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Re: (Newbie Perspective)
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Re: (Newbie Perspective)


  • Subject: Re: (Newbie Perspective)
  • From: Daniel Robinson <email@hidden>
  • Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 19:16:30 -0500

hehehe

I thought I would be the only one irritated by this illustration of the "modern
'chat speak' method of writing"

Thank goodness I was not the only one!

To all who would use ChatSpeak:

ChatSpeak is like rap music.
Just because you can,
doesn't mean you should.

--Dan
------------------------------------------------------------------------

> >At 21:52 +1100 UTC, on 18/02/2001, Nicholas Deane-Johns wrote:
> >
> >> [...] (u'd laugh if u saw my scripting efforts,
> >> [...] u lot seem 2 whip off scripts so easily).
> >>
> >> [...] u lot r all so apologetic [...]
> >> [...] All of ur suggestions r great [...]
> >> [...] Most newbie scripters r either desperate 4 an answer
> >
> >[...]
> >
> >> i hope i have expressed myself
> >
> >Definitely.
> >
> >> comprehensively (?)...
> >
> >Not really.
>
> ROFL. It brought tears to my eyes knowing I wasn't the only one who found
> that message a bit cryptic to read. I had to wonder if my coffee had been
> switched to decaffeinated. Maybe I'm just one of those people who just
> like to _read_ text email and not have to decipher as I go.
>
> kat
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 08:47:47 -0600
> To: Applescript-Users <email@hidden>
> From: Emmanuel <email@hidden>
> Subject: Re: alias and memory leak
>
> At 7:07 -0600 18/02/01, Victor Yee wrote:
> >Is there any resource that has a list of these problems? Or is it
> >something that one learns only through experience.
>
> I'm afraid only very few people feel concerned about memory leaks - which
> is easy to understand - so I'm afraid there is no specific resource on the
> topic. Moreover, that would be a resource not easy to maintain, since new
> versions ship frequently, and since not only AppleScript, but also Apple's
> Scripting Additions, and Apple's Script Editor, are also involved.
>
> Best regards,
> Emmanuel
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 11:10:11 -0800
> To: AppleScript-Users Mail <email@hidden>
> From: John W Baxter <email@hidden>
> Subject: Re: AppleScript Endec (Encoder/Decoder) 1.0.2
>
> At 5:44 -0500 2/18/01, Bill Cheeseman wrote:
> >At the end of this message you will find the text of Wolf Rentzsch's script
> >"AppleScript Endec 1.0.2". Copy it (including the opening "(*" comment
> >delimiter), paste it into your script editor, compile and save.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Tested so far with itself, with the results compared using BBedit...no
> problems (3 non-significant differences: 2 indentation and one being the
> lack of a trailing return on the decoded script (or the presence of a
> trailing return on the original as found in BBEdit).
>
> Also tested on a little sample I've been playing with in another venue:
>
> -- Encoded with AppleScript Endec 1.0.2
> display dialog `C2
> " g"
>
> I see it only encodes the AppleScript-specific characters...I can live with
> that (although the mpw-dev list can't). The string in that sample is
> "option-z option-x option-c option-v"--as HTML entities:
> &Omega;&asymp;&ccedil;&radic;
>
> (HTML 4 and XHTML, that is...IE 4.5 doesn't like any of those except
> &ccedil; .)
>
> It decodes correctly.
>
> --John
> --
> John Baxter email@hidden Port Ludlow, WA, USA
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 14:26:18 -0500
> Subject: Re: Hate to break in with
> From: Peter Fine <email@hidden>
> To: AppleScript-Users <email@hidden>
> CC: <email@hidden>
>
> on 2/18/01 9:40 AM, Robert Poland at email@hidden wrote:
>
> > Hate to break in with a non- Convert Script question -
> >
> > Has anyone ever made a list of the Scripting additions (dictionaries)
> > and where they can be found? Preferably in alphabetical order.
> >
> > I'm trying to find where I found Automate alerts.
>
> "automate alerts after" is found in Akua Sweets.
>
> I have a FileMaker 4 DB containing the dictionaries of all the osaxen I've
> been able to get my hands on. It is searchable by command, among other
