Re: Saving an attachment in Outlook Express
Re: Saving an attachment in Outlook Express
- Subject: Re: Saving an attachment in Outlook Express
- From: Paul Berkowitz <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 18:34:13 -0700
On 7/17/01 5:38 PM, "Ken Grimm" <email@hidden> wrote:
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This example underscores a recurring frustration with me and scripting --
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the quality of the dictionary. From the "save" verbiage from the OE
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dictionary above, I have a hard time believing I'm the only one that would
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have a problem with coming up with code that works. The working code does
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not specify a file, but a folder -- again, seeming to contradict the
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explanation of "[in alias]".
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What the heck am I missing, or is this just common experience and I just
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have to get used to dictionary frustration as a part of scripting?
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Gurus and others, if you can give me some insight on how to interpret a
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dictionary better to make me a more efficient scripter, I am listening.
More to your point, the OE dictionary is generally not bad, if rather terse.
It does show a good understanding of the Object Model principle, with one or
two quirks.
The 'alias' error you found is a bad one, but it's not just in OE. (It's
compounded by the fact that it _looks_ as if it must mean the folder in
which to save the file - otherwise why use 'alias' which can only be used
for an already existing file or folder? But look what the definition
actually says:
[in alias] -- the **file** in which to save the object
In FILE, not in FOLDER. It's _meant_ to be the file specification of the the
file to be created. But it has to be done as string. (In some other apps,
which don't have the keyword 'file', 'file' will work. Never 'alias'.)
That's why I've asked to you to check without the osaxen: I think the
containing folder as a location is only working due to an osax.
The identical dictionary error seems to occur in a number of other apps.
'save' is part of the Standard Suite, so both its implementation and its
Dictionary entry are most likely done by an all-purpose development tool,
probably PowerPlant. This is probably PowerPlant's error.
It's not likely to be fixed in OE, since OE appears to be at the end of its
active development. If they ever do another bug fix release (5.03) or ever
port OE to OS X, I'll push hard for this Dictionary error to be fixed. I've
already reported it for Entourage, and hope it will be fixed in a later
release of Entourage.
--
Paul Berkowitz