Re: Apple's support for AppleScript
Re: Apple's support for AppleScript
- Subject: Re: Apple's support for AppleScript
- From: David Groover <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 11:53:25 -0500
OK then,
It seems that most points have already been made. To be clear, I like Apple,
very much. That includes AS and any other cool commodity created in, around,
or for a Mac.
Here's my main (underlying) beef. While sizzle is cool, I also want
substance. If I am going to hang my hat on Apple and it's products, I expect
serious business support.
Example 1:
I have done some commercial voice work. Roughly that is called "show Biz". I
learned early on that it is as much about the business as it is about the
show. IF you just do it because of the cool factor - because you can and
because you like the opportunity to walk into a professional studio and get
a couple hundred bucks for a little recording time, you will luck into one
or two opportunities (maybe). But if you go very far, before long you will
likely get burnt because you didn't have good business practices (assuming
you don't and unfortunately many artistic types learn that one the hard
way). The first time I tried taking a job without a good agent, I got
burned.
Example 2:
I have worked for some years as a consultant out in the corporate world.
When you depend on the exchange of information with business types, you
quickly learn that unfortunately, it is NOT a Mac world out there. From that
experience I have deduced that expecting my applied knowledge to be able to
produce results on a fairly regular basis, is not all that preposterous an
idea. (If I apply myself to learning AS, then AS needs to work. Period.)
And so AS being a little funky because of it's changes, makes a little
sense. I love what Apple has done with System 10 and I think the new iMAC is
totally cool. So I like Apples commitment to innovation.
But here is my point, What's the point of cool if you want me, as a user, to
feel confident with any solutions that I can deliver? Imagine Microsoft
Office on a PC (Most often what I use when consulting on some else's time. I
have used Word for proposals that were very professionally styled and
tweaked.) And then I pull an Excel spreadsheet into my Word document
(something I really like about Microsoft is how well the pieces integrate.)
But all of a sudden, the program breaks and Word can't find Excel.
Well, if you have worked on a Windows system you already know that it might
crash anyway because - it's Wednesday. The point is, the inter operability
of different programs seems pretty reliable. That to me is what I think I
should be able to expect from AS or any good Mac program.
All that being said, I am a lot newer to AS than almost anyone on this list.
I am learning as much from conversations about what won't work and peoples
frustrations, as I learn from watching the cool tricks and mods I can learn
in AS from this list. So, I just want to put in my 2cents for taking these
programs seriously. Mistakes are a part of life. Just fix em, and fast
please.
Dave Groover
>
From: "Daniel A. Shockley" <email@hidden>
>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 09:41:00 -0500
>
To: email@hidden
>
Subject: Re: Apple's support for AppleScript
>
>
> Subject: Re: [rant] Upgrade to 9.2, any advice?
>
> From: David Groover <email@hidden>
>
> To: Applecript Users <email@hidden>
>
> Or, maybe, Apple has finally gotten smart and decided not to spend so much
>
> of its time and it;s resources supporting really old systems. Like
>
> MicroSquish, they should want everyone to keep buying the latest and the
>
> greatest they sell. From what I hear on this list, AS in system 10 works
>
> pretty well. So maybe this is Apples little quite snub to get us all to
>
> switch to where their money is, system 10.
>
>
That might be somewhat true.
>
>
I'll actually point out that, even while I disagree with you, you
>
missed one major argument in your own favor: Apple's half-hearted
>
attempts (or lack thereof) to support AppleScript in their own
>
applications. Yes, they've been adding more support to many "comes
>
with OS" apps, but their new toy, iPhoto has nothing. No dictionary,
>
at least. All those wonderful "iPhoto scripts" have nothing to do
>
with iPhoto. They use the Finder, URL Access Scripting, Mail,
>
QuickTime Player, iTunes, and Image Capture to work their little
>
magic. I'm very suspicious that there is NO AppleScript support in
>
iPhoto, since they don't use it at all in those scripts, not even in
>
raw event codes. Not a good sign. Then again, iTunes was first
>
released with almost no script support, and it is now highly
>
scriptable. Who knows, they may have needed to get it out the door
>
with the iMac.
>
Daniel A. Shockley