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Re: Looking for documentation to fill in the blanks...
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Re: Looking for documentation to fill in the blanks...


  • Subject: Re: Looking for documentation to fill in the blanks...
  • From: Christopher Nebel <email@hidden>
  • Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:55:11 -0800

On Feb 7, 2008, at 3:42 PM, Malcolm Fitzgerald wrote:

On 08/02/2008, at 9:36 AM, Stephen Jones wrote:

I am new to Applescript. I was hoping I could create a simple application which would process incoming mail to a specific mailbox and extract data from the body of the mail. The mail messages are formatted. This process is currently implemented in an Exchange/ SQL environment but I want to move it to Mac OS X Mail and Filemaker.

I have downloaded all the Applescript documentation I can find, but I am baffled by the Script dictionary for Mail.

I have two basic questions:

a) The dictionary provides nothing in the way of usage - there are no examples. Where do I find documentation which explains how the dictionary parameters are actually used in a script?

Look in the Applescript folder (in Applications) for the applescript utiility. Use it add the script menu to your menus and to include the library scripts. There are a few examples for Mail in there.

Alternatively, just look in /Applications/AppleScript/Example Scripts. It's actually the same stuff that Script Menu uses.


c) Usage, general. I created a simple script just to get started. It does not work however - but then I am guessing as to how to do this:

set mailbox to "special"

tell application "Mail"
	set NewMessages to unread count of mailbox
	display dialog NewMessages
end tell

Close. Two mistakes. ...

Mr. Fitzgerald's answer was correct, but you're probably going to hit another problem like that within five minutes.


The choice of the term "dictionary" for an application's scripting interface is not accidental. Trying to learn AppleScript as a whole by reading an application's dictionary works about as well as trying to learn English by reading a regular dictionary. In other words, it will tell you what any particular word means, but nothing about grammar and how to put the words together. There's a certain amount of knowledge presumed, such as how to specify an object, which it looks like you don't understand yet.

In theory, you can learn this base knowledge by reading the AppleScript Language Guide, but because it's structured as a reference and not a tutorial, it doesn't work well for some people. In that case, there are a number of third party books that may serve you better -- search Amazon for "AppleScript" for a list.


--Chris Nebel AppleScript Engineering

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References: 
 >Looking for documentation to fill in the blanks... (From: Stephen Jones <email@hidden>)
 >Re: Looking for documentation to fill in the blanks... (From: Malcolm Fitzgerald <email@hidden>)

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