Re: In defense of 'English-like' AS (was Re: Search a file question - Mac OS 9)
Re: In defense of 'English-like' AS (was Re: Search a file question - Mac OS 9)
- Subject: Re: In defense of 'English-like' AS (was Re: Search a file question - Mac OS 9)
- From: Paul Skinner <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 23:18:42 -0400
On Tuesday, September 17, 2002, at 09:16 PM, Mr Tea wrote:
This from Reinhold Penner - dated 17-9-02 10.33 pm:
I really think that the "do shell script" command has essentially
killed most
of AppleScript's own commands.
That's where we differ profoundly, Reinhold.
Hear! Hear!
I'm an AS layman. I bought a computer to do word processing and
graphic design on. Being a curious cove, I was interested in the
'automated tasks' I found in the System 7.5 Apple Menu, and being an
anally retentive cove who likes everything (on his computer) neat and
squared away, I made some scripts for setting the sizes and positions
of windows on my Performa 5200 desktop. It was easy. I just opened the
script editor, hit the record button, and put the windows where I
wanted them. Best of all, I could understand what was going on in the
recorded script, and thus began my love affair with the mother of all
Mac utilities.
AppleScript is a fairly complex fairly powerful scripting system that
fools you into thinking you could learn how to use it. Then you try to
do more than record things and you feel stupid and useless. Later you
find out that you can do it.
It's the fooling you long enough to get you hooked part that makes
AppleScript unique.
And now we've got OS X and its pesky shell scripts,
SNIP!
In the original thread, Steven Angier suggested spinning off a "Do
Shell Script Users" list. It's possible that you weren't entirely
serious, Steven, but I do think that shell scripts have widened the
gap between pros and, er, hobbyists. Not that I'd want to see us split
into separate camps.
The same thing came up when OS X came out. [1]
It's the contributions to this list by professional scripters that
have helped me to flourish as a hobbyist. This is where I learned that
you don't always have to select something before doing stuff to it,
that an 'alias' in a script is not the same as an alias in the Finder,
and much, much more. I guess I'll have to get used to shell scripts,
but I don't have to like them, and I certainly don't have to embrace
them as the new orthodoxy.
Worst case: we don't get a new AppleScript function because 'you can
run a shell script that uses Tcl to call a c function to do that'.
Best case: all this newfound power and high profile leads to
AppleScript getting more resources, all the bugs are fixed and all the
missing functionality is added, oh, and all applications have
extensive, consistent dictionaries. [2]. In the meanwhile, I'll just
wrap up those Perl and shell scripts in good 'ol AppleScript handlers
and go on my happy AppleScript way.[3]
[1] Whippersnappers in their daggum newfangled oh s ex! Why 7.6.1 was
good enough for my pappy and it's good enough fer me!
[2] I can dream.
[3] Nothing else, I was really just looking for chances to use these
fancy footnote things Has uses to such great effect. : )
--
set the stateOMind to "SUPERSTITIOUS"
if the stateOMind is "SUPERSTITIOUS" then
obsess about the stateOMind
display dialog "All I can think about is " & the result
end if
to obsess about the stateOMind
set the unhealthyFixation to 0
repeat with thisLetter in the characters of the stateOMind
set the oddNumericSequence to (((the ASCII number of "6") - (6 + 6 +
6)) - 6)
set the convolutedMath to (the ASCII number of thisLetter) - the
oddNumericSequence
set the unhealthyFixation to the unhealthyFixation + the
convolutedMath
end repeat
set the unhealthyFixation to the unhealthyFixation + (the length of
the stateOMind)
return the unhealthyFixation
end obsess
;^)
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