripting StuffIt Lite 3.5
StuffIt was one of the first scriptable apps and it has one of the richest scripting interfaces.
uBASE
uBASE is a fast flat-file database for script writers.
Using the Scriptable Finder from Apple
Windows and Unix users can only dream of the power you can access from this page.
File types in the Finder
The Types sub-menu makes it easy to change the file type and creator codes for a single file or batches of files.
Finder-based Backups
The Backup sub-menu makes it easy to set up and manage backups of multiple projects, and because it's integrated into the Finder it's always easy to get to.
Reconciling Folders from the Finder
Here's a very useful command for PowerBook users or for people with more than one Macintosh
Utilities in the Finder's Scripts menu
Several important commands are in the Utilities sub-menu of the Scripts menu.
Website Scripting with BBEdit
With Frontier running in the background, BBEdit becomes more powerful, and building complex websites gets easier.
WebSTAR and Frontier
New stuff that makes the connection between WebSTAR and Frontier faster, easier and more powerful.
beginning
Cmd-J
This command is so important that it deserves its own page!
DocServer
DocServer is the online reference database for Frontier's verb set.
Hidden Features
Features that aren't easily visible thru Frontier's user interface.
The Importance of Navigators
Frontier 4.1 has a new feature that makes it easier to find the important places in the object database.
What is Frontier?
A quick, tightly written positioning statement on Frontier, UserLand Software, the community, and related technologies.
Working with AppleScript
A warm welcome to AppleScript users!
Your First Script
If you follow the instructions on this page you'll get a great new skill -- you'll be able to add your own commands to the Finder's menu bar.
Free Utilities that Run in Frontier
BBS CGI Application
Here's a new suite that makes it easy to run a threaded bulletin-board system on a Macintosh running a WebSTAR-compatible server.
Guestbook CGI Application
Frontier SDK
A collection of toolkits, sample programs, C source code and documentation.
How to Create Frontier Install Files
Instructions for commercial software developers on creating Install Files for Frontier script writers.
MacBird Plug-ins
Menu Sharing Toolkit 4.1
Menu sharing allows Frontier to send a set of menus to another application.
Outline Sharing Toolkit
You can develop apps and UCMDs using the Outline Sharing Toolkit to make Frontier's outliner more useful.
Frontier User's Guide
The original printed manual, converted to a website and updated for Frontier 4.1
Agents
Desktop Scripts
Explorer's Guide to Frontier
Introduction
Scripting Other Applications
Scripting the Operating System
Suites
The Frontier Environment
The Object Database
The UserTalk Language
Writing UserTalk Scripts
Frontier's Menus
We document every command in each of Frontier's menus.
The Apple Menu
The Custom Menu
The Edit Menu
The File Menu
The Main Menu
The Menubar Menu
The Open Menu
The Outline Menu
The Script Menu
The Suites Menu
The Table Menu
The Web Menu
The Window Menu
The WP Menu
New Release Notes
These pages explain the newest Frontier features and explain how to upgrade.
4.2 Development Notes
Frontier 4.2/Mac is a root-only upgrade.
4.2b1 Change Notes
Wed, Dec 11, 1996 at 6:28:37 AM by DW
4.2b2 Change Notes
Thu, Dec 12, 1996 at 11:04:33 AM by DW
4.2b3 Change Notes
Sun, Dec 15, 1996 at 10:14:39 AM by DW
4.2b4 Change Notes
Sun, Dec 15, 1996 at 8:01:47 PM by DW
4.2b5 Change Notes
Mon, Dec 16, 1996 at 5:36:43 PM by DW
4.2b6 Change Notes
Mon, Dec 30, 1996 at 1:26:34 PM by DW
4.2b7 Change Notes
Sun, Jan 12, 1997 at 7:08:50 AM by DW
4.2b8 Change Notes
Mon, Jan 20, 1997 at 5:46:07 AM by DW
4.2b9 Change Notes
Tue, Jan 21, 1997 at 6:28:44 AM by DW
partsList
Special Mailing List for Frontier 4.2 Beta Feedback
Thanks to Daniel Berlinger at Circumtech for setting up this temporary mailing list.
Fronter 4.1 Upgrade
How to upgrade from Frontier 4.0 to 4.1...
Fronter 4.2 Upgrade
How to upgrade from Frontier 4.1 to 4.2...
Frontier 4.1 Download Page
MacBird, New Docs, Major cleanup of the UI, what else...?
Frontier 4.2 Download Page
Scripts from the Finder's menu bar, the NewsPage site app, deeper website framework, WebSTAR goodies.
Frontier 4.2 is Shipping
New Features in Frontier 4.1
A brief list of the new features in Frontier 4.1 with pointers to other pages.
New Features in Frontier 4.2
Release Notes for Frontier 4.1
Frontier 4.1 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b10 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b11 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b12 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b13 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b14 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b4 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b5 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b6 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b7 Change Notes
Frontier 4.1b8 Change Notes
News & Updates
Scripting the Internet with Frontier
We're pushing back the boundaries... Ye-ha!
CGI Scripting in Frontier
CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface. It's an Internet term for scripts and applications that run behind web server software.
