Mac-Source 1994 July/Mac-Source_July_1994.iso/Information/Applescript.faq

Text File | 1994-03-30 | 30.5 KB | 753 lines | [TEXT/R*ch]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

      FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT APPLESCRIPT

            Welcome to the AppleScript FAQ!
                     Version .3.5
               Wednesday, March 17, 1994

I started the AppleScript mailing list during April 1993. At the
time, several of us on the Internet were playing with an as-yet-
unreleased version of AppleScript and wanted to swap discoveries,
ideas, and anomalies. Tim Keanani suggested a mailing list
in the comp.sys.mac.programming list, and I volunteered to set
it up and manage it since I was already managing several
lists. Several people have recently expressed an interest in a
collection of the questions that have appeared on the mailing
list, so I decided to put together an FAQ to make up for my
lack of archiving messages on the list.

The purpose is to give some general background information
about AppleScript, to answer those frequently asked questions
about AppleScript, scriptable applications, and other OSA
components, to point out hard-to-find features, and to report
bugs in the program.

If you submitted material and it does't appear here, it's
probably because I just haven't had time to incorporate it
yet. You can always send me email to make sure that I got your
submission or just prod me.


FAQ Philosophy

Though Apple events are in integral part of interapplication
communication under System 7, they aren't documented for the
average Mac user and aren't very easy to understand. AppleScript
provides a more English-like interface, but extensive documentation
for it and other scriptable applications has been hard to
obtain. APDA has been selling the AppleScript Developer's Kit
which includes the AppleScript Language Guide, but its $199
price tag has placed it beyond the reach of all but the most
die-hard hobbyists. The AppleScript Runtime package was cheaper
at $20.00, but it only came with the Language stack. AppleScript
is now being provided with System 7 Pro, but it is currently
version 1.0.

I hope this FAQ will at least take care of some of the basic
inquiries.

This FAQ isn't a replacement for Apple's Scripting Language
Guide or the third party books available. As a matter of fact,
if you don't own System 7 Pro, the best strategy is to purchase
one of the books available because the AppleScript Runtime
package is bundled with them. Derrick Schneider's
Tao of AppleScript was the first book available and is a good
beginner's introduction to the language. Danny Goodman's
The Complete AppleScript Handbook is also a good introduction
to the language. Its advantage over Schneider's book is that
it is a more structured approach.

Answers assume version 1.1 unless otherwise indicated.

New additions to the FAQ are flagged with "NEW."

My own comments are in brackets ([]).

Script commands and internet addresses in text appear between
<>.


What's New in This Version
---------------------------------------------------------------
3/17/94
Removed some sensitive information.

3/5/94
Added phone numbers for Main Event and Prefab Software.
Made changes to the Version History section.
Revised mailing list information.
Added some programs and corrected some errors in the Scriptable
    Apps section.
Added a FileMaker problem in the Bugs and Errors section.
Several typos, spelling, and mechanical problems fixed.


Your $.02?
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you have suggestions, ideas, typo lists, whatever,
for this FAQ, please let me know.  What else should it include?

I can be reached via the internet at:

           [e-mail]

Snailmail: Fred Terry
           313 Edinburgh Road
           Lawrence, KS  66049-1641


I do read the various comp.sys.mac newsgroups, but you should
always email me if you want to be sure and reach me. When I'm
under deadlines, I don't read the newsgroups at all frequently.

This FAQ will always be available on gaea.kgs.ukans.edu. If
interest warrants, I'll send it to the sumex and umich archives.


Acknowledgments:
---------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Keanini <[e-mail]> Tim originally encouraged
me to start the AppleScript mailing list and answered some of
the early questions.

Jon Pugh <[e-mail]> Jon is the original Apple event
registrar and all-around helpful guy. He is just released
on an MPW tool that compiles and runs AppleScript scripts along
with a new version of his Jon's Commands osax).

