Re: I betray my ignorance - help please
Re: I betray my ignorance - help please
- Subject: Re: I betray my ignorance - help please
- From: Mr Tea <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 13:22:27 +0100
This from Frank Barlow - dated 10/9/01 11.43 am:
>
I was just about able to drive HyperCard using the "HyperCard Script
>
Language Guide". I have not found an equivalent book for Apple
>
Script. What do you recommend?
For a range of AppleScript resources, Apple's Applescript pages
(
http://www.apple.com/applescript/) are a good place to start. There are
downloadable sample scripts that you can open up to see how they work, and
some useful Help/Guidebook modules. The official AppleScript Language Guide
is also there (it's almost up to date) and there are some links to other
sources of info on the net. As for printed manuals, there's a recent volume
called 'AppleScript in a Nutshell' (O'Reilly/Pogue Press), which is more of
a reference volume than a 'how to...' , and you might still be able to pick
up a remaindered copy of 'AppleScript for Dummies', but that hasn't been
revised since 1995.
>
Using Script Editor on clicking "Check Syntax" key words go BOLD.
>
But why do some words like "Open" that look and feel like key words
>
not go BOLD? What am I missing? The "Open" statement works so the
>
reference must be correct!! (Don't all shout at once.)
The format for displaying compiled scripts in the Script Editor is more
complex than just Bold/Not Bold. To find out more, simply click on
'AppleScript Formatting...' in the Edit menu. The dialog that pops up shows
eight different language categories that you can configure individually by
changing the font, style, size and colour that is used to display them.
The default settings don't offer much variation between categories - adding
a bit more differentiation can make scripts more comprehensible, and can
help to clarify the stucture and syntax of any sample scripts that you might
be looking at.
At the risk of starting another hotly debated AS formatting thread, these
are the settings that work for my slow brain and failing eyesight:
New Text (uncompiled): Courier 12pt (Blue)
Operators etc.: Geneva 12pt Bd (Blue)
Language Keywords: Geneva 12pt Bd (Black)
Application Keywords: Geneva 12pt (Black)
Comments: Palatino 12pt Bd It (Mid-Grey)
Values...: Chicago 12pt (Red)
Variables...: Chicago 12pt (Green)
References: Geneva 12pt (Black)
You may want to be more adventurous, mixing up 36pt Boink & Sand with 48pt
QuillScript in a rainbow of fruity colours, but dispite the fun you will
have watching scripts compile, the end results may be unreadable.
Mr Tea
--
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