Commands in WebSTAR 2.0's Shared Menu
WebSTAR 2.0 supports menu sharing. Here's a test version of the shared menu for WebSTAR.
Glossary Patching
A tricky bit of technology that makes relative URLs transparent.
NewsPage
A new suite that promises to make it easier to manage a hot news-oriented website with a text editor, outliner and menu commands.
The ODB Plug-In and WebSTAR.root
This new plug-in allows WebSTAR to read and write a Frontier-compatible object database.
Website Building Improvements in 4.2
Here are several new features implemented in the website framework, suites.html, in Frontier 4.2.
Website Building with Frontier
An introduction to building websites using glossaries, macros, templates, and object-oriented hierarchies; written by Preston Holmes.
Writing WebStar CGI Scripts with Frontier
How to customize your web server with UserLand Frontier and the CGI Framework
Specifications
Frontier Data Types
Here's a list of all the data types supported in Frontier.
UserTalk Grammar
The formal grammar for the UserTalk language.
Stories from the Community
Agenda, Marimba, DaveNet, URLs, Spotlight
BANG Meeting/Jan 23
Chuck Shotton
Chuck answers a question on the WebSTAR-talk list.
Dave Winer on MacBird
DW tells his story of MacBird, starting in 1991.
David Boroditsky defines Frontier
Mr. Boroditsky uses Frontier to automate DTP operations.
FinderMenu is Important
This email went to several scripting-related mailing lists on Mon, Jan 13, 1997.
From Rich Siegel to Guy Kawasaki
The lead developer of BBEdit explains why he's psyched about the combination of Frontier and BBEdit.
Frontier 4.1 Wins Eddy Nomination!
Frontier 4.2 Endgame Page
Heath Tanner
Mr. Tanner responds to my 'How are we doing?' page.
Lynn Welge on Apple's personal web server
Apple announces their intention to support CGI extensions in their server software.
Mason compares AppleScript and Frontier
Mason Hale, in a message he posted to the Mac Scripting list a few months ago during one of the "AppleScript vs. Frontier" threads.
Msg from an ex-Apple DTS Guy
A former Apple Developer Services person talks about the history of scripting on the Macintosh.
Quote for Apple 1/7 Press Release
This quote will appear in Apple's January 7 press release.
Ryan Simms on BBEdit and Frontier
Ryan compares website building on a Mac with Windows NT.
Sean McNamara
The Future of Frontier wrt AppleScript
This message was posted on the Mac scripting list on Mon, Jan 20, 1997 by dwiner@well.com.
We depend on powerscripters
Topics for Advanced Frontier Users
As you learn more about Frontier, it gets more powerful.
CGI Scripts for MacWEEK/DaveNet Survey
Here are the scripts used to implement the survey.
Cooooler Frontier Sites
These are some of the neatest Frontier-scripted websites.
Cross-platform Issues
As we port Frontier to Windows, we're learning more about which features are cross-platform, and which are not.
Database Cribsheet
Frontier's built-in storage system is called the object database. It can store small objects like a user's name, the time of the last backup, or larger objects like a list of users, a standard form letter, or a table of electronic mail accounts.
Droplets
Droplets are double-clickable applications that have an embedded script that runs once for each file, folder or disk icon that's dragged onto the app.
Editing AppleScripts using Script Debugger
A powerful new connection! -- Now you can use Script Debugger 1.0.4 to edit AppleScript cells in Frontier's object database.
Features
A list of the main features of Frontier 4.2 and the UserTalk language
Frontier & The Object Model
Frontier's support of the Apple Event object model is fully integrated into the UserTalk language.
Frontier 4.2 System Requirements
Here are the system requirements, how much memory and disk space is required, for Frontier 4.2
How Scoping Works
A lesson in variable name scoping from a longtime Frontier user.
How Threading Works
Preston Holmes explains how threading works in Frontier.
IdleTime
A system extension that connects with Frontier's clock.idleTime verb.
Lists & Records
How to use List and Record data types in your UserTalk scripts.
MacBird Tips
MacBird is the newest addition to the Frontier script writer's toolkit. We're still learning what it can do.
Mini-DaveNet Source
Nerd's Guide to Frontier
A description of Frontier for experienced C and Pascal developers.
Outliner Crib Sheet
A quick tour of the outline-based script and menu editor in Frontier.
Recording
How to record scripts with applications that support recording.
Removable Source Code
For security and performance reasons, you may want to remove the source code of your scripts before you release them for others to use.
Save A Copy
If Frontier slows down dramatically when saving changes, you can improve performance using the Save A Copy command.
Scheduler Suite
Scheduled scripts are agents that run at a specific time.
UserTalk Everywhere
Frontier implements the Open Scripting Architecture, making it easy for scripting clients to hook up to the Frontier system.
Using the outliner to edit HTML text
Wow. It was easy. Now you can edit hierarchies of HTML objects using Frontier's built-in outliner. I think I'm going to use this a lot.
WebSTAR Setup for Frontier CGI Scripting
How to set up WebSTAR so it routes URLs that end with .fcgi to Frontier.
© Copyright 1996-97 UserLand Software. This page was last built on Wed, Jan 22, 1997 at 3:01:16 PM with Frontier. Thanks for checking it out! Dave