Inside Macintosh: AppleScript Language Guide / Part 2 - AppleScript Language Reference

Chapter 4 - Commands / Command Definitions

Run AppleScript command, application command

The Run command can function as an AppleScript command or an application command.

The AppleScript Run command acts on script objects; it executes statements other than handler and property definitions in script object definitions.

The application Run command launches an application if it's not already running. The application must be on a local or mounted volume. If the application is already running, then the effect of the Run command depends
on the application. Some applications are not affected; others, such as the Scriptable Text Editor, repeat their startup procedures each time they receive
a Run command.

APPLESCRIPT COMMAND SYNTAX

run [ scriptObjectVariable ]

APPLICATION COMMAND SYNTAX

run [ referenceToApplication ]

PARAMETERS

scriptObjectVariable

A variable identifier whose value is a script object. This parameter is optional if the Run command is used within
an appropriate Tell statement.
Class: Script

referenceToApplication

A reference of the form application nameString (see "Notes"). This parameter is optional if the Run command is used within an appropriate Tell statement.
Class: Reference

RESULT

The AppleScript Run command returns the result, if any, returned by the specified script object's Run handler.

The application Run command doesn't return a result.

EXAMPLES

run application "Scriptable Text Editor"tell application "Scriptable Text Editor"   run
end tell

NOTES

To specify the name (nameString) of an application to run, use a string of the form "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:ApplicationName"; for details, see "References to Applications," which begins on page 146. You can also specify a string with only an application name ("ApplicationName"). In this case, if the application
is not already running, AppleScript attempts to find the application in the current directory.

AppleScript sends an implicit Run command whenever it begins to execute a Tell statement whose target is an application that is not already open. This can cause problems with applications such as Scriptable Text Editor that normally perform specific tasks on startup, such as opening a new window. To launch an application without invoking its usual startup behavior, use the Launch command as described on page 105. For information about using the Run and Launch commands with script applications, see "Calling a Script Application,"which begins on page 251.

For information about Run handlers, see "Run Handlers," which begins on page 243. For information about using the Run command with script objects, see Chapter 9, "Script Objects."