> things. It's too big (2.5MB unstuffed) to email and I've been too busy to
> figure out how to use my iDisc.
>
> Peter
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 20:45:13 +0100
> Subject: Apple script and appearance
> From: "Davide S. Kraehenbuehl" <email@hidden>
> To: AppleScript-Users <email@hidden>
>
> Hi,
>
> I call this applescript from an application, it change the desktop picture
> with MyImage
>
> on run {MyImage}
>
> copy MyImage as alias to filelist
>
> tell application "Appearance"
> set picture file of monitor 1 to filelist
> set picture positioning of monitor 1 to centered
> quit
> end tell
>
> end run
>
> My question is how I can launch appearance in background (or invisible)?
> It9s possible? I9m pretty new with applescript.
>
> Thanks, Davide
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 14:57:39 -0500
> To: email@hidden
> From: Deivy Petrescu <email@hidden>
> Subject: May be HyperCard (was:Facespan 3.5.1: Is it good, or bad, for
> you?).
>
> cris <email@hidden> wrote
>
> >on 18.02.2001 4:32 Uhr, Douglas Wagner at email@hidden wrote:
> >
> > > Hello:
> > > I used Facespan 2.0 briefly some time ago and was disappointed. Now
> > > I've started using Facespan 3.5 and almost at once, I've started
> > > running into similar problems. During, what I consider fairly routine
> > > work, I run into all sorts of odd behaviour.
> >
> >
> >I hope the OS X version will be much better. And maybe it is possible at
> >some day to use Apples Interface Builder with AppleScript.
> >There is currently no alternative (except Dialog Director) to Facespan,
> >which is generally bad in my opinion.
>
> Just a suggestion. I've been fooling around with HyperTalk and
> AppleScript and I am amazed at how easy it is to work with both in
> HyperCard. It is very easy to pass values back and forth and with a
> little imagination sky is the limit. On top of that, the power of
> HyperTalk to understand clicks, cmd-clicks, etc., makes it very
> easy to work with both languages to attain anything one wants.
> As an extra bonus, one gets the flexibility of HyperTalk on many
> items were Applescript is not as good. Dates for instance. Also
> drawing, finding, working with some mathematical functions ( they are
> native in HT), and making a GUI to run any script you choose.
> Since Apple is pondering about stopping the development of HC, either
> get your copy soon or ask Apple not to stop developing HC. It is
> significantly cheaper than FaceSpan.
> Oh! HC is better to control QT as well...
> Just my two cents
>
> Regards
>
> Deivy Petrescu
> http://www.dicas.com
> Tips for your Mac.
> Dicas para o seu Mac.
> mailto:email@hidden
> mailto:email@hidden
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 15:02:12 -0500
> From: Bryan <email@hidden>
> Reply-To: email@hidden
> Organization: Apex Radiology
> To: email@hidden
> Subject: Re: Hate to break in with
>
> Hmmmm, the only Automate Alerts I know of is in Akua Sweets.
> Did you get some of the commands unbundled from Akua?
> If not, then I'd be interested in acquiring a copy as well.
>
> Bryan Kaufman
>
> Dale Saukerson wrote:
>
> > At 9:40 AM -0500 2/18/01, Robert Poland wrote:
> >
> > >Has anyone ever made a list of the Scripting additions
> > >(dictionaries) and where they can be found? Preferably in
> > >alphabetical order.
> > >
> > >I'm trying to find where I found Automate alerts.
> >
> > The site I visit is:
> > http://MacScripter.net/
> >
> > Their searchable page for oxen is:
> > http://www.osaxen.com/
> >
> > Automate alerts is not listed there.
> > --
> > Dale Saukerson email@hidden
> > Minnesota, USA.
> > G4 Yikes PCI/400 mhz 256megs
> > AppleScript neophyte
> > _______________________________________________
> > applescript-users mailing list
> > email@hidden
> > http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/applescript-users
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 12:25:12 -0800
> From: Chris Nebel <email@hidden>
> Reply-To: email@hidden
> Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
> To: Arthur J Knapp <email@hidden>
> CC: email@hidden
> Subject: Re: Admin: a suggestion on the script corruption problem.
>
> Arthur J Knapp wrote:
>
> > > Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 13:41:46 -0800
