Re: Push for AppleScript in OS X
Re: Push for AppleScript in OS X
- Subject: Re: Push for AppleScript in OS X
- From: "Ray Barber" <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2001 19:19:36 -0600
Couldn't of said it better myself ...
kudos to that! :)
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From: email@hidden
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To: email@hidden
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Subject: Re: Push for AppleScript in OS X
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Date: Fri, Feb 2, 2001, 7:00 PM
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>> I think it would be in our best interests if everyone sent their desire
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to
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>> have AppleScript in OS X.
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> The good news is that you're about one year too late, ).
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>>Mark<<This issue occupied much of our time during a panel discussion I
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was
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involved with at Macworld.
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It's funny, Mark, the first time we met was at Apple Headquarters
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discussing the importance AppleScript in Rhapsody. At that same visit Cal
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arranged for presentations to the board of directors from a small group of
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Apple customers who depend on AppleScript.
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Here it is how many years later and we're still worried about basically the
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same thing!
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>>>>>The issue at hand is actually quite serious. While its true that the
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AppleScript language its self is well positioned in MacOS X, scriptability
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in MacOS X as a whole is in a terrible state.
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Personally I feel that judgement is a bit hasty and harsh. First,
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AppleScript thrives in the Classic environment and an appleScript running
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in Classic can interact with OS X applications.
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Second, Apple is doing pretty much what they've said all along (or at least
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for as long as they've been saying things publicly and officially) and that
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is that AppleScript will be a key technology in Mac OS X but that it will
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be a slow start.
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Just how slow is where my only concern lies.
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I feel certain it will progress in OS X faster than it did in the classic
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OS over the years. But even if it moves slowly, we still maintain much of
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the functionality through classic scripting.
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>>>During Macworld it became very clear that with the initial release of
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MacOS X we are not going to enjoy anywhere near the level of scriptability
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in the core OS (Desktop, Dock, Preferences, Networking, Printing) that we
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enjoy today with MacOS 9.
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Again, that's pretty much what we've been expecting all along.
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Right now Apple has a terrific AppleScript team. They're focus has been on
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OS 9.1. I believe the plan is to move that team to OS X at the appropriate
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time. Based on what I've heard from people inside of apple and out I
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believe we're much better off with an experienced AppleScript "A" team who
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know the technology and the system software rather than two teams working
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on AppleScript independently.
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Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once.
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>>>Additionally, all of Apple's recent consumer applications (iTumes,
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iMovie,Final Cut Pro, etc.) are *not* scriptable. I see this as a very bad
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precedent.
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Have you seen the preview version of QuickTime? That would be a good
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precedent. Apple has been pretty consistent in their development of new
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technology and applications and appleScript. Basically the technology
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evolves in secrecy, scant attention is paid to AppleScript until it is
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released and then after a time, AppleScript is implemented in stages.
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Considering that iTunes is a modified version of another scriptable app, I
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wouldn't be surprised if it's not the first to become scirptable. (Heck, I
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haven't tried this but I wouldn't be surprised i you couldn't just paste
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the AETE from its predecesor into it and have a scriptable app).
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>>>>So, to conclude, its not the language that's at risk, but support for
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scripting in the OS that's the problem.
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Well, first, the language is always at risk. Particularly when you have
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OSAX developers wanting to clutter up the namespace with hideous commands
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like "Akua copy" or "MT this" or "SMIL That" yuk, yuk, yuk!
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While I agree we should do our utmost to ensure that Apple provide the most
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support for scripting possible, we should also recognize what they've done
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and how far they've gone so far to make the transition as smooth as
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possible for all of us.
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This is not the time to panic.
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>>>>If scripting in MacOS X matters to you or your organization, you must
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make this clear in a respectful way to Apple. If we are not making our
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needs clear to Apple, they may choose not to do this work in favor of some
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other feature enhancement.
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I certainly agree with that!
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HTH,
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ES
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