Beginning AppleScript [Pehme köide]

About the Author		v
Acknowledgments		xxv
Introduction		1	(1)
Who This Book Is For		1	(1)
How This Book Is Structured		2	(2)
What You Need to Use This Book		4	(1)
Conventions		5	(1)
Source Code		5	(1)
Errata		5	(1)
p2p.wrox.com		6	(1)
Writing Your First AppleScript Program		7	(18)
Starting with Script Editor		7	(2)
Try It Out: Typing Your First Program		8	(1)
Compiling and Running Your Program		9	(3)
Try It Out: Running Your First Program		9	(2)
Try It Out: Saving Your First Program		11	(1)
Extending Your First Program		12	(3)
Reporting Errors in Your Programs		12	(2)
Try It Out: Adding a Description to Your Program		14	(1)
An AppleScript Command to Display a Dialog		15	(2)
Understanding the Buttons Parameter in the display dialog Command		17	(4)
Try It Out: Using the display dialog's Buttons Parameter		17	(2)
Changing the Labels on a Button		19	(1)
Try It Out: Setting the Default Button In a Dialog		19	(1)
Adding an Icon to Your Dialog Box		20	(1)
Try It Out: Adding a Note Icon to Your Dialog		21	(1)
Multiple AppleScript Commands		21	(1)
Try It Out: Add a ``Beep''		21	(1)
Adding Comments to Your Programs		22	(1)
Summary		23	(1)
Exercises		24	(1)
Variables, Classes, and Expressions		25	(44)
Working with Variables		25	(9)
Variable Names and the set Command		25	(2)
Accessing the Value of a Variable and the get Command		27	(1)
Try It Out: Working with Variables		27	(1)
Try It Out: More on Working with Variables		27	(2)
Try It Out: Understanding Case In Variable Names		29	(3)
Writing Special Variable Names		32	(1)
The Special result Variable		33	(1)
More on Commands and Statements		34	(4)
Commands		34	(1)
Statements		34	(1)
The log Command and the Event Log		35
Try It Out: Using the Event Log		34	(2)
Try It Out: Using the Event Log History		36	(2)
Basic Data Type Classes		38	(5)
The string Class		38	(1)
The Integer Class		39	(1)
Small and Double Integer Classes		39	(1)
The real Class		39	(1)
The Boolean Class		40	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Boolean Values		41	(1)
The class Command		42	(1)
Try It Out: Using the Class Command		42	(1)
Basic Data Type Conversions		43	(6)
Coercing a Data Type Using the as Operator		44	(1)
Try It Out: Basic Data Type Conversions with the as Operator		44	(5)
Arithmetic Operators and Expressions		49	(4)
Try It Out: Understanding Arithmetic Operations		49	(4)
The Date Class		53	(13)
Try It Out: Understanding the Date Format		54	(1)
Getting Date Properties		54	(1)
Try It Out: Getting the Properties of a Date		54	(2)
Setting Date Properties		56	(1)
Try It Out: Setting Date Properties		57	(3)
Performing Arithmetic with Dates		60	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Arithmetic with Dates		60	(2)
Classes of Weights and Measures		62	(1)
Try It Out: Using Weights and Measures		63	(3)
Summary		66	(1)
Exercises		67	(2)
Making Decisions		69	(32)
The if Statement		69	(2)
A Single Line Form of the if Statement		70	(1)
AppleScript's Relational Operators		71	(9)
Try It Out: Testing the Various Relational Operators		72	(1)
Numeric Tests		73	(1)
String Tests		74	(2)
Date Tests		76	(1)
Getting Data from the User		77	(2)
Try It Out: Taking the Absolute Value of a Number		79	(1)
The if-else Statement		80	(2)
Nested if Statements		82	(1)
The if-else if Statement		83	(3)
Try It Out: Displaying a Message Based on the Day of the Week		84	(2)
Compound Relational Tests		86	(3)
Try It Out: Testing Whether a Year Is a Leap Year		88	(1)
Creating Your First Application		89	(5)
Try It Out: Speaking a Salutation		90	(2)
Try It Out: Displaying a Startup Screen		92	(1)
Try It Out: Have Some Fun: Get Your Salutation at Log In		93	(1)
Catching Errors with the try Statement		94	(4)
Try It Out: Introducing the try Statement		94	(2)
Try It Out: Error Handling with the try Statement		96	(1)
Try It Out: More on the try Statement		96	(2)
Summary		98	(1)
Exercises		98	(3)
Program Looping		101	(24)
The repeat...times Statement		101	(1)
Try It Out: Log a Message Five Times		101	(1)
The repeat with Statement		102	(9)
