Apple Script Language Guide

AppleScript Language Guide Contents Introduction to AppleScript Language Guide 12 What Is AppleScript? 12 Who Should Read This Document? 13 Organization of This Document 13 Conventions Used in This Guide 14 See Also 15 AppleScript Lexical Conventions 16 Character Set 16 Identifiers 17 Keywords 17 Comments 19 The Continuation Character 19 Literals and Constants 20 Boolean 20 Constant 20 List 20 Number 20 Record 21 Text 21 Operators 21 Variables 22 Expressions 22 Statements 23 Commands 23 Results 24 Raw Codes 24 AppleScript Fundamentals 25 Script Editor Application 25 AppleScript and Objects 27 What Is in a Script Object 27 Properties 28 Elements 29 2008-03-11 | © 2008 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 Contents Object Specifiers 29 What Is in an Object Specifier 30 Containers 31 Absolute and Relative Object Specifiers 31 Object Specifiers in Reference Objects 32 Coercion (Object Conversion) 33 Scripting Additions 36 Commands Overview 37 Types of Commands 37 Target 38 Direct Parameter 38 Parameters That Specify Locations 39 AppleScript Error Handling 39 Global Constants in AppleScript 40 AppleScript Constant 40 current application Constant 43 missing value Constant 44 true, false Constants 44 The it and me Keywords 44 Aliases and Files 46 Specifying Paths 46 Working With Aliases 47 Working With Files 48 Remote Applications 49 Enabling Remote Applications 49 eppc-Style Specifiers 49 Targeting Remote Applications 50 Debugging AppleScript Scripts 51 Feedback From Your Script 51 Logging 51 Third Party Debuggers 52 Variables and Properties 53 Defining Properties 53 Declaring Variables 54 Local Variables 54 Global Variables 55 Using the copy and set Commands 56 Scope of Variables and Properties 59 2008-03-11 | © 2008 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Contents Scope of Properties and Variables Declared in a Script Object 60 Scope of Variables Declared in a Handler 64 Script Objects 67 Defining Script Objects 67 Initializing Script Objects 69 Sending Commands to Script Objects 70 Inheritance in Script Objects 71 The AppleScript Inheritance Chain 72 Defining Inheritance Through the parent Property 72 Some Examples of Inheritance 73 Using the continue Statement in Script Objects 75 About Handlers 79 Handler Basics 79 Defining a Simple Handler 80 Handlers with Labeled Parameters 81 Handlers with Positional Parameters 82 Handlers with Patterned Positional Parameters 83 Recursive Handlers 84 Errors in Handlers 85 Passing by Reference Versus Passing by Value 85 Calling Handlers in a tell Statement 86 Saving and Loading Libra…