The Script Manager makes script systems available and coordinates the interaction between many parts of the Mac OS and those available script systems. A script system (or script for short) is a collection of resources that provides for the representation of a particular writing system.
The Script Manager also provides several services directly to your application. Through them you can get information about the current text environment, modify that environment, and perform a variety of text-handling tasks.
The Script Manager has evolved through several versions. It started with sole responsibility for all international-compatibility and multilanguage text issues, but as more power and features have been added, many of its specific functions have been moved to the other parts of system software.
For many text-related tasks, the Script Manager’s role is transparent; when you make a script-aware Text Utilities or QuickDraw call while processing text, that routine may get the information it needs through the Script Manager. For example, when you call the QuickDraw procedure DrawText to draw a line of text, DrawText in turn calls the Script Manager to determine which script system your text belongs to before drawing it. In other situations you may need to call the Script Manager explicitly, to properly interpret the text you are processing.