Try It Out: Counting from 1 to 10		102	(2)
Writing a Loop with an Increment		104	(1)
Try It Out: Counting Down from 10		105	(1)
Try It Out: A Program to Sum the Integers from 1 to n		106	(2)
Your First Look at a Dictionary		108	(1)
Try It Out: Looking Up a Command in a Dictionary		109	(2)
The repeat while Statement		111	(2)
Try It Out: Counting from 1 to 10		111	(2)
Using Flags		113	(5)
Another Look at the Triangular Number Program		113	(1)
Try It Out: Getting Another Chance		113	(2)
A Final Look at the Triangular Number Program		115	(1)
Try It Out: Limiting the Number of Attempts		115	(2)
A Quick Look at the Concatenation Operator		117	(1)
The repeat until statement		118	(4)
Try It Out: A Simple Guessing Game		119	(3)
The repeat with Statement for Lists		122	(1)
Try It Out: Sequencing through the Elements in a List		122	(1)
Setting Up an Infinite Loop with repeat		123	(1)
Summary		123	(1)
Exercises		124	(1)
Working with Strings		125	(36)
Strings, Text, and Unicode Text		125	(1)
The Null String		126	(1)
Review of Concatenation		126	(1)
Getting the Size of a String		127	(1)
Using Special String Characters		128	(2)
Special Properties Used Outside Strings		128	(1)
Escape Characters Used inside Strings		128	(1)
More on Unicode Text		129	(1)
The considering and ignoring Statements		130	(5)
Combining Attributes		132	(1)
Try It Out: Using considering and Ignoring Statements		133	(2)
Words, Characters, and Paragraphs		135	(10)
Working with Elements		136	(2)
Try It Out: Working with Character Elements		138	(2)
Try It Out: Working with Word Elements		140	(3)
Try It Out: Picking a Random Element		143	(1)
Understanding Text Item Delimiters		143	(1)
Try It Out: Working with text Item delimiters		144	(1)
Locating Strings inside Strings		145	(4)
Try It Out: Using Containment Operators and the offset Command		146	(3)
Specifying a Range to Get a Substring		149	(1)
More on the Count Command		149	(4)
Try It Out: Count the Number of Words in Some Text		150	(1)
Using length instead of count		150	(1)
Try It Out: Enumerating the Words in a String		151	(1)
A Quick Note on References		152	(1)
Enhancing the Alarm Clock Program		153	(5)
Try It Out: Enhancing the Alarm Clock Program		154	(4)
Summary		158	(1)
Exercises		158	(3)
Working with Lists and Records		161	(50)
Working with Lists		161	(35)
Empty Lists		163	(1)
Counting the Number of Items in a List		163	(1)
Accessing the Items in a List		164	(1)
Try It Out: Working with List Items		165	(3)
Try It Out: Sequencing through the Items In a List		168	(1)
Try It Out: A Program to Display Populations of U.S. Cities		169	(3)
Try It Out: A Modified Version of the Population Program		172	(2)
The choose from list Command		174	(1)
Try It Out: Looking Up the choose from list Command In the Dictionary		174	(1)
Try It Out: Using the choose from list Command		175	(3)
Accessing Items by Class		178	(2)
Enumerating Lists: A Quick Review		180	(1)
The rest and reverse Properties		180	(1)
Try It Out: Exercising List Properties		180	(1)
Modifying Lists		181	(2)
Try It Out: Modifying List Items		183	(3)
Try It Out: Deleting and Inserting items In a List		186	(6)
Using Containment Operators with Lists		192	(1)
Multiple Assignments with Lists		193	(1)
List Coercions		194	(1)
A Quick Note about Efficiency and Large Lists		195	(1)
Working with Records		196	(11)
Defining a Record		196	(2)
The result Record from the display dialog Command		198	(1)
Working with Lists of Records		198	(2)
Try It Out: A Version of the Population Program Using Records		200	(3)
Modifying Records		203	(2)
Retrieving Multiple Properties		205	(1)
Using the Containment Operators with Records		206	(1)
Summary		207	(1)
Exercises		207	(4)
Working with Files		211	(32)
Path Names: Traditional Mac and Posix-style		211	(3)
Full Path Names		212	(1)
Relative Path Names		212	(1)
File Name Extensions		213	(1)
What's in a Name?		214	(1)
The file Class		214	(1)
File Name Aliases		214	(1)
Reading and Writing Files		215	(16)
Try It Out: Creating a File In AppleScript		216	(3)
The open for access Command		219	(1)
