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

Chapter 4 - Commands / Command Definitions

Open application command

An Open command is a request to open a file or files.

SYNTAX

open referenceToFile

PARAMETER

referenceToFile

A reference of the form file nameString or alias nameString, or a list of such references (see "Notes").
Class: Reference or list of references

RESULT

None

EXAMPLE

tell app "Scriptable Text Editor"   open file "Macintosh HD:New Products:Mammoth:Product Intro"end tell
tell app "Scriptable Text Editor"   open { file "HD:Letters:Offer", file "HD:Letters:Acceptance"}
end tell

NOTES

To specify the name (nameString) of a file to open, use a string of the form "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:Filename"; for details, see "References to Files," which begins on page 144. You can also specify a string with only a filename ("Filename"). In this case, the application attempts to find the file in the
current directory.

If the file or files specified by referenceToFile is already open, it remains open.