Re: [OT] AppleScript scripts versus Shell scripts
Re: [OT] AppleScript scripts versus Shell scripts
- Subject: Re: [OT] AppleScript scripts versus Shell scripts
- From: Philippe GRUCHET <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 20:25:25 +0100
I wrote:
...AppleScript language is not so well-documented than Perl language.
However, there is no documentation, no example, no tutorial about
Perl in the Apple Developer Tools, nor on the Apple website.
From: Michael Kelly <email@hidden>
If you want Perl documentation, there are plenty of places to get it
other than from Apple. For Apple to document Perl would be like
Microsoft documenting PHP -- it would be redundant, and there would be
no logical reason for it.
I agree, but some substantial examples for the - 'do shell script'
command - would be the welcome, as starting blocks at least.
None of the "Script Editor Scripts" provided with SE2 contains a 'do
shell script' command.
I'd like to compare these two languages by myself: which is the best in
speed and portability.
Then, I'd be able to choose if I keep using AppleScript or if I begin
to learn a new language.
... I will add that Apple seems to have a tremendous aversion to
documentation of any kind, as they don't document their own language,
let alone someone else's.
You seem to be very frustrated about the lack of documentation
concerning the AppleScript language.
Many of us have learned (or being to learn) this language:
1) From the Apple's documentation:
AppleScript Language Guide (415 pages)
For AppleScript 1.3.7
May 5, 1999
AppleScript Finder Guide (161 pages)
AppleScript Scripting Additions Guide (130 pages)
2) From many scripts, applets and droplets as examples.
3) Through newsgroups and forums like this one.
And Perl is not so easy to understand cause of its unusual and very
compact syntax.
Not as easy to understand as AppleScript?
Well... not so easy, for someone like me who's just using the
AppleScript language (most of time) <:-)
...AppleScript's attempt at using an "English-like" syntax has made it
tremendously complicated; more so than C-based languages like Perl, in
my opinion.
Oh, yes, it's a very important and interesting opinion: coming from
C-based languages, AppleScript appears as an exotic language.
I remember this reaction about Lingo, the proprietary language of
Director: exotic.
I could take another example, POV-Ray: easy to use if you have a good C
knowledge, tremendous if you have just (?) a good AppleScript knowledge.
I could go on and on, but I've vented far too much on this list
already.
Your opinions are the welcome, Michael.
Kind regards,
Philippe Gruchet/SVM Mac
VNU Publications France
http://svmmac.vnunet.fr
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