Writing Data with the write Command		220	(1)
Closing a File with the close Command		221	(1)
Getting Information about a File or Folder Using the info for Command		221	(1)
Reading Data with the read Command		222	(1)
Try It Out: Reading Data from a File		222	(3)
Try It Out: Using Various read Command Parameters		225	(3)
More on Using the write Command		228	(1)
Try It Out: Writing and Reading a List of Records		229	(2)
Truncating a File Using the set eof Command		231	(1)
Getting the Size of a File Using the get eof Command		231	(1)
Appending Data to the End of a File		231	(1)
Enumerating Disks and Folders		231	(10)
Try It Out: Using the list folder Command		232	(3)
Try It Out: Using the choose file Command		235	(1)
Using the choose file Command to Pick a File		235	(2)
Using the choose folder Command to Pick a Folder		237	(1)
Using the choose file name Command to Pick a File Name		238	(1)
Try It Out: Generating a List of Files for Backup		238	(3)
Summary		241	(1)
Exercises		241	(2)
Handlers		243	(40)
Writing a Handlers		243	(2)
Try It Out: Writing Your First Handler		243	(2)
Passing Parameters to Handlers		245	(2)
Try It Out: Passing Parameters to Handlers		245	(2)
Returning Handler Results		247	(2)
Try It Out: Returning Values from Handlers		247	(2)
Argument Types		249	(1)
Local Variables		250	(2)
Try It Out: Local Variables		250	(2)
Call by Value		252	(5)
Try It Out: Understanding Call by Value		252	(5)
Recursive Handlers		257	(5)
Try It Out: Recursive Factorial Handler		257	(2)
Try It Out: A Recursive List Sort Handler		259	(3)
Local/Global Variables and Variable Scope		262	(7)
Try It Out: Local versus Global Variables		263	(2)
Try It Out: Understanding Variable Scope: Protecting a Global Variable		265	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Variable Scope: Local and Global Variables with the Same Name (Part 1)		265	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Variable Scope: Local and Global Variables with the Same Name (Part 2)		266	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Variable Scope: Accessing a Global Variable Declared Outside a Handler		267	(1)
Try It Out: Writing General Purpose Handlers		268	(1)
Saving and Loading Handlers		269	(3)
Try It Out: Saving and Loading the List Handlers		269	(3)
The Apostrophe-s notation		272	(1)
Labeled Parameters		272	(6)
Try It Out: Writing a Handler with Labeled Parameters-Form 1		273	(1)
Identifying Parameters with Prepositions		274	(1)
Try It Out: Writing a Handler with Labeled Parameters-Form 2		275	(1)
Combining Labeled Parameter Formats		275	(1)
Specifying a Direct Parameter		276	(1)
Using with and without for Boolean Parameters		277	(1)
Specifying Patterns for Parameters		278	(2)
Summary		280	(1)
Exercises		281	(2)
Error Handling		283	(18)
Beeps and Dialogs		283	(1)
The try...on error Statement		284	(8)
More on the on error Clause		285	(1)
Try It Out: Experimenting with Errors		286	(1)
Try It Out: Identifying Errors by Number		287	(2)
Catching a Specific Error by Number		289	(1)
More on Error Numbers and Error-Handling Strategy		290	(2)
The error Command		292	(6)
Try It Out: Catching Errors In Your Handlers		293	(3)
Try It Out: Error-Proofing Your Code		296	(2)
Summary		298	(1)
Exercises		299	(2)
Working with Applications		301	(54)
Talking to Other Applications: The tell Statement		301	(16)
Try It Out: Using the tell Statement		302	(2)
Try It Out: References to Objects and More on the tell Statement		304	(2)
Try It Out: Sliding Windows		306	(1)
Try It Out: Stacking Windows		307	(2)
The One-Liner tell Statement		309	(1)
More on Targets		309	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Targets-Part 1		309	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding Targets-Part 2		310	(1)
Using my, me, and its inside tell Blocks		311	(1)
Try It Out: Calling Handlers from within tell Blocks		312	(1)
Try It Out: Accessing Properties or Variables from within tell Blocks-Part 1		313	(1)
Try It Out: Accessing Properties or Variables-Part 2		314	(1)
Tell Me Some More		315	(2)
More on Working with the Finder		317	(21)
