AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

The Learning Curve

In this chapter I've argued that AppleScript isn't easy just because it's small or just because it's English-like, and I've mentioned that AppleScript borrows some features from object-oriented languages and LISP that you may never have heard of and whose mere mention may have made your eyes glaze over. So perhaps at this point you're starting to worry that AppleScript is difficult to learn. But that isn't what I mean either! What I'm telling you is that AppleScript is a computer language, like any other computer language. You weren't born knowing it, and you aren't going to be able to use it without learning it. And, thanks to this book, you will learn it. AppleScript is a straightforward computer language, and can be taught and learned in a straightforward manner; if I didn't believe that, this book wouldn't exist.

AppleScript is extensible, so this book will tell you how to read a scriptable application's dictionary, warn of possible pitfalls, and give plenty of examples. AppleScript is English-like, so the book will teach a clean, concise style, and will wave a red flag when an analogy with natural language threatens to mislead. AppleScript values are object-like; this book tells you how to talk to them. AppleScript has some LISP-like features; this book elicits these features where they are relevant, but where they seem too advanced, you can always skip a section and return to it later on. If this book occasionally comments on the odd way AppleScript does ...