Language Guide

Commands 289
APPENDIX A
The Language at a Glance A
This appendix summarizes the commands, reference forms, operators, control
statements, and other elements of the AppleScript English dialect. For more
detailed information on these elements, see the appropriate chapters in
this book.
The placeholder descriptions in the last section of this appendix define the
placeholders used in the syntax summaries.
Commands A
A command is a request for action. In AppleScript, you can use applica-
tion commands, which are defined in each application’s dictionary;
AppleScript commands, which are defined and handled by AppleScript;
or scripting addition commands, which are defined and handled by
AppleScript extensions called scripting additions.
Table A-1 lists standard application commands and AppleScript commands.
(For information about scripting addition commands, see the AppleScript
Scripting Additions Guide.) The syntax shown for standard application
commands is the syntax supported by most applications. Individual applica-
tions can extend or change the way the standard application commands work.
For information about how a specific application handles a particular
application command, see the application’s dictionary. For more detailed
descriptions of the commands listed here, see Chapter 4, “Commands.”
Figure A-0
Listing A-0
Table A-0