John W. Baxter <[e-mail]> John lives in a wet
country and is another helpful guy. John answers lots of
questions on the mailing list and in NEWS.

Leonard Rosenthal <[e-mail]> Leonard is the director
of advanced technology at Aladdin Software, and the one responsible
for making StuffIt Deluxe/Lite scriptable. He also helped Dave
Newman add scripting to Microphone II.

Peter Fleck <[e-mail]> manages the HyperCard FAQ. I
borrowed his format for this FAQ because it was one of the cleanest
and easiest to read I'd ever seen. Thanks, Peter.

Other acknowledgements are included with topics.


Who I am
---------------------------------------------------------------
I am a freelance writer and consultant. I became interested in
Apple events while revising the QuicKeys 2.0 manual for CE Software.
That was the first version of the program to support Apple events,
and it was fun to send events to HyperCard. I wrote a book about
QuicKeys a year later (The Automatic Mac, Brady Books), and I
scattered Apple event examples throughout the book as well as
devoting a chapter to them.


==============================================================
------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------------
BASICS
    What is AppleScript?
    How do I learn AppleScript?
    Version history.

GENERAL
    Where can I get my AppleScript questions answered?
    Is AppleScript available on Windows?
    Are there other scripting systems besides AppleScript?
    AppleScript vs. UserTalk.
    Is there another script editor besides Apple's.

SELECTED SCRIPTING INFO
    Reasons why a script doesn't work
    How can I stop a script from running?
    How can I learn to write scripts?
    Do I need to save each script before I can try it? If I
      try to use it after I change it, the older version is used.
    Some of my command lines are too long and difficult to
      read on my screen.

SCRIPTING ADDITIONS
    What are sripting aditions?
    What is the plural of osax

BUGS AND PROBLEMS

APPLESCRIPT PRODUCTS AND RELATED APPLICATIONS

SCRIPTABLE APPLICATIONS

BOOKS AND OTHER SOURCES OF INFO
    What's a good AppleScript book?
    What other information is available about AppleScript, Apple
      events, the Object Model, and Open Scripting Architecture?

FTP INFO - WHERE TO FIND THE FILES

WHAT ELSE


=============================================================
->BASICS


What is AppleScript?
-------------------------------------------------------------
AppleScript is a scripting language for the Macintosh. It is an
English-like language that has been compared to batch files on
PCs, but it is more like UNIX shell scripts in its power and
flexibility.


How do I learn AppleScript?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Probably the best approach to learning AppleScript is to buy one
of the available AppleScript books or the Scripting Kit and work
through the scripts in the book. Constantly fooling around with
AppleScript also helps. Because Apple event and object model
support in third party applications is currently rather spotty,
you will quickly discover that what works in one program may not
work in another. Experience is the best teacher in these cases.

Another anvenue for learning how to script is to study the scripts
that others have written. Look at the example scripts that
are supplied with the Scripting Kit. You can also watch the
progress of Apple events in the Log window (AppleScript 1.1) to
learn more about how scripts work.

If you are working with an application that is recordable, you
can record actions in the application and then study the scripts
that it produces. Since the application is "writing" the script,
you will get a better idea of the commands that it understands
and the how they should be scripted.


Version history.
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.1 Developer's Toolkit and Scripting Kit versions both released
1/94. This version incorporated the Apple Event Manager 1.03 extension,
which was previously separated, into the AppleScript extension.

1.0 Runtime released 9/93. The Runtime kit contained all of the
AppleScript components, the Script Editor and Scriptable Text Editor,
but it did not contain a manual--only the Language at a Glance stack.
This version of AppleScript was included with System 7 Pro.

1.0 Developer's Toolkit released 4/93. The Developer's Toolkit
included headers, sample code, and sample applications and scripting
additions. It included the Scripting Language Guide and a CD and floppy.



