applescript can control your computer programatically

different types of script editing programs...not just script Editor

can make real os x applications with applescript studio...

can call applescript from perl using osascript

applications that are scriptable have dictionaries of nouns and verbs

yessss...a raw apple event

   core\move{ 
                insh:insl{ 
                        kobj:obj { 
                                form:'name', 
                                want:'Mbox', 
                                seld:"appleScript", 
                                from:'null'(  ) 
                        }, 
                        kpos:'end ' 
                }, 
                ----:obj { 
                        form:'indx', 
                        want:'cobj', 
                        seld:1, 
                        from:obj { 
                                form:'test', 
                                want:'msg ', 
                                from:obj { 
                                        form:'prop', 
                                        want:'prop', 
                                        seld:'unBX', 
                                        from:'null'(  ) 
                                }, 
                                seld:cmpd{ 
                                        relo:'bgwt', 
                                        obj1:obj { 
                                                form:'prop', 
                                                want:'prop', 
                                                seld:'subj', 
                                                from:exmn($$) 
                                        }, 
                                        obj2:"applescript" 
                                } 
                        } 
                } 
        }
        

OSA - open scripting architecture

definition of 'script':"A scripting language is intended for use by both professional and nonprofessional programmers. To accommodate non-professional programmers, some aspects of the language may be somewhat less strict."

applescript can decompile code

author is smartest of all the books i've read so far

apple developers are assumably fond of smalltalk

wow...compares applescript to lisp!

linebreaks end a statement

 can continue a line

variables declared by 'set'

setting variables to local keeps them  in the same scope in which they are declared

variables default to local

properties are same as variables, just different scope

applescript has session long memory

handlers are like functions

handlers can return values

handlers can be passed parameters

handlers can be run before they are defined

script x
        on myHandler(  )
                display dialog "Howdy"
        end myHandler
        script y
                myHandler(  )
        end script
        run y
end script
run x -- error

i find that i learn best by code examples

handlers can be recursive

"on numbersOnly(L)
        if L = {} then return L
        if {class of item 1 of L} is in {real, integer, number} then
                return {item 1 of L} & numbersOnly(rest of L)
        else
                return numbersOnly(rest of L)
        end if
end numbersOnly
numbersOnly({"hey", 1, "ho", 2, 3}) -- {1, 2, 3}"

there are basically no rules for setting variables to eash other

can load external scripts

me =  current script

random element accessed by 'some'

"wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles"

reference is like a pointer kind of

"
set x to 3
set y to a reference to x
x = y -- false
x + 0 = y + 0 -- true
x is not less than y and x is not greater than y -- true
"

"
set x to 10
set y to a reference to x
set contents of y to 20
x -- 20
"

if statements are called branching

infinite loops are easy

repeat for loops

be efficient with apple events

date:"set s to "2/25"
set d to date s -- February 25, 2003 12:00:00 AM
set d2 to date "10:30" of d -- February 25, 2003 10:30:00 AM
set d3 to date "1/24" of d2 -- January 24, 2003 10:30:00 AM"

coersion converts datatypes

lists are arrays and records ar structs

can log errors and commands with 'start log' and 'stop log'

there are four letter codes for apple events

"The road to AppleScript is strewn with the bodies of programmers who believed what the dictionaries told them. Be skeptical; you'll live longer."

scripting additions are bits of compiled code useful for adding on to existing scripts..

"set r to display dialog "Quick! Pick a Pep Boy!" buttons {"Mannie", "Moe", "Jack"} Â
        with icon caution giving up after 3
set favoritePepBoy to button returned of r
if favoritePepBoy is "" and gave up of r then set notFastEnough to true
set whoIsIt to text returned of (display dialog "What is your name?" Â
        default answer "" buttons {"OK"} default button "OK")"
        
"choose from list {"Mannie", "Moe", "Jack"} with prompt "Pick a Pep Boy:""

GUI scripting can be used with applications w/o dictionaries

osascript is do shell script backwards