02.28.05
AppScript
Lately I’ve been learning AppleScript as a means of automating certain repetitive tasks and because I might some day finish writing a proper Mac application, which of course I’d like to make scriptable. AppleScript Studio piques my curiosity, too.
Anyway, in the preferences of Apple’s Script Editor are a couple of interesting options: Default Language and Plugins. Turns out Apple isn’t really doing anything with those right now; they don’t seem to distribute any plugins and the only language available is AppleScript. But in searching the web for things I could do with those preference screens, I found Appscript, which is pretty cool. Appscript is a Python-based substitute for AppleScript. You get all the power (as far as I can tell), but with a syntax more familiar to experienced programmers. That’s not a small thing, either—as friendly as AppleScript strives to be, its verbosity and stubborn insistence on doing things its own way can be a difficult adjustment to those of us who pretty much grew up with C-based syntax.
I still intend to learn AppleScript, because I’d like to be able to distribute the scripts I write and I can’t depend on end users having Appscript installed. Still, for those of us who know Python and have repetitive personal tasks to automate, it’s a nice option.
Jim Said:
February 2, 2006 at 10:02 am
Did you ever have any luck with Appscript?
Nicholas Said:
February 3, 2006 at 9:57 am
I tried it out, got a few demo scripts running, and then … didn’t really go anywhere with it. I hang my head in shame.
Jim Said:
February 3, 2006 at 10:43 am
Well, you’ve obviously learned AppleScript.
Nicholas Said:
February 3, 2006 at 11:16 am
This is true. Actually, at this point I might even be slightly more comfortable with AppleScript than Python, just because I’ve used it (really used it, as in had a problem and programmed a solution) much more recently.