> > > From: Christopher Nebel <email@hidden>
> > > Subject: Re: Admin: a suggestion on the script corruption problem.
> >
> > > I filed an enhancement request a month or two back for 7-bit clean
> > > AppleScript, i.e., nothing but pure ASCII.
> >
> > Chris, you have really made my day. :)
> >
> > > There are only two places where AppleScript requires the use of
> > > Mac-specific characters: the raw code brackets and continuation
> > > characters. There are several others where AppleScript prefers to use
> > > Mac characters, but has a pure ASCII equivalent: not-equal, greater- (or
> > > less-) than-or-equal-to.
> >
> > Well, equivalents that are more or less useless, since the darn compiler
> > forces them to be replaced by their high-bit synonym.
>
> Well, that depends on what you need to do. I forgot to mention this
> initially, but part of my scheme is to introduce an extra preference that
> says, in essence, "decompile using straight ASCII." (I have yet to figure
> out some way to express this that won't completely befuddle novices.)
>
> If you're just copying scripts from the list, it wouldn't matter which way
> you have the switch set, because the compiler will understand both the ASCII
> and non-ASCII versions all the time. If you want to post scripts, though,
> you'd turn the switch on, and your scripts would show up using only ASCII
> characters. (Well, for language elements, at least. Inside strings and
> comments, you're on your own.) This won't completely eliminate the list
> problem, since the switch will probably default to off, and newbies probably
> wouldn't know to turn it on, but it at least provides a quick and easy
> solution.
>
> My point above was that there are only two places where I'd have to introduce
> entirely new tokens for existing things, because the others already have
> plain ASCII versions, even if the decompiler always munges them. This is
> good, because altering the syntax of a language can be, shall we say,
> disruptive, so you want to keep changes as small as possible.
>
> --Chris Nebel
> AppleScript Engineering
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 12:45:38 -0800
> Subject: Re: Admin: a suggestion on the script corruption problem.
> From: Paul Berkowitz <email@hidden>
> To: Applescript-Users <email@hidden>
>
> On 2/18/01 12:25 PM, "Chris Nebel" <email@hidden> wrote:
>
> > My point above was that there are only two places where I'd have to introduce
> > entirely new tokens for existing things, because the others already have
> > plain ASCII versions, even if the decompiler always munges them. This is
> > good, because altering the syntax of a language can be, shall we say,
> > disruptive, so you want to keep changes as small as possible.
>
> Chris,
>
> It's wonderful that you're going to all this trouble. And, as you say, there
> are so few non-ASCII-7 characters in AppleScript that it might be a very
> good idea to replace them. However, I'm sure that they will still crop up
> both from people who don't know, or forget about, the switch you envision,
> and in strings, but probably not too often.
>
> It still seems rather a drastic solution for a mailing list problem
> although, of course, you did mention much more important reasons for wanting
> to make the change.
>
> I'm still puzzled as to why this is an evidently easier solution than simply
> reconfiguring the server's software. I can send any ASCII-8 character
> whatsoever - any character typed using the option key on a Mac keyboard - to
> the Microsoft newsgroup servers, and it comes back exactly as I typed it. I
> tried with all our "problem" characters here - every one - and then some,
> and back they all came, perfectly correct. I can also read the same
> characters typed using different key combinations by other people on Windows
> computers sent to the same newsgroups, and they all arrive on my Mac email
> program (Entourage) exactly as they were sent and intended. Oh well.
>
> --
> Paul Berkowitz
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 12:45:28 -0800
> Subject: Re: Admin: a suggestion on the script corruption problem.
> From: Brad Giesbrecht <email@hidden>
> To: <email@hidden>, AS list <email@hidden>
>
> Hello,
>
> For a short term solution:
