AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

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Scripting and Automating Your Mac

By Matt Neuburg

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Released: January 2006

Pages: 592

Mac users everywhere--even those who know nothing about programming--are discovering the value of the latest version of AppleScript, Apple's vastly improved scripting language for Mac OS X Tiger. And with this new edition of the top-selling AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, anyone, regardless of your level of experience, can learn to use AppleScript to make your Mac time more efficient and more enjoyable by automating repetitive tasks, customizing applications, and even controlling complex workflows.

Fully revised and updated--and with more and better examples than ever--AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition explores AppleScript 1.10 from the ground up. You will learn how AppleScript works and how to use it in a variety of contexts: in everyday scripts to process automation, in CGI scripts for developing applications in Cocoa, or in combination with other scripting languages like Perl and Ruby.

AppleScript has shipped with every Mac since System 7 in 1991, and its ease of use and English-friendly dialect are highly appealing to most Mac fans. Novices, developers, and everyone in between who wants to know how, where, and why to use AppleScript will find AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition to be the most complete source on the subject available. It's as perfect for beginners who want to write their first script as it is for experienced users who need a definitive reference close at hand.

AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition begins with a relevant and useful AppleScript overview and then gets quickly to the language itself; when you have a good handle on that, you get to see AppleScript in action, and learn how to put it into action for you. An entirely new chapter shows developers how to make your Mac applications scriptable, and how to give them that Mac OS X look and feel with AppleScript Studio. Thorough appendixes deliver additional tools and resources you won't find anywhere else. Reviewed and approved by Apple, this indispensable guide carries the ADC (Apple Developer Connection) logo.