=============================================================
->GENERAL


Where can I get my AppleScript questions answered?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Since Apple has included AppleScript, the Script Editor, and
the Scriptable Text Edtior with System 7 Pro, a number of users
are becoming interested in scripting their Macs. I have seen
AppleScript questions posed and answerd in comp.sys.mac.programming,
comp.sys.mac.hypercard, and comp.sys.mac.system on NEWS. Rumor has
it that a comp.sys.mac.applescript or scripting newsgroup should
appear soon.

I started an AppleScript mailing list in mid April of 1993. You
can subscribe to it by sending the message

SUB MACSCRPT Joe Scripter

to [e-mail]. While still relatively small (about
250 subscribers), most of the AppleScript luminaries are on
it--including the Apple programmers who wrote AppleScript. Questions
from beginning to advanced scripting issues as well as all manner
of odd and trivial matters have been answered there.

If you have an AppleLink account, you can pose questions in the
AppleScript Talk forum. Because of the audience, the questions
may be a little more technical there, but I have seen simple
questions answered without flammage.

If you have an account on either AOL or CompuServe, you might want
to check out the MacDeveloper forums.


Is AppleScript available on Windows?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Though there hasn't been an official statement, Apple has made
comments in some of their marketing brochures and at a WWDC
that a Windows version of AppleScript will be available
sometime in 1994.


Are there other scripting systems besides AppleScript?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Frontier was the first scripting system on the Macintosh and can
be considered the most powerful. The trade-off, if you are a new
programmer, is that the its scripting language (UserTalk) is more
like C than HyperTalk or AppleScript. Frontier has been around
for 2 years, and Userland recently shipped version 3.0, so you can
get some idea of the head start they have over AppleScript.
UserLand maintains forums on CompuServe (go userland) and
AOL (enter the userland keyword). You can email
[e-mail]. They can also be reached via
snail mail at UserLand Software, 400 Seaport Court, Redwood City,
CA 94063 (415/369-6600, 415/369-6618--fax). Suggested retail price
(U.S.) is $249.00.

ControlTower has also been around since the early days of Apple
events. It was one of the first programs that read the aete (or
dictionary) of another program. It allowed you to construct a
script in much the same way that Scripter does. [author?
address of the company?]

HyperCard is arguably the oldest scripting system for the Macintosh
since it has been around since 198?. While HyperTalk is easy to
learn and program it, HyperTalk scripts are confined to HyperCard.
Programmers have made a valiant effort to extend HyperTalk by
writing XFCNs and XCMDs, but HyperTalk has always been trapped
inside of HyperCard. In some ways this makes it more like a macro
language than a programming or scripting language. But I'm walking
on thin ice in this comparison. The latest version of HyperCard
(2.2) is scriptable and OSA compliant.

MacPerl is a Macintosh port of the UNIX Perl programming language.
Perl (practical extraction and report language) was written by
Larry Wall. Mattias Neeracher <[e-mail]> and Tim Endres
<[e-mail]> have ported Perl to the Mac as a standalone
application and as an MPW tool. MacPerl is primarily worth noting
because Perl is a very good language for manipulating text
and because it can be called from AppleScript. Mattias has said
that he will convert MacPerl to a scripting component once he
completes a port of Perl 5. The latest version is always
available from nic.switch.ch (130.59.1.40) in the directory
/software/mac/perl.


TCL [an abbreviation for Tool Command Language that is pronounced
"tickle"] was created by John K. Ousterhout. In the UNIX world, it
is a simple scripting language for controlling and extending applications
(sound familiar?). In the Mac world TCL has already made an appearance
in Pete Kehler's Alpha text editor. It is also the basis for Tim Endres
application Tickle which provides a scripting environment for several
common UNIX and Mac utilities. More importantly, Tim has already ported
TCL as an OSA component. The most recent release of Tickle includes an
OSA component version of the J language. The most recent version of
Tickle can be obtained from ftp.msen.com (148.59.1.8) in the directory
/pub/vendor/ice/tickle.