>
> Use a client-side send mail script that substitutes
> "(alert: substitute option-return)" for the offending
> character.
>
> Then use a client-side receive mail script that
> replaces the offending character for
> "(alert: substitute option-return)".
>
> Something like this maintains a great degree
> of read if they do not use the decoding
> script.
>
> Cheers,
> Bradley Giesbrecht
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 12:45:24 -0800
> To: AppleScript-Users Mail <email@hidden>
> From: John W Baxter <email@hidden>
> Subject: Re: AppleScript Endec (Encoder/Decoder) 1.0.2
>
> At 11:10 -0800 2/18/01, John W Baxter wrote:
> >Also tested on a little sample I've been playing with in another venue:
> >
> >-- Encoded with AppleScript Endec 1.0.2
> >display dialog `C2
> > " g"
> >
> >I see it only encodes the AppleScript-specific characters...I can live with
> >that (although the mpw-dev list can't). The string in that sample is
> >"option-z option-x option-c option-v"--as HTML entities:
> > &Omega;&asymp;&ccedil;&radic;
> >
> >(HTML 4 and XHTML, that is...IE 4.5 doesn't like any of those except
> >&ccedil; .)
> >
> >It decodes correctly.
>
> I should have said: "It decodes correctly before being passed through the
> list."
>
> It won't do well at all after the Grand ASCIIfier's tender manipulations.
> But few of us have a *need* to put odd characters like that into strings
> (and we can use the ASCII numeric values if we do).
>
> --John
> --
> John Baxter email@hidden Port Ludlow, WA, USA
>
> --__--__--
>
> Message: 12
> From: email@hidden
> Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 16:31:49 EST
> Subject: Re: Re: Character mangling test
> To: email@hidden, email@hidden
>
> In a message dated 2/18/01 5:27:12 AM, Richard 23 wrote by first quoting me:
>
> <snip> miserable failure <snip> mangled <snip> kludge <snip>
>
> >I'd be happy to try out your solution...this one has been available for
> >constructive review since before November 2000.
>
> You misread my proposal BIG TIME. Read on...
>
> >Clique-ish? Are you sure about this?
>
> Just a thought, and on reflection a bad one, since this list is so welcoming
> to start with.
>
> >Mostly? What doesn't work?
>
> The "mostly" means your script can't fix every problem, such as email clients
> or mail relays that damage messages before or after passage thru Apple's
> listserv, as happened to me with AOL.*
>
> >Kludge? What do you call the current system? It's not possible to
> >completely dekludge a kludge. I'm not too worried about it.
>
> Touche4.
>
> >If anyone wants to use it they can. If someone comes up with something
> >simpler then I'm all for it.
>
> >>And suggestions based on my original posting, in that order.
> >>-----------------------------
> >>[how to type original character on US keyboard / Geneva] (description)
> >>what to type instead
> >>-----------------------------
> >>[option-,] (less than or equals)
> >>" is less than or equal to "
> >>-----------------------------
>
> I think you misread this. I am NOT suggesting typing [option-,] or other such
> horrible things. I am suggesting typing the wordy but pure 7-bit ASCII phrase
> "is greater than or equal to." It will always work and no list server, mail
> relay, or email client can mangle it.
>
> You are apparently interpreting each second line between the ---- as comments
> only. NO! Those are my suggested replacements/solutions, followed
> occasionally by comments.
>
> >>[option-.] (greater than or equals)
> >>" is greater than or equal to "
> >>-----------------------------
> >>[option-return] (the line continuation character)
> >>keep your lines short; I can live with ==>, but can newbies?
> >>-----------------------------
> >>[option-\] (a left chevron)
> >><< hopefully, newbies will never need to contend with these
> >>-----------------------------
> >>.....
> >Most of the characters you posted aren't really used in scripts
> >except perhaps in quoted strings. I didn't even go there because
> >quoted strings can contain anything and since many of the > 127
> >characters map to alphanumerics already in use it's just not very
> >practical to try and cover those...may as well binhex....
>
> That's why I broke it up into common script characters and then a re-do of