AppleScript Overview
1. Chapter 1 Why to Use AppleScript
  1. The Nature and Purpose of AppleScript
  2. Is This Application Scriptable?
  3. Calculation and Repetition
  4. Reduction
  5. Customization
  6. Combining Specialties
2. Chapter 2 Where to Use AppleScript
  1. Script Editor
  2. Internally Scriptable Application
  3. Script Runner
  4. Automatic Location
  5. Application
  6. Unix
  7. Hyperlinks
  8. AutomatorworkflowAutomator Automator AppleScriptplaces for usingAutomator
3. Chapter 3 Basic Concepts
  1. Apple Events
  2. The Open Scripting Architecture
  3. Script
  4. Compiling and Decompiling
  5. Compiled Script Files
  6. Script Text File
  7. Applet and Droplet
  8. Scripting Addition
  9. Dictionary
  10. Missing External Referents
  11. Modes of Scriptability
The AppleScript Language
1. Chapter 4 Introducing the Language
  1. A Little Language
  2. Extensibility and Its Perils
  3. The "English-likeness" Monster
  4. Object-likeness
  5. LISP-likeness
  6. The Learning Curve
2. Chapter 5 Syntactic Ground of Being
  1. Lines
  2. Result
  3. Comments
  4. Abbreviations and Synonyms
  5. Blocks
  6. The
3. Chapter 6 A Map of the World
  1. Scope Blocks
  2. Levels and Nesting
  3. The Top Level
  4. Code and the Run Handler
  5. Variables
4. Chapter 7 Variables
  1. Assignment and Retrieval
  2. Declaration and Definition of Variables
  3. Variable Names
5. Chapter 8 Script Objects
  1. Script Object Definition
  2. Run Handler
  3. Script Properties
  4. Script Objects as Values
  5. Top-Level Entities
  6. Compiled Script Files as Script Objects
  7. Inheritance
6. Chapter 9 Handlers
  1. Handler Definition
  2. Returned Value
  3. Handlers as Values
  4. Parameters
  5. Pass by Reference
  6. Syntax of Defining and Calling a Handler
  7. Event Handlers
  8. The Run Handler
  9. Recursion
  10. Power Handler Tricks
7. Chapter 10 Scope
  1. Regions of Scope
  2. Kinds of Variable
  3. Scope of Top-Level Entities
  4. Scope of Locals
  5. Scope of Globals
  6. Scope of Undeclared Variables
  7. Declare Your Variables
  8. Free Variables
  9. Redeclaration of Variables
  10. Closures
8. Chapter 11 Objects
  1. Messages
  2. Attributes
  3. Class
  4. Target
  5. Get
  6. It
  7. Me
  8. Properties and Elements
  9. Element Specifiers
  10. Operations on Multiple References
  11. Assignment of Multiple Attributes
  12. Object String Specifier
9. Chapter 12 References
  1. Reference as Target
  2. Reference as Incantation
  3. Creating a Reference
  4. Identifying References
  5. Dereferencing a Reference
  6. Trouble with Contents
  7. Creating References to Variables
  8. Reference as Parameter
10. Chapter 13 Datatypes
  1. Application
  2. Machine
  3. Data
  4. Boolean
  5. Integer, Real, and Number
  6. Date
  7. String
  8. Unicode Text
  9. File and Alias
  10. List
  11. Record
11. Chapter 14 Coercions
  1. Implicit Coercion
  2. Explicit Coercion
  3. Boolean Coercions
  4. Number, String, and Date Coercions
  5. File Coercions
  6. List Coercions
  7. Unit Conversions
12. Chapter 15 Operators
  1. Implicit Coercion
  2. Arithmetic Operators
  3. Boolean Operators
  4. Comparison Operators
  5. Containment Operators
  6. Concatenation Operator
  7. Parentheses
  8. Who Performs an Operation
13. Chapter 16 Global Properties
  1. Strings
  2. Numbers
  3. Miscellaneous
14. Chapter 17 Constants
15. Chapter 18 Commands
  1. Application Commands
  2. Standard Commands
  3. Logging Commands
16. Chapter 19 Control
  1. Branching
  2. Looping
  3. Tell
  4. Using Terms From
  5. With
  6. Considering/Ignoring
  7. Errors
  8. Second-Level Evaluation
AppleScript In Action
1. Chapter 20 Dictionaries
  1. Resolution of Terminology
  2. Terminology Clash
  3. Nonsensical Apple Events
  4. Raw Four-Letter Codes
  5. Multiple-Word Terms
  6. What's in a Dictionary
  7. The 'aeutaeut ' Resource
  8. Inadequacies of the Dictionary
2. Chapter 21 Scripting Additions
  1. Pros and Cons of Scripting Additions
  2. Classic Scripting Additions
  3. Loading Scripting Additions
  4. Standard Scripting Addition Commands
3. Chapter 22 Speed
  1. Tools of the Trade
  2. Apple Events
  3. List Access
  4. Scripting Additions
  5. Context
4. Chapter 23 Scriptable Applications
  1. Targeting Scriptable Applications
  2. Some Scriptable Applications
5. Chapter 24 Unscriptable Applications
  1. Historical Perspective
  2. Getting Started with Accessibility
  3. GUI Scripting Examples
6. Chapter 25 Unix
  1. Do Shell Script
  2. Osascript
7. Chapter 26 Triggering Scripts Automatically
  1. Digital Hub Scripting
  2. Folder Actions
  3. CGI Application
  4. Timers, Hooks, Attachability, Observability
8. Chapter 27 Writing Applications
  1. Applets
  2. AppleScript Studio
  3. Cocoa Scripting
  4. AppleScript Studio Scriptability
Appendixes
1. Appendix A The AppleScript Experience
  1. The Problem
  2. A Day in the Life
  3. Conclusions, Lessons, and Advice
2. Appendix B Apple Events Without AppleScript
  1. Pure Raw Apple Events
  2. JavaScript
  3. UserTalk
  4. Perl
  5. Python
3. Appendix C Tools and Resources
  1. Scripting Software and Tools
  2. Scriptable Software
  3. AppleScript Documentation
  4. Writing a Scripting Addition
  5. Writing a Scriptable Application
  6. Portals, Instruction, and Repositories
  7. Mailing Lists
  8. Books
  9. Unix Scripting

Colophon

Title:

AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

By:

Matt Neuburg

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print:

January 2006

Ebook:

June 2009

Pages:

592

Print ISBN:

978-0-596-10211-1

| ISBN 10:

0-596-10211-9

Ebook ISBN:

978-0-596-15973-3

| ISBN 10:

0-596-15973-0

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oreilly AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

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Displaying reviews 1-3

7/6/2009

5.0

Truth in Advertising

By Thomas Beek

from Undisclosed

Comments about oreilly AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition:

The author dispels the "ease of use" myth in the preface, and proceeds to teach a scholarly course on AppleScript.