AppleScript vs. UserTalk.
----------------------------------------------------------
[under construction--I haven't finished this yet since it'll take
more than 5 minutes. Can you explain the differences objectively and
without religious fanaticism in less than 100 words? If so, send
it to me.]


Is there another script editor besides Apple's?
----------------------------------------------------------
While the Script Editor, a.k.a. Toy Surprise, has a few unique
features, it isn't really a development tool and it has some
serious omissions. For instance, it doesn't have a Find command.

Main Event Software (202/298-9595) has shown their editor privately
at several shows, but they went public with the program at the
MacWorld 1994 Expo in SF. Scripter is a script development environment.
It has the Find command that is missing in Script Editor along with
a comment command, script builders, and a collections window to store
links to your most frequently used scripts. Scripter also has debugging
commands. It has Observe and Instant windows which let watch variables
in your script while it is running and let you quickly test those
short scripts. Scripter can pretty print your scripts the same way
the Script Editor does.

Besides these two editors, you can also use Frontier to write and record
scripts. It doesn't provide you with pretty printing, but you can use its
database to store your scripts in. Using Frontier also makes it easier to
combine AppleScript and Fronter scripts. Unfortunately, Frontier's
debugger does not work with AppleScript.

Object Master from ACIUS (408/252-4444) is a sophisticated development
environment that can replace the Think Project Manager and MPW's editor,
but it also supports AppleScript. You can run scripts from the editor,
though they are not pretty printed.

The recently released Tickle 5.01 has interpreter windows where you can
enter and run scripts. The results of the script are pasted back into
the window. See TCL just above for ftp information.


=============================================================
->SELECTED SCRIPTING INFO

Reasons why a script doesn't work
-------------------------------------------------------------
[How can they fail? let me count the ways; and there must be
several. If you have a general suggestion, send it to me.]


How can I stop a script from running?
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you are running a script from the Script Editor, you can type
command-period to stop the script or click the Stop button. If the
script running a droplet, you can also type command-period.


How can I script an application that isn't scriptable?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Several people are working on solutions to this problem. The most
ready solution is to use one of the macroing programs to drive
the application's interface. QuicKeys 3.0 is the most logical
since it is OSA-complient (in less jargony terms, the QuicKeys
Toolbox is an OSA component like AppleScript, or UserTalk). You can
encapsulate a QuicKeys script that drives an application's interface
within your AppleScript script.

PreFab Software (617/628-9555, voice and fax;CompuServe: 70214,424)
is working on an extension called PreFab Player that lets you select
menu items and click buttons and checkboxes in applications. Due to
QuicKeys size, PreFab Player would have a smaller memory footprint. At
this time, PreFab only has the Frontier version working, though the
AppleScript version shouldn't be far behind.

Naturally, the Internet contains a solution. Ross Brown is working
on an extension called Menu Events, which lets you control the
menus in an application that is System 7 savvy though unscriptable.
And James Davis has written an AutoType osax that lets you
simulate keyboard activity from a script. AutoType sends
keystrokes to the front application. Recently, Davis and Brown
are talking about combining the functions of the two scripting
additions.


I compiled my script and some of the script changed.
------------------------------------------------------------
Typically, scripts only change it they have properties that
change. The script may also change if it was orginally compiled
under AppleScript 1.0 and then run under 1.1. [from Jon Pugh]


Some of my script lines are too long and difficult to
read on my screen.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Like HyperTalk, AppleScript supports a continuation character
if you want to break a line to make it more readable in the editor
window. To insert the continuation character, type option-return. An
"L"-shaped character is inserted at the end of the line and your
cursor is moved to a new line. When the script executes, it treats
the second part of the line as though it is on the original line.

You cannot insert a continuation character within a string. The
following script breaks because AppleScript interprets the two lines
as separate statements [I've substituted -| for the continuation
character].