> all the characters I originally tested. Too anal of me? Don't answer that.
>
> >I agree about the '==>' but nothing looks like the option-L character
> >so I chose something that's visually suggestive (to me I guess).
>
> My solution is short lines.
> That solves email line wrap too.
>
> >Using [option-L] is possible but replacing one character with many
> >makes the line wrap problem more pronounced.
>
> Again, I'm not suggestiing using [option-L]. Actually, that brings up another
> question. I've always used [option-return] for line continuation. It seems
> that you and others are typing [option-L] and then return. And to be even
> pickier, it's actually [option-l] (lower case "L"); using a true [option-L]
> gives you a capital O with a grave (downgoing) accent. But [option-l] looks
> like [option-|] (vertical bar) or [option-I] (capital "i"), so there's no
> good way even to type the keystrokes.
>
> >The other characters I mapped, other than the chevrons which do turn
> >up now and then, << and >> are more visually intuitive than + and ;
> >and is less space consuming than the [option-x] equivalents. The
> >wordier it gets and the more symbols one tries to handle, the more
> >obfuscated it actually becomes and harder for a simple script to
> >handle properly.
> >
> ><<event sysobeep>>
> >
> >seems more readable than
> >
> >[option-\]event sysobeep[option-shift-\]
>
> I agree.
> As before, you misread.
> Not suggesting that at all.
> Yuk : P
>
> >and is more likely to allow the original line to fit an email line.
> >also with the others I address, the two character symbols below:
> >
> >less than or equal <=
> >greater than or equal >=
> >not equal /=
> >
> >all compile directly from email even without my tool.
>
> True enough, but they don't then go back to email peacefully. I am suggesting
> using the wordy but safe full text equivalents:
>
> is less than or equal to
> is greater than or equal to
> is not equal to
>
> >This means a
> >preprocessed script will compile fine if it includes no chevrons
> >and no continuation characters. And if someone really wants the
> >english wordy variants there's a "Use English" setting described in
> >my Read Me that tells how to decode to those forms by default.
>
> Ah, I learned something. But posting the script with full English in the
> first place prevents any problems anywhere down the line. Maybe your tool can
> just do the conversion to wordy English as the default (the socially
> responsibly thing to do; friends don't let friends post high-ASCII).
>
> >The [option-,] [option-.] [option-=] are less intuitive, less readable,
> >and may not even map properly for non-us keyboards. The
> ><=, >=, /= symbols are hardcoded into AppleScript an will compile
> >regardless of localization AFAIK.
>
> Ditto above. Not my suggestion.
>
> <snip remainder, more of the same>
>
> To summarize, this problem is 98% fixable by using short lines and wordy
> English comparison operators. All that remains are the chevrons and omega
> character, which only the geekiest among us really use (I include myself in
> that group).
>
> Jeff Baumann
> email@hidden
> www.linkedresources.com
>
> 11 Days, 2 Hour, 5 Minutes
> How is it going to end?
>
> * Why do I still use AOL?
> 10) Had it 6 years - people know the address.
> 9) Wife uses same account (different screen name).
> 8) Cable modem plus IPNetRouter plus "bring your own access" equals fast
> connections/no dial-up hassles/full internet otherwise.
> 7) No one can mis-spell AOL.
> 6) I actually like the interface. OK, I'm just used to it. OK, they totally
> butchered the GUI in version 4 and later (I still use 3.02a).
> 5) Inexpensive connectivity option while travelling.
> 4) Can access from other's systems as long as they have AOL.
> 3) I'm waiting for MacOS X and the built in email client.
> 2) I like instant messaging.
>
> And the number one reason I still use AOL?
>
> 1) I'm a selectively lazy procrastinator.
>
> --__--__--
>
> _______________________________________________
> applescript-users mailing list
> email@hidden
> http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/applescript-users
>
> End of applescript-users Digest


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