Re: Why is copying a file so hard?
Re: Why is copying a file so hard?
- Subject: Re: Why is copying a file so hard?
- From: has <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2005 20:30:48 +0100
Doug McNutt wrote:
>AppleScript is a must-know language for interfacing with existing applications.
I wouldn't go quite that far. Things are tough on the third-party OSA component front, but there are several languages whose application scripting support is good enough you can avoid AS completely for doing that, e.g. Perl, Python. Admittedly, it helps if you already know how AS's application scripting support works, but that's only because the existing documentation for third-party bridges doesn't bother to explain the basic principles themselves - a shortcoming that could be easily remedied by appropriate application of naked bribery/branding irons.:p
>The only information available for most is the AppleScript dictionary which makes sense only in the linguistics of AppleScript under Script Editor.
While it would be neat if Script Editor's dictionary display could format keywords for other languages, you're not stuck with it - there are alternatives. Mac::Glue has its gluedoc utility, and HTMLDictionary [see my site] has an option for outputting dictionaries in both plain-text form (for raw AE codes) and appscript-style HTML format, in addition to the standard AppleScript style. (I'd be happy to add a Mac::Glue mode too if someone wants to tell me the keyword->identifier conversion rules it uses.)
>Stay out of AppleScript as much as possible and use it only when commanding an application. MacGlue, by another Chris (Nandor), is also available but for that one still has to navigate the dictionaries to somehow discover the commands allowed by an application.
See above.
>There are examples of applications that publish their underlying Apple Events so that one can create high level events manually but they are few and far between.
See above. In addition, Smile has a 'Copy Translate' option which'll give you raw AE codes, and I'm pretty sure SD can give you them too.
has
--
http://freespace.virgin.net/hamish.sanderson/
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Applescript-users mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden