On 3/12/01 7:43 AM, "Edward O'Neal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Ok, ok, I've held off long enough. I've used Macs since 1984 but one area I
> have never touched is scripting. There seems to be an awful lot of
> scripting addicts on this list - in fact, nearly every post deals with
> scripting.
>
> Can someone tell me where to get started learning to write and use scripts?
> Good web sites for a beginner? I want to learn what it's all about and maybe
> also run through some tutorials. Direct e-mail replies would be helpful as
> I'm getting way behind on reading the digests.
>
Go first to Apple's AppleScript site, found, oddly enough, at
http://www.apple.com/applescript/
You can get everywhere else from there.
Go the the first six links you see on the right-hand side on that page:
Overview
Beginners Tutorial
[AppleScript GuideBook (just Essential Subroutines)]
Bill Brigg's AppleScript Primers -- **especially
AppleScript-Users Mailing List
[MacScrpt Mailing List]
--further down:
AppleScript User Guide
AppleScript Language Guide --**especially - download in PDF free
and from that link:
AppleScript Finder Guide -- ** PDF free
AppleScript Scripting Additions Guide --** although out-of-date , PDF
AppleScript SourceBook
macscripter.net -- and from there:
MacScripter's magazine (good tutorial)
AppleScript Books
The best book, by a very long way, is
Danny Goodman's AppleScript Handbook
which is available ("print-on-demand') from www.amazon.com or direct from
the publisher, toExcel, but not usually at regular bookstores.
Use that in conjunction with the "Bible", the AppleScript Language Guide,
which is "the" reference book, and which _you can download in PDF format
free_ from the links above, but is rather daunting as a straight read. The
Goodman book is the very best thorough introduction, unless you like the
"for Dummies" books - there's one of those too.
Once you've done the very first tutorials, you can start in learning
Entourage's scripting from its dictionary: you'll find out soon where to
find that using Script Editor, which you already have in your Apple Extras
--> AppleScript folder. And ask here on on the AppleScript-Users list.
When you get used to Script Editor, after a month or two, download the free
Smile script editor, also linked from the Apple page. It's much, much
better, but since it's also a little more complicated, start with Script
Editor first.
It's a bit much to take in at first because there's a certain amount of
flailing about as you try to master the syntax. It's not quite as simple as
it first appears from the first tutorials, and you need to learn things on
various fronts before it becomes comfortable. But you get there.
Welcome!
--
Paul Berkowitz
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