Language Guide

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P R E F A C E
■ Chapter 7, “Control Statements,” describes statements that control when and
how other statements are executed. It includes information about Tell, If,
and Repeat statements.
■ Chapter 8, “Handlers,” describes subroutines, command handlers, error
handlers, and the scope of variables and properties in handlers and
elsewhere in a script. It includes the syntax for defining and calling
subroutines and error handlers.
■ Chapter 9, “Script Objects,” describes how to define and use script objects. It
includes information about object-oriented programming techniques such as
using inheritance and delegation to define groups of related objects.
At the end of the guide are three appendixes, a glossary of AppleScript terms,
and an index.
■ Appendix A, “The Language at a Glance,” is a collection of tables that
summarize the features of the AppleScript language. It is especially useful
for experienced programmers who want a quick overview of the language.
■ Appendix B, “Scriptable Text Editor Dictionary,” defines the words in the
AppleScript language that are understood by the Scriptable Text Editor
sample application.
■ Appendix C, “Error Messages,” lists the error messages returned
by AppleScript.
Sample Applications and Scripts 0
A sample application, the Scriptable Text Editor, is included with AppleScript.
The Scriptable Text Editor is scriptable; that is, it understands scripts written in
the AppleScript language. It also supports recording of scripts: when you use
the Record button in the Script Editor (the application you use to write and
modify scripts), the actions you perform in the Scriptable Text Editor generate
AppleScript statements for performing those actions. Scripts for performing
tasks in the Scriptable Text Editor are used as examples throughout this guide.