Re: Why isn't there a constant called finder?
Re: Why isn't there a constant called finder?
- Subject: Re: Why isn't there a constant called finder?
- From: Andy Wylie <email@hidden>
- Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 00:47:51 +1200
on 23/6/01 9:09 pm, Mr Tea at email@hidden wrote:
>
This from Michelle Steiner - dateline 22-06-01 10.25 PM:
>
>
> Wouldn't it be nice if we could just type this?
>
>
>
> tell the finder
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> --do something
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> end tell
>
>
I'm with you on that, Michelle. It would certainly be very 'English-Like',
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and I wouldn't be offended it the Script Editor converted 'tell the finder'
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to 'tell application "Finder" when the script is compiled.
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It's typing those darned quote marks every time that's the real bore, and my
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remedy for this is a OneClick palette that inserts 'frequently-typed' tell
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(& other) blocks into scripts. The other Script Editor enhancement that I
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would hate to be without is the contextual 'right-click' menu that I've
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added, courtesy of Kensington MouseWorks. It gives me the standard cut, copy
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& paste options, and also wraps selected text in quotes, brackets, braces
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etc., plus some other useful stuff. Makes using the Script Editor a
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pleasure. Almost.
the:"A word placed before nouns to limit or individualize their meaning." in
AS that means theFinder to me and "the" in "the Finder" is like H in IMHO,
I've only come across one instance where it's required (Smile's 'the
cursor'} I mean how many do you have?
I think it's fine as is and the sooner people stop referring to it as "the
Finder" the better, the confusion and resulting errors for beginners
thinking Finder is unlike other applications and perhaps the computer itself
was covered by several posters recently.
It really sounds like you need a scriptable editor, I can't type but hunt
and peck so I use Smile to compile snippets ie: "set
{item_size,mod_date,item_name} to {size,modification date,name } of (info
for "Documents:")" is generated by clicking a button and selecting
parameters from a list, if the target is undefined as a selection in the
text window I'm presented with a nav services window to select it.
Below is a Smile Sheet (text window with buttons} button script I use,
to install a button: copy, Scripts Menu>Development>Buttons>Make, command
option click the new button, select all, paste, save and tell ye or whatever
you fancy.
-------------
property r : return
on mouseUp(theButton)
set theWind to container of theButton
set w to selection of theWind as text
if {shift down} is in modifiers then
set a to "Finder"
else
tell application "Finder"
try
set theApps to (name of every process whose ,
has scripting terminology is true) as list
on error
set theApps to {}
end try
end tell
set end of theApps to "Finder"
set a to (choose from list theApps with prompt ,
"hey..." default items (theApps's item -((count of theApps) /
2)))
if result is false then return 0
end if
if {caps lock down} is in modifiers then
set p2 to "launch "
else
set p2 to "activate "
end if
if {option down} is in modifiers then
set {p1, p3, p4} to {"\" to ,", "", ""}
else
set {p1, p3, p4} to {"\"", r, r & "end tell"}
end if
set selection of theWind to {"tell application \"", a, p1, r, p2, p3, w,
p4} as string
end mouseUp
_____________________________ Andy