--this breaks
delete word 1 of paragraph 3 of document "Fundamentals " -|
& "of programming"


=============================================================
->SCRIPTING ADDITIONS

What are Scripting Additions?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Scripting Additions are code resources that add commands and
funtions to the AppleScript language. They are similar to
HyperCard's XCMDs and XFCNs. The reside in the Scripting
Additions folder inside of the Extensions folder. Once installed
in the Scripting Addtions, they behave like a command in the
AppleScript language.


What is the plural of osax?
-------------------------------------------------------------
This question was "hotly" debated on the mailing list. Jon Pugh
offered the definitive answer

"I believe I [am] in a position to make a definitive statement
on the plurality of the name osax since I helped Donald Olson
make up the term. First off, they are all lowercase. In multiples,
we call them osaxen. In polite company, i.e. documentation, we
call them Scripting Additions.

"...[osax stands] for Open Scripting Architecture eXtensions. We
wanted to call them osex, but didn't think the Apple laywers would
let us get away with that.

"Also, osaxen are not limited to scripting.  If you have
AppleScript installed and ANY program sends an event or uses a
coercion defined in an osax, it will get called. Their use is
not limited to AppleScript. However, AppleScript must be present
for them to get loaded and used."


=============================================================
->BUGS AND PROBLEMS
[I'm collecting bug and problem reports for this section.]

In FileMaker Pro 2.0vx, there is a bug that prevents FMP from correctly
sending AppleEvents to applets created with the Script Editor.
Specifically, FMP confuses the pathnames to applets, and all events are
sent to the most recently created applet available!  This problem was fixed
in the FMP 2.1v1 update, but a similar problem exists with "applications"
(frontlets <grin>) created using the Frontmost interface builder.  Claris
is aware of this problem, and a fix is planned for a future update.
[Lee Hoong]

AfterDark is incompatible with the Apple Event Manager 1.0 that
shipped with AppleScript 1.0. [I'm running a monitor card that is
incompatible with AfterDark, so I can't confirm this.]

=============================================================
->APPLESCRIPT PRODUCTS AND RELATED APPLICATIONS
The following list of AppleScript-related products includes
commercial and shareware/freeware programs. I've indicated the
current version number and how they support AppleScript. As more
products become available, I'll add them to the list. If you
know of any that I've missed, please let me know. [This is very
inadequate. I'll be expanding this to add more information about
the product, the company address, phone, fax, and email, and the
price of the prodcut. I'd originally intended to include osaxen
in this section, but I think I'll make that list separate.]


Main Event Software, Scripter. Still in beta. It is a development
environment that replaces Script Editor. In addition to a find
command, Scripter also has debugging tools and script building
aids.

PreFab, PreFab Player. Still in beta. It allows you to script programs
that aren't scriptable by selecting menu commands and buttons in
dialogs.

IT Makers, Snippets and Decoder Ring. These programs just started
shipping. Decoder Ring reads the Dictionary from a scriptable
application and creates a file that you can read with Snippets.
Snippets is a Think Reference-like interface for reading and
annotating the Dictionaries.


=============================================================
->SCRIPTABLE APPLICATIONS
The following list of applications is probably incomplete, but it
should give you a good starting point. I've included both commercial
and shareware/freeware programs. I've also tried to indicate the
current version number of the program and its level of AppleScript
support. I've Apple's Guide to Scriptable Applications" by
including codes in parentheses to indicate if a program is
(S)criptable, (A)ttachable, or (R)ecordable.


ACI, Object Master (SA) Core, Text, and Finder suites.

Aldus, TouchBase Pro (S) Core and Personal Information
suites; DateBook Pro (S) Core and Scheduling stuies:
PageMaker 4.2 and 5.0 (S) Core suite and a "PageMaker
suite" which contains do script and evaluate commands.

Aladdin, SITcomm (SA) Core and SITcomm Telecommunications
suites; StuffIt Deluxe (SR) Core and StuffIt suites:
StuffIt Lite (SR) Core and StuffIt suites; Stuffit Expander
3.0.7 (S), Required and Expansion suites.