Looking at the Finder's Dictionary in Greater Detail		317	(1)
Try It Out: Examining the Finder's Dictionary		317	(4)
The Finder's Classes		321	(1)
Containers		322	(1)
Try It Out: Learning about Containers--Part 1		322	(1)
Try It Out: Learning about Containers--Part 2		322	(1)
Try It Out: Learning about Containers--Part 3		323	(1)
Try It Out: Learning about Containers--Part 4		323	(1)
Try It Out: Learning about Containers--Part 5		324	(1)
Common File Operations		324	(1)
Common Folder Operations		325	(3)
Try It Out: Getting a List of Containers		328	(1)
Try It Out: A List of Containers as Allases		328	(1)
Try It Out: Adding a Prefix to Each File in a Folder		329	(2)
More on Understanding Finder File References		331	(1)
Try It Out: Understanding File References		331	(1)
Try It Out: Using Finder Filer References outside a tell Block		332	(1)
Beware of the repeat-with Statement!		333	(1)
AppleScript versus the Finder's File Class		334	(2)
Filters		336	(1)
Try It Out: Using a Filter		336	(2)
More on Working with Applications		338	(5)
Try It Out: Generating a List of Backup Files		338	(4)
Ignoring Application Responses		342	(1)
Application Timeouts		343	(1)
Applets and Droplets		343	(8)
Stay Open Applications		344	(1)
The run Handler		344	(1)
The quit Handler		344	(1)
The reopen Handler		344	(1)
The idle Handler		345	(1)
Try It Out: Simple Applet Handlers		345	(2)
Droplets		347	(1)
Try It Out: Creating a Droplet		347	(4)
Summary		351	(1)
Exercises		352	(3)
Scripting iLife Applications		355	(30)
Scripting iTunes		356	(10)
Try It Out: Examining the iTunes Dictionary		356	(3)
Working with Tracks and Playlists		359	(4)
An iTunes Player Applet		363	(1)
Try It Out: An iTunes Song Player		363	(3)
Scripting iPhoto		366	(6)
Try It Out: Examining iPhoto's Dictionary		367	(1)
Try It Out: Making an Album from a Folder of Images		368	(4)
Scripting iDVD		372	(10)
Try It Out: Examining iDVD's Dictionary		372	(3)
Try It Out: Making a DVD Slide Show from a Folder of Images		375	(7)
Summary		382	(1)
Exercises		382	(3)
Script Objects		385	(34)
Defining a Script Object		385	(1)
Try It Out: Defining a Script Object		385	(1)
Script Properties		386	(4)
Try It Out: Working with Script Properties		387	(1)
Initializing Script Properties		387	(1)
Try It Out: Initializing Script Properties		388	(1)
Copying Script Objects		389	(1)
Try It Out: Copying Script Objects		389	(1)
Your Program Is a Script Object		390	(4)
Try It Out: Defining Properties at the Top Level		390	(1)
Try It Out: Properties in Applications		391	(1)
Try It Out: Recording Values in Applications		392	(1)
Scope of Properties		393	(1)
Try It Out: Scope of Script Properties		393	(1)
pi Is a Property		394	(1)
Script Objects Containing Handlers		394	(3)
Try It Out: Defining Handlers Inside Scripts		395	(1)
The Run Handler		396	(1)
Handlers Containing Script Objects		397	(2)
Try It Out: Defining Script Objects Inside Handlers		397	(2)
Storing, Loading, and Running Scripts from Files		399	(2)
Try It Out: Illustrating the store script and run script Commands		399	(1)
Try It Out: Running and Loading a Script		400	(1)
Script Objects and Object-Oriented Programming		401	(14)
Try It Out: Returning a Script Object from a Handler		402	(1)
Try It Out: More on Returning Script Objects		403	(2)
Try It Out: Defining a Rectangle Object		405	(2)
Polymorphism		407	(1)
Try It Out: Polymorphism In AppleScript		407	(2)
Inheritance		409	(1)
Try It Out: Illustrating Inheritance		410	(2)
Try It Out: Defining a Square Using Inheritance		412	(1)
Using its in Inherited Handlers		413	(1)
Try It Out: Using my in Handlers		413	(1)
The continue Command		414	(1)
Try It Out: Calling a Parent's Handler Using the continue Command		414	(1)
Summary		415	(1)
Exercises		416	(3)
Loose Ends		419	(30)
Command Handlers		419	(1)
Try It Out: Writing a Command Handler		420	(1)
Using terms from		420	(1)
Using the clipboard		421	(2)
The Script Menu		423	(1)
Folder Actions		424	(3)
Try It Out: Working with Folder Actions		425	(2)
Open Scripting Architecture		427	(2)
Scripting Additions		429	(1)
