Beginning Mac OS® X Programming

12.1. AppleScript

This section introduces you to the AppleScript language and the many ways it can be utilized. AppleScripts have access to the internals of running applications and can issue commands or request data. By extracting data from one application and feeding it into another, you can create complex workflows with AppleScript. This can end up saving you a lot of repetition in your daily activities, freeing you up for the activities that demand more creativity.

12.1.1. Creating an AppleScript

The tool to use for a basic AppleScript is the purpose-built Script Editor application, which you can find in the /Applications/AppleScript folder. Script Editor is a basic editor, but it is designed for AppleScript and has some useful features such as syntax checking and reformatting, which can make scripts easier to read.

Each window of Script Editor (see Figure 12-1) is for a separate script. In the toolbar are buttons for recording a script; stopping the operation in progress; running a script; and compiling, which checks syntax and reformats.

Figure 12.1. Figure 12-1

The Script Editor also gives you a means to browse the dictionary of any application. The dictionary includes the various properties and commands that can be accessed by AppleScript. You can open an application's dictionary by choosing FileOpen Dictionary and then choosing an application.

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