AppleScript in a Nutshell

Name

SpeakableItems Extension

Synopsis

You can make your scripts executable by spoken command as long as you have the SpeakableItems extension file loaded on your machine, and you have turned SpeakableItems on in the Speech control panel (see Figure 30-1). This speech technique is as simple as this: create a script that does whatever you want then give it a filename that you will use to verbally execute the script. For instance, you can save the script as an applet with the filename go. As long as the script has been saved in the startup disk:System Folder:Apple Menu Items:SpeakableItems folder and SpeakableItems is turned on, all the user has to do is say “go” into the computer’s microphone and the script is executed. The following example uses a web browser to open up the my.yahoo.com page upon spoken command, which in this case is “go to yahoo” (i.e., the filename of the script must be go to yahoo, and the script must be saved to the SpeakableItems folder):

tell application "Internet Explorer"
   Activate
   GetURL "http://my.yahoo.com"
end tell

say scripting addition

The say command is an osax that you can use to have the computer speak text to the script user. It is extremely easy to use; simply follow the keyword say with the string text that you want the computer to say. This command requires the Speech Manager extension (see Figure 30-2), which enables the computer to read text to the user. You can use the say command alongside other speech technologies, such as the Speech Listener ...