Includes bibliographical references (p. [357]-366) and index.

You know how to use a Mac -- You're not a hacker -- You have AppleScript -- You know what a path to a file looks like -- A Cannonball Dive into the Scripting Pool -- Writing Your First Script -- Writing a Second (And Even Better) Script -- Saving Your Work -- Running Your Script -- AppleScript Basics without Stomach Acid -- What Is Scripting? What If Your Penmanship Is Poor? -- Apple Events Aren't Just Parties Anymore! -- Levels of Scripting -- What Can I Do with a Script? -- What Can a Real Expert--You with a Few Months' Experience--Do with a Script? -- Writing a Script without Ink -- The Path toward a Script -- Script Editor: Free and Worth a Lot More -- Wetting Your Whistle by Bossing Around a High-Paid Hacker's Code -- All You Ever Needed to Know about AppleScript You Learned in Part II -- Values: Different Types of Information -- Values Are Classy Things -- AppleScript Values -- Variables: Data Cupboards -- Rules for Naming Variables -- Using Variables -- When to Use Set and When to Use Copy -- Operators: Math without Mistakes -- Operator? Can You Place This Number? -- Math Operators -- Logical and Comparison Operators -- Miscellaneous Operators -- Precedence: When to Use Parentheses -- References: Being Picky about Data -- What Is a Reference? -- Different Kinds of Reference Forms -- Referencing Files -- Commands: Ordering AppleScript Around -- Basic Commands -- Advanced Commands -- I/O (I Owe) without Credit Cards -- I/O Commands -- If: Letting Your Computer Make Decisions So You Can Blame It Later -- The Ever-Famous if Statement -- Logical Operators -- How Your Script Can Make Up Its Mind -- Repeat: Going in Circles for Fun and Profit -- The Repeat Statement -- Try: Dealing with Problems without Crashing -- Using the try Statement--the Simple Way -- Advanced try Options -- Handlers: Organizing Your Script -- Getting a Handle on Messages -- Properties: Storing Data for Awhile -- Defining Properties -- Using Read and Write -- The read and write Commands -- Deploying Scripts: Cool Ways to Access Scripts -- Creating a Drag-and-Drop Script Application -- Testing Your Drag-and-Drop Script -- Using the Script Menu -- Writing a Toolbar Script -- Triggering Scripts with Speech -- Autonomous Scripts: Working Unsupervised -- Writing Autonomous Scripts (Agents) -- Displaying the Startup Screen -- Testing Agents -- Dealing with Quitting -- Reacting to Changes: Folder Actions -- Periodically Launching Scripts -- Launching Scripts at Login and Logout -- Scripting the Digital Hub -- Scripts Can Be Applications, Too! -- Taking Charge of Applications -- The Basics of Bossing Around Apps -- Using a Dictionary without Knowing How the Words Are Spelled -- Differentiating between Good Applications and Pond Scum -- Tell: Getting Applications to Pay Attention -- Making a Good Recording--Even If You Can't Sing -- Debugging: Fixing Problems without DDT -- The Art of Debugging -- Savvy Troubleshooting -- Scripting Additions: Taking AppleScript to New Heights -- Working with Scripting Additions -- Script Objects: Recycling Scripts for a Healthy Environment -- Creating a Script Object -- Using Inheritance -- Miscellaneous Advanced Stuff -- Timeout: Dealing with Slowpoke Applications -- Transactions: Dealing with States -- Considering and Ignoring: Changing the Rules -- How to Control the World--or at Least Some Common Programs -- Finder/System Tricks without Touching the Mouse -- Some Quick Finder Tricks -- Playing Hide and Seek with the Finder -- Cleaning Up the Desktop by Tiling Windows -- Showing Free Disk Space -- Finding Scriptable Applications and Processing Every File to Boot -- Working with System Events -- Business Applications and Microsoft Office 2004 -- FileMaker Pro -- Scripting and Office: A History -- Microsoft Word -- Microsoft Excel -- Microsoft PowerPoint -- Layout and Graphics Applications -- OS X's Built-In Graphics Engine -- Photoshop CS -- InDesign CS -- Scripting the Web -- Opening a Web Page -- Scripting Web Surfing -- Automating Your E-Mail -- Working with iDisk -- Working over a Network -- Automating Web Services -- Scripting iLife -- Scripting iTunes -- Scripting iPhoto -- Scripting iDVD -- Working with DVD Player -- Working with iCal -- GUI Scripting -- How GUI Scripting Works -- Addressing an Item -- The Part of Tens -- More Than Ten Scriptable Applications -- Business (Database, Spreadsheets) -- Charts/Drawing -- Graphics/Digital Photos -- Internet-Related (E-Mail, Web Browsers) -- Multimedia (Music/Movies) -- Page Layout -- Script Launchers/Utilities -- Utilities -- Web Development -- Writing -- More Than Ten Scripting Resources -- Mailing Lists/Discussion Boards -- Tools -- Scripting Additions -- The Author or a Reasonable Facsimile Thereof.

What it is: AppleScript is the English-like, object-oriented programming language used to write script files to automate tasks and customize applications for the Mac. Script Editor is the application used to read, write, record, and save scripts. Script Editor version 2.0 has been completely rewritten for Mac OS X and includes several new features and abilities, including an easier-to-use interface; find and replace in script text; auto-wrapping; multiple undos; increased script size limitations; application scriptability; contextual menu scripts for faster script writing; and support for application services. AppleScript Studio is the set of professional application development tools featuring complete interface design and script writing with step-by-step debugging and source management. AppleScript Studio v1.2 is available now and is included with the Mac OS X Developer Tools, accessible by members from the Apple Developer Website as a free download (218 MB) or as a 20 CD-ROM.