Beginning AppleScript

Name: Beginning AppleScript
Price: 9.89 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780764574009

ISBN-10: 0764574000

ISBN-13: 9780764574009

Edition: 2005

Authors: Stephen G. Kochan

List price: $40.00

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Description:

What is this book about? Geared toward programmers with no prior development knowledge, Beginning AppleScript serves as a comprehensive guide to using AppleScript on the Mac OS X platform. This title introduces the reader to AppleScript, and then illustrates how to efficiently start writing scripts through sample programs as each concept is introduced. Exercises at the end of each chapter allow the reader to test and demonstrate their knowledge on how to write functional scripts. The appendices include a list of other resources for additional developer information, and a summary of the language suitable for reference.

Book details

List price: $40.00
Copyright year: 2005
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Publication date: 12/17/2004
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 600
Size: 7.50" wide x 9.25" long x 1.50" tall
Weight: 1.914
Language: English



About the Author


Acknowledgments


Introduction


Who This Book Is For


How This Book Is Structured


What You Need to Use This Book


Conventions


Source Code


Errata


p2p.wrox.com



Writing Your First AppleScript Program


Starting with Script Editor


Compiling and Running Your Program


Extending Your First Program


Reporting Errors in Your Programs


An AppleScript Command to Display a Dialog


Understanding the Buttons Parameter in the display dialog Command


Changing the Labels on a Button


Adding an Icon to Your Dialog Box


Multiple AppleScript Commands


Adding Comments to Your Programs


Summary


Exercises



Variables, Classes, and Expressions


Working with Variables


Variable Names and the set Command


Accessing the Value of a Variable and the get Command


Writing Special Variable Names


The Special result Variable


More on Commands and Statements


Commands


Statements


The log Command and the Event Log


Basic Data Type Classes


The string Class


The Integer Class


Small and Double Integer Classes


The real Class


The Boolean Class


The class Command


Basic Data Type Conversions


Coercing a Data Type Using the as Operator


Arithmetic Operators and Expressions


The Date Class


Getting Date Properties


Setting Date Properties


Performing Arithmetic with Dates


Classes of Weights and Measures


Summary


Exercises



Making Decisions


The if Statement


A Single Line Form of the if Statement


AppleScript's Relational Operators


Numeric Tests


String Tests


Date Tests


Getting Data from the User


The if-else Statement


Nested if Statements


The if-else if Statement


Compound Relational Tests


Creating Your First Application


Catching Errors with the try Statement


Summary


Exercises



Program Looping


The repeat...times Statement


The repeat with Statement


Writing a Loop with an Increment


Your First Look at a Dictionary


The repeat while Statement


Using Flags


Another Look at the Triangular Number Program


A Final Look at the Triangular Number Program


A Quick Look at the Concatenation Operator


The repeat until statement


The repeat with Statement for Lists


Setting Up an Infinite Loop with repeat


Summary


Exercises



Working with Strings


Strings, Text, and Unicode Text


The Null String


Review of Concatenation


Getting the Size of a String


Using Special String Characters


Special Properties Used Outside Strings


Escape Characters Used inside Strings


More on Unicode Text


The considering and ignoring Statements


Combining Attributes


Words, Characters, and Paragraphs


Working with Elements


Understanding Text Item Delimiters


Locating Strings inside Strings


Specifying a Range to Get a Substring


More on the Count Command


Using length instead of count


A Quick Note on References


Enhancing the Alarm Clock Program


Summary


Exercises



Working with Lists and Records


Working with Lists


Empty Lists


Counting the Number of Items in a List


Accessing the Items in a List


The choose from list Command


Accessing Items by Class


Enumerating Lists: A Quick Review


The rest and reverse Properties


Modifying Lists


Using Containment Operators with Lists


Multiple Assignments with Lists


List Coercions


A Quick Note about Efficiency and Large Lists


Working with Records


Defining a Record


The result Record from the display dialog Command


Working with Lists of Records


Modifying Records


Retrieving Multiple Properties


Using the Containment Operators with Records


Summary


Exercises



Working with Files


Path Names: Traditional Mac and POSIX-style


Full Path Names


Relative Path Names


File Name Extensions


What's in a Name?