Apple, HyperCard 2.2 (SA) Core, Required, and HyperCard
suites: MPW

Beyond, Beyond Rules (S) Core suite.

Cambridge Scientific, ChemDraw Plus 3.1 (S) Core, Required, and ChemDraw
suites; Chem3D Plus 3.0 (S) Subset of Core and Misc, Required, and Chem3D
suites.

Chang Labs, TableServer (S) Core, Text, Personal
Information, and Table suites.

Chena, Fair Witness 2.0 (SAR) Core, Text, Personal
Information, Scheduling, Table, and Word services suites.

Claris, FileMaker Pro 2.1 (S) Core, Database, and Table
suites: MacProject (SA) Core, Scheduling, Table and
Spreadsheet suites; MacWrite Pro 1.5 (S) Core and MacWrite
Pro suites.

Deneba, Canvas 3.5 (S) Core, Required, and Canvas
suites.

DeltaPoint, DeltaGraph Pro 3.0 [I haven't installed it yet,
but a beta version was scriptable]

DigiTalk, Smalltalk/V 2.0 [it is supposed to be scriptable,
but I haven't played with it yet.]

Endres, Tickle 4.1 (S) Core, Required, Scriptable TE, and
Tickle (evaluate selection command) suites.

Frontmost 1.0 (SA), Required and Frontmost suites. Note: all "applets" (or
is that "frontlets"? <grin>) created by Frontmost are also scriptable and
attachable.

Giles, Aaron, JPEGView 3.1 (S) Core and JPEGView
suites.

Heilman, Pocket 6.3 (S) Required suite.

ISIS, ISIS Notes (SR) Core, Finder, and
Custom event suites.

IT Makers, Snippets and Decoder Ring (SAR) Core and
Custom suites.

Jundt, Kevin, Acid Jazz 1.1v1 (SR) Required and Acid Jazz (Do Script, Dial
Phone) suites.

Kehler, Pete, Alapha 6.53 (S) Required and Miscellaneous
suites.

Lewis, Peter. Anarchie (S) Standard (showabout and help
commands) and Anarchie (find, fetch, store, list, and
nlist commands) suites.

Microsoft, Excel 4.0 (S) Core, Charting, and
Spreadsheet suites; Word 6.0 [yep, it's right here
in the Guie to Scrptable Applications, though the
person I spoke with said it might be as much as six
months away] (SR) Core, Text, and EGO suites.

Neeracher, MacPerl 4.1.2 (S) Core, Required, Miscellaneous
Standard (Show and Do Script commands), and Text
suites.

Nisus Software, Easy Alarms

Now, Now Contact (S) Core and Required suites and
the Entity object from the Collaborative Info suite.
Now Up-To-Date 2.1 (S) Core, Required, and Schedule suites


Portfolio, DynoDex 3.0 (S) Required and Dynodex suites,
the Make Call command from the Telephony suite, and a
Miscellaneous suite which contains a Do Menu command.

Qualcomm, Eudora 2.01 (S) Core, Required, and
Eudora suites.

Quark, QuarkXPress 3.2 (S) Core, Text, and
QuarkXPress suites.

Trilobyte Software, ARACommander 2.0 (S) Required and
ARACommander suite.

Software Ventures, MicroPhone Pro (S) Required, Miscellany
(get, set, and do script commands), and Microphone suites.

Concurrent, Sum Total (S) A specialized Sum Total
suite.

Symantec, ThinkC 6.0 (S) Core and Think suites.

UserLand Software, Frontier 3.01. (SAR) It supports the
Required and Standard suites as well as a subset of the
Miscellaneous suite.

WordPerfect, WordPerfect 3.0 (SAR) Core, Required, Text,
Micellaneous, OCE Mailer, and Word Processing suites.

