XPress Scripts is a package of twelve AppleScripts for use with QuarkXPress 3.3.
This package is 'commentware', as opposed to freeware or shareware (see below). Your comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated and will encourage me to make more QuarkXPress scripts.
System Setup:
Required:
To use these scripts you must have System 7, QuarkXPress 3.3 , and AppleScript 1.1 with the standard Scripting Additions installed. If you have AppleScript 1.0, the text documents of the scripts included here can be compiled with the AppleScript Script Editor and run.
Recommended:
I have designed these scripts with Leonard Rosenthols OSA Menu Init 1.0.1 in mind. This is the best way I have found to run scripts from XPress, being the most seamless in its execution. OSA Menu Init can be downloaded from the DTP forum on Compuserve. Quickeys 3.0 has an AppleScript extension which can run scripts via keystrokes. I haven’t tried Quickeys yet, and anyway there’s not much left in the way of key combinations left to implement in XPress 3.3. There is also ScriptMenu 1.0.2 from Tomasz Kaminski but this only works with scripts saved as applications and is not as smooth as OSA Menu Init. And running scripts saved as applications from the Apple Menu or desktop is just too clunky for me.
Introduction:
This collection of AppleScripts was designed for several reasons, and with several things in mind:
• To run as smoothly and error free as possible, i.e. implementing error trapping wherever required. I have not used the 'Do Script' function as suggested by Quark because of my intention to run the scripts via OSA Menu Init. It seems that more than half of even simple scripts consists of error trapping. Anyway I offer no guarantees that they are faultless, some may fail to run correctly in certain situations, but I have not included scripts that I know to be faulty.
• To make them operate like Quark Xtensions. I know scripts can’t compare with Xtensions as far as power and integration goes, but scripts are cheaper, and I haven’t got my head around C++ yet.
• I am relatively new on AppleScript, although I’ve been at QuarkXPress for few years now. The initial reason for this package was to let others see it and for them to pass on their comments and suggestions. I am hoping to gain from other peoples ideas and feedback here. I’m not making this package shareware or freeware as such, but commentware. You are free to use these scripts with a clear conscience on the proviso that you sent in some kind of evaluation. Please E-mail me if you have any ideas as to improvements, criticism or any kind of comment. (E-mail address above.)
• I have not commented these scripts, I’m afraid. However I hope my intuitive (in most cases) variable names will help. If you have any questions as to why I did what, drop me a line.
Other Business:
• This package contains one each of a run only script and a Script Editor document. You can recompile this document to an application or editable script. I prefer run only scripts because they appear to run faster and more efficiently. I have however had the odd -1753 error with them, meaning 'end of file error'. The only thing to do is make a new run only from the relevant document.
• The icons created for use in these scripts display when a script is saved as a compiled script and run from something like the OSA Menu Init. These same scripts saved as applications lose their icons as do scripts run from Script Editor text documents. My documentation (Scripting Additions Guide) suggests that this shouldn’t happen.
Legal Stuff:
• You may freely distribute XPress Scripts 1.0 anywhere on the proviso that it is kept intact with all documentation files included.
• If XPress Scripts is designated for publication or CD ROM then please let me know beforehand, via E-mail (see address above).
• You cannot alter the scripts and redistribute this package without prior consent.
• You can take parts from scripts from this package, rework them and redistribute as your own. Just think of me when you write the credits.
• QuarkXPress and QuarkXtensions are trademarks of Quark, Inc. and Apple, AppleScript and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Thanks:
Thanks to all the folk in the DTP forum on Compuserve who have helped me at various stages, including: Shane Stanley, David Blatner, Robert Holmes, Scott S. Lawton, Dave Balderstone, Brad Walrod, and others who I can’t think of right now.
