On 1/2/02 8:29 AM, "Allen Watson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> An osax that does cut, copy and paste would be nice, like Tanaka's does in
> OS 9. Short of that, an osax that emulates typing with modifier keys would
> let us manipulate the Edit menu that way.
> 
> Do you have any idea why seemingly none of the relatively simple osaxen are
> getting converted, especially since Eric Grant did his thing for making
> compatible versions? (Incidentally, where can I read about that?)

Who knows how simple? Tanaka's, as it happens, is not even PPC-native: it's
done in 680x0 code. The only guide I have as to why it's not being done is
Jon Pugh (of Jon's Commands) who talks about it a bit on AS-Users list.

Don't forget that most of them wrote the osaxen for themselves, or for
people making requests, just like we do our scripts. And many of them are
not using OS X yet. Jon Pugh says he's in OS X at work (he works for Adobe)
but still prefers OS 9 at home. So he doesn't need it. And they'd be doing
it for free (like us). And - JUST like for us - it's not so much fun the
second time.

The point is that there are a few important basic things, like key emulation
and detection, short dates in user's system format, and the like, which
should be built-in to AppleScript or to Standard Additions, not dependent on
some 3rd-party white knights. AppleScript is a more serious language than
when it first started out, and it's ridiculous not to have these things.
Look at what VB has built in. I have started a discussion on this a few days
ago on AS-Users, hoping to get general agreement on the "top 10" or so
osaxen needed (and there is surprisingly good agreement) to present as a
sort of petition to Apple. I think they should drop what they're doing and
implement some of these things. (Jon has also explained the background how
"Jon's Commands" _were_ supposed to be part of Standard Additions, before he
and the whole AppleScript team got fired or re-assigned some years ago.)

For now, we just have to wait and make do.

-- 
Paul Berkowitz


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