Working Software, Spellswell 7 (SAR) Core, Text, Finder
and Word Services suites; Writeswell, Jr. 1.05 (SA) Core,
Text, Finder and Word Services suites



=============================================================
->BOOKS AND OTHER SOURCES OF INFO


What's a good AppleScript book?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Besides the AppleScript Language Guide that ships with AppleScript,
there are only two AppleScript books available:

Derrick Schneider, Tao of AppleScript (ISBN 1-56830-075-1). This guide,
created by the Berkeley Macintosh User's Group (BMUG), introduces you
to the process of creating scripts with line-by-line instructions for
each example.  Ideal for getting started with AppleScript.  Includes
complete glossary to the AppleScript language and a disk with
AppleScript, scripting additions, and scriptable applications.
Price: $24.95 (U.S.); $31.95 (Canada.)
Publisher: Hayden Books, 11711 N. College Ave., Carmel, IN
46032. (800) 776-BMUG


Danny Goodman, The Complete AppleScript Handbook (ISBN 0-679-79148-5).
Written by the author of The Complete HyperCard Handbook, this
guide explains in detail all commands and usage of the AppleScript
language. Covers topics such as error-checking, agent-creation, and
common scripting mistakes. Includes disk with sample scripts,
AppleScript, and TableServer. Price: $35.00 (U.S.); $46.00 (Canada.)
Publisher: Random House Electronic Publishing.

Tom Trinko is working on a more general book (Automating Your Macintosh
with Scripting--hmm, that title sounds vaguely familiar) which devotes
equal time to scripting with Frontier and AppleScript.


What's the AppleScript Language Guide?
-------------------------------------------------------------
System 7 Pro and HyperCard 2.2 owners with sharp eyes have noticed
the sentence "For more information....see the AppleScript Language
Guide" scattered through the documentation. Since an AppleScript
Language Guide isn't included in either package, they've wondered
where they can get it. Well, you have to buy the AppleScript
Development Kit from APDA or get the AppleScript 1.1 Scripting
Kit. Addison-Wesley also sells the Language Guide separately
(ISBN 0-201-40735-3) [Chris Espinosa <[e-mail]> supplied
this information].


What other information is available about AppleScript, Apple
events, the Object Model, and Open Scripting Architecture?
-------------------------------------------------------------
You can find more information about Apple events, OSA, and AppleScript
in the New Inside Macintosh--Interapplication Communication.
Price: $36.95. Publisher: Addison Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.,
Menlo Park, California. Available at technical bookstores and through
APDA - U.S. [phone]; Canada [phone]; or
international [phone].

You can also find information about Apple events in the earlier
Inside Macintosh VI. The Apple Event Registry: Standard Suites is
the last word on the structure of Apple events and the available suites
and their events. It is dated now.

For information about the Object Model, you have to turn to the
Developer University MiniCourse: Apple events/AppleScript
Programming Tutorial. It has a reprint of Richard Clark's article
"Apple Event Objects and You" (develop 10, May 1992, pp. 8-32). Eric
Berdahl's article "Better Apple Event Coding Through Objects"
(develop 12, December 1992, pp. 58-83) provides more information
about the Object Model.


=============================================================
->FTP INFO - WHERE TO FIND APPLESCRIPT FILES

You can find most of the shareware and freeware AppleScript
scripting additions and AppleScript-related software on the more
popular Internet FTP archives. Both mac.archive.umich.edu
and sumex.stanford.edu contain software. I have consolidated
as much of this software as possible on gaea.kgs.ukans.edu. You
will find scripting additions, sample scripts, and scriptable
applications in the AppleScript directory. There are also
AppleScript-related files in the QuicKeys and Frontier directories.


=============================================================
->WHAT ELSE?

If there is a question that you think should included send it to me.
I would also like to include any bugs or problems within AppleScript or
any of the scriptable programs. If you know of additional sources of
information, let me know so I can include them.