Apple

Nicely done. Well thought out and thorough.

6) Built in features for changing case of strings

I think what we're hoping for, especially now that all text is unicode, is a "Text Events" FBA along the same lines as the "Image Events" FBA. A suite built into the core language is probably too much to hope for.

1) Apple should provide idiot-proof examples for working with the many and

various ways of referring to files. There is far too much confusion about

this. Perhaps with some kind of table describing what you can and can't do

with each kind, examples of coercions between them and so on.

This may be in the works, we are expecting a new ASLG soon.

2) XML support should be standard without occult plist hacks or third

party extensions. (Apple should have no qualms about cannibalising its

third party developers in this case, because the two third party XML

extensions are freeware anyway. Apple should license both, and merge them

into a single default-install scripting addition.)

There is XML support in the System Events app.

3) There should be some easy way of making dictionaries for our own

AppleScript apps. (Or at least AppleScript Studio apps).

I know a few developers who could use that as well.

4) Last of all, I'd like to echo the calls for Apple to brush up the

scripting interface of its own apps, so that they conform to its own

technotes and recommendations. Eat your own dogfood!

I can live with the model of a limited implementation for the first release and improvements with each subsequent release, but they're dropping the ball with some apps. Safari comes to mind.

Also they used to have someone (Cal?) review all appleScript dictionaries before they were put into the applications. That really helped and I'm hoping they would go back to doing that.

ES