3/10/2008

(4 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Excellent reference manual for a niche language

By Allen Stenger

from Undisclosed

Comments about oreilly AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition:

This is an exhaustive reference manual for AppleScript, a scripting language included with all Macintoshes. It is not a tutorial, but if you have some programming experience of any kind you will be able to use this manual to construct AppleScripts. The book was published in January 2006 and is up-to-date through Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4). It includes a little coverage of Automator. There is some description of other helpful tools such as Script Debugger, a third-party replacement for Apple's Script Editor that provides a lot of additional capability.

I did some work in AppleScript about ten years ago to automate a nightly build process. AppleScript was the right tool for the job, but getting it to work was a lot of aggravation and I didn't look at AppleScript again. Recently I was asked to prepare some AppleScript demos for my local computer user group, and I got this book as a reference. AppleScript is still as aggravating as ever, but I was able to answer all my questions and complete the demos by using this book and its wonderful index.

AppleScript has evolved a lot in the past ten years, in particular by adding a number of object-oriented ideas and by increasing its interoperability with other programming systems (for example, Python, JavaScript, Perl, Ruby, Carbon and Cocoa based applications). Neuburg does a good job of explaining all these features, and he is particularly good on strategy issues. AppleScript can be used by itself but hardly ever is; you should always be thinking of combining it with existing applications and systems to solve your problem.

The major challenge in AppleScript was and remains figuring out the data types and operations supported by a particular application. Neuburg is honest about this, and recommends extensive experimentation and test scripts to figure out how the applications work.

Is AppleScript worth knowing? Neuburg doesn't really make a strong case for this, although his Chapter 1 is a good try. He works through an impressive example in Appendix A, including all the roadblocks and wrong turns. But the example is to clean up a book manuscript prepared in FrameMaker to meet the publisher's standards before turning it in. I think this is a good job for AppleScript, but how many people would need to do this job? I think AppleScript is still a niche language, but if you work in that niche this is an excellent reference.

12/29/2007

(7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Excellent book on a Difficult topic

By Goodbye Helicopter

from Undisclosed

Comments about oreilly AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition:

I got this book after a fellow Rubyist recommended it for learning enough AppleScript to mix it with Ruby for OS X development.

As always, it's a good idea to have more than one book or reference, but this one covers most of it.

The beginning is long and slow going, but really makes a HUGE difference in understanding what's going on with AppleScript later.

If you have ever even toyed with cocoa, xcode and interface builder, you'll already understand what's happening with script bundles and such.

You'll benefit greatly from this book if you're already a Ruby or Perl user.

Let's just say that AppleScript on its own is pretty rough stuff. Combined with another scripting language like Ruby, Perl or Python (all of which are bundled with OS X) you can use AppleScript for what you have to or need to and still use friendlier languages to make things happen.

If only Ruby or Perl or Python could do these things on their own with out any AppleScript...

I digress, Mr. Neuberg does a pretty outstanding job here and writes in a style that is readable and intelligible.

When he tells you to stop and go read Appendix A, the sort of day-in-the-life-cycle of AppleScript development, READ IT.

It is without doubt, the single most important part of the book. It really gives you a solid, realistic set of expectations of life in the land of applescript.

It is pretty much a hack-it-as-you-go language.

Rubyists, Pythonistas, and Perl People will be on good footing here.

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AppleScript Overview

Chapter 1 Why to Use AppleScript

Chapter 2 Where to Use AppleScript

Chapter 3 Basic Concepts

The AppleScript Language

Chapter 4 Introducing the Language

Chapter 5 Syntactic Ground of Being

Chapter 6 A Map of the World

Chapter 7 Variables

Chapter 8 Script Objects

Chapter 9 Handlers

Chapter 10 Scope

Chapter 11 Objects

Chapter 12 References

Chapter 13 Datatypes

Chapter 14 Coercions

Chapter 15 Operators

Chapter 16 Global Properties

Chapter 17 Constants

Chapter 18 Commands

Chapter 19 Control

AppleScript In Action

Chapter 20 Dictionaries

Chapter 21 Scripting Additions

Chapter 22 Speed

Chapter 23 Scriptable Applications

Chapter 24 Unscriptable Applications

Chapter 25 Unix

Chapter 26 Triggering Scripts Automatically

Chapter 27 Writing Applications

Appendixes

Appendix A The AppleScript Experience

Appendix B Apple Events Without AppleScript

Appendix C Tools and Resources

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Matt Neuburg

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