AppleEvents		429	(1)
Try It Out: AppleEvents in the Event Log History		429	(1)
Recording Scripts		430	(2)
Try It Out: Recording Actions in the Finder		430	(2)
GUI Scripting		432	(2)
Try It Out: Introduction to GUI Scripting		432	(2)
Before and After		434	(1)
Creating a Reference to an Object		434	(1)
Web Services: XML-RPC and SOAP		435	(3)
Try It Out: Using SOAP Services		437	(1)
Running Scripts from Terminal		438	(1)
The do shell script Command		439	(2)
The with transaction Statement		441	(1)
Delayed Evaluation with the run script Command		441	(1)
Scheduling Scripts to Run with the cron		442	(3)
Try It Out: Chime the Hour!		442	(3)
Summary		445	(1)
Exercises		446	(3)
Introducing AppleScript Studio		449	(24)
Installing AppleScript Studio		449	(1)
Developing a Simple Application		450	(19)
Try It Out: Working with AppleScript Studio		451	(18)
An iTunes Remote		469	(1)
Summary		470	(1)
Exercises		471	(2)
Appendix A: Exercise Answers		473	(52)
Appendix B: Language Reference		525	(30)
Operators		525	(3)
English Equivalents of Relational Operators		526	(1)
Containment Operators		527	(1)
Built-in Classes		528	(2)
Classes of Weights and Measures		530	(1)
Lists		530	(1)
List Class Properties		530	(1)
Element Specifiers		531	(1)
Records		531	(1)
Record Class Properties		531	(1)
Strings		532	(1)
String Class Properties		532	(1)
Predefined String Properties		532	(1)
Escape Characters		532	(1)
String Elements		533	(1)
Dates		533	(1)
Date Class Properties		533	(1)
Predefined Properties for Working with Dates		534	(1)
Compound Statements		534	(4)
considering		534	(1)
if		535	(1)
ignoring		536	(1)
repeat		536	(1)
tell		537	(1)
try		537	(1)
using terms from		537	(1)
with timeout		537	(1)
with transaction		538	(1)
Commands		538	(17)
activate		539	(1)
adding folder items to*		539	(1)
ASCII character*		540	(1)
ASCII number*		540	(1)
choose application*		540	(1)
choose color*		540	(1)
choose file*		540	(1)
choose file name*		541	(1)
choose folder*		541	(1)
choose from list*		541	(1)
choose URL*		541	(1)
clipboard info*		541	(1)
close access*		542	(1)
closing folder window for*		542	(1)
continue		542	(1)
copy		542	(1)
count		542	(1)
current date*		543	(1)
delay*		543	(1)
display dialog*		543	(1)
do shell script*		543	(1)
error		544	(1)
exit repeat		545	(1)
get		545	(1)
get eof*		545	(1)
get volume settings*		545	(1)
handle CGI request*		545	(1)
info for*		546	(1)
launch		546	(1)
list disks*		546	(1)
list folder*		546	(1)
load script *		546	(1)
log		547	(1)
mount volume*		547	(1)
moving folder window for*		547	(1)
offset*		547	(1)
open for access*		547	(1)
open location*		548	(1)
opening folder*		548	(1)
path to*		548	(1)
random number*		548	(1)
read*		549	(1)
removing folder items from*		549	(1)
return		549	(1)
round*		550	(1)
run script*		550	(1)
say*		550	(1)
scripting components*		550	(1)
set		551	(1)
set eof*		551	(1)
set the clipboard to*		551	(1)
set volume*		551	(1)
start log		551	(1)
stop log		552	(1)
store script*		552	(1)
summarize*		552	(1)
system attribute*		552	(1)
the clipboard*		552	(1)
time to GMT*		553	(1)
write*		553	(2)
Appendix C: Resources		555	(4)
Errata, etc.		555	(1)
AppleScript Books		555	(1)
Websites		556	(1)
Mailing Lists and Newsgroups		556	(1)
Development Tools		557	(2)
AppleScript Studio		557	(1)
Script Editor		558	(1)
Smile		558	(1)
Script Debugger 3.0		558	(1)
Index		559

Stephen G. Kochan has been developing software and writing books for over 20 years. He is the author and coauthor of several best-selling titles on the C language, including Programming in C and Programming in ANSI C (both from Sams Publishing), Programming C for the Mac (Macmillan Computer Publishing), and Topics in C Programming (Wiley Publishing), as well as several Unix titles, including Exploring the Unix System and Unix Shell Programming (both Sams Publishing), and Unix System Security (Hayden Books). His most recent title on Mac programming is Programming in Objective-C (Sams Publishing), which is a tutorial on the primary programming language used on the Mac for application development.