The file Class


File Name Aliases


Reading and Writing Files


The open for access Command


Writing Data with the write Command


Closing a File with the close Command


Getting Information about a File or Folder Using the info for Command


Reading Data with the read Command


More on Using the write Command


Truncating a File Using the set eof Command


Getting the Size of a File Using the get eof Command


Appending Data to the End of a File


Enumerating Disks and Folders


Using the choose file Command to Pick a File


Using the choose folder Command to Pick a Folder


Using the choose file name Command to Pick a File Name


Summary


Exercises



Handlers


Writing a Handler


Passing Parameters to Handlers


Returning Handler Results


Argument Types


Local Variables


Call by Value


Recursive Handlers


Local/Global Variables and Variable Scope


Saving and Loading Handlers


The Apostrophe-s notation


Labeled Parameters


Identifying Parameters with Prepositions


Combining Labeled Parameter Formats


Specifying a Direct Parameter


Using with and without for Boolean Parameters


Specifying Patterns for Parameters


Summary


Exercises



Error Handling


Beeps and Dialogs


The try...on error Statement


More on the on error Clause


Catching a Specific Error by Number


More on Error Numbers and Error-Handling Strategy


The error Command


Summary


Exercises



Working with Applications


Talking to Other Applications: The tell Statement


The One-Liner tell Statement


More on Targets


Using my, me, and its inside tell Blocks


Tell Me Some More


More on Working with the Finder


Looking at the Finder's Dictionary in Greater Detail


The Finder's Classes


Containers


Common File Operations


Common Folder Operations


More on Understanding Finder File References


Beware of the repeat-with Statement!


AppleScript versus the Finder's File Class


Filters


More on Working with Applications


Ignoring Application Responses


Application Timeouts


Applets and Droplets


Stay Open Applications


The run Handler


The quit Handler


The reopen Handler


The idle Handler


Droplets


Summary


Exercises



Scripting iLife Applications


Scripting iTunes


Working with Tracks and Playlists


An iTunes Player Applet


Scripting iPhoto


Scripting iDVD


Summary


Exercises



Script Objects


Defining a Script Object


Script Properties


Initializing Script Properties


Copying Script Objects


Your Program Is a Script Object


Scope of Properties


pi Is a Property


Script Objects Containing Handlers


The Run Handler


Handlers Containing Script Objects


Storing, Loading, and Running Scripts from Files


Script Objects and Object-Oriented Programming


Polymorphism


Inheritance


Using its in Inherited Handlers


The continue Command


Summary


Exercises



Loose Ends


Command Handlers


Using terms from


Using the clipboard


The Script Menu


Folder Actions


Open Scripting Architecture


Scripting Additions


AppleEvents


Recording Scripts


GUI Scripting


Before and After


Creating a Reference to an Object


Web Services: XML-RPC and SOAP


Running Scripts from Terminal


The do shell script Command


The with transaction Statement


Delayed Evaluation with the run script Command


Scheduling Scripts to Run with the cron


Summary


Exercises



Introducing AppleScript Studio


Installing AppleScript Studio


Developing a Simple Application


An iTunes Remote


Summary


Exercises



Exercise Answers



Language Reference


Operators


English Equivalents of Relational Operators


Containment Operators


Built-in Classes


Classes of Weights and Measures


Lists


List Class Properties


Element Specifiers


Records


Record Class Properties


Strings


String Class Properties


Predefined String Properties


Escape Characters


String Elements


Dates


Date Class Properties


Predefined Properties for Working with Dates


Compound Statements


considering


if


ignoring


repeat


tell


try


using terms from


with timeout


with transaction


Commands


activate


adding folder items to


ASCII character


ASCII number


choose application


choose color


choose file


choose file name


choose folder


choose from list


choose URL


clipboard info


close access


closing folder window for


continue


copy


count


current date


delay


display dialog


do shell script


error


exit repeat


get


get eof


get volume settings


handle CGI request


info for


launch


list disks


list folder


load script


log


mount volume


moving folder window for


offset


open for access


open location


opening folder


path to


random number


read


removing folder items from


return


round


run script


say


scripting components


set


set eof


set the clipboard to


set volume


start log


stop log


store script


summarize


system attribute


the clipboard


time to GMT


write



Resources


Errata, etc.


AppleScript Books


Websites


Mailing Lists and Newsgroups


Development Tools


AppleScript Studio


Script Editor


Smile


Script Debugger 3.0


Index