AppleScript: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Cocoa Scripting

Adding scriptability to an application that you write has been, in the past, not a task for the faint of heart. An 'aete'-format dictionary is difficult to create and maintain. On the programming side, the system needs to be able to call into your application when an Apple event arrives, so as your application starts up it must register the appropriate functions with the Apple Event Manager, and when an Apple event arrives, your code must parse it (no mean feat, especially if it involves a reference to an object in your application) and respond appropriately.

For this reason, programmers have often relied on sample code and application frameworks for assistance in making an application scriptable. There was some concern among programmers, therefore, when Mac OS X first emerged, over how it would be possible to take advantage of the Cocoa application framework and make an application scriptable at the same time. Since those early days, support for scriptability has gradually been folded into Cocoa; this is called Cocoa scripting . Cocoa scripting is still not perfect, but at least it has passed its infancy, and in Tiger it is easier than ever, thanks in part to the introduction of the sdef-based dictionary.

Thus, if you're a Cocoa programmer, Cocoa scripting in Tiger is a good way to start adding scriptability to your application. Getting started is the hardest part, though, for several reasons:

Multiple workplaces

You have to coordinate the sdef dictionary with your ...