Beginning AppleScript (Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

by Stephen G. Kochan (Author) "The AppleScript language evolved from a revolutionary language called HyperTalk, which was developed in 1987 by Bill Atkinson..." (more)
Key Phrases: display dialog command, text item delimiters, choose file command, Event Log, Click the Result, Interface Builder (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
What is this book about?

Geared toward programmers with no prior development knowledge, Beginning AppleScript serves as a comprehensive guide to using AppleScript on the Mac OS X platform.  This title introduces the reader to AppleScript, and then illustrates how to efficiently start writing scripts through sample programs as each concept is introduced. Exercises at the end of each chapter allow the reader to test and demonstrate their knowledge on how to write functional scripts. The appendices include a list of other resources for additional developer information, and a summary of the language suitable for reference.

From the Back Cover
Beginning AppleScript

AppleScript is being embraced as a key technology component in Mac OS® X. This powerful scripting language is designed primarily to help coordinate the operation of other programs, and is an ideal solution to general programming problems. In this comprehensive tutorial, expert author Stephen Kochan presents you with all the information you need to understand and efficiently write programs in AppleScript.

As you progress through the book, sample programs accompany the introduction of each new concept, enabling you to write scripts, run them, and then examine the results. In addition, exercises at the end of each chapter test your knowledge. This hands-on guide will show you just how AppleScript's unique way of doing things differs significantly from any other programming language you've used.

What you will learn from this book

• How to start up the Script Editor application, type a program, and run it
• Various ways to work with strings, lists, records, and files
• How AppleScript enables you to communicate easily with other applications
• How to write scripts for iLife® applications such as iTunes®, iPhoto , and iDVD
• Ways to plan for errors, and how to handle them when they do occur
• How to use AppleScript Studio, which is the bridge between AppleScript and GUI applications

Who this book is for

This book is for novice programmers who want to learn how to use AppleScript for general programming applications and to automate time-consuming tasks or experienced programmers who are interested in saving time and money by using this powerful scripting tool.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (December 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764574000
• ISBN-13: 978-0764574009
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #283,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book about AppleScript, December 22, 2004

By	A Mac Hobbyist - See all my reviews

Finally a book about AppleScript that's not just for professionals. This book is for all Mac users that want to have some fun and learn how to write AppleScript programs. Kochan uses tons of examples and shows how to do some fun things, like write a guessing game, or write a program that says "Good morning" (or whatever is appropriate for the time of day). His iLife chapter shows how to write iTunes programs, and how to do things like make a photo album or DVD from a folder full of photos. This book rocks!

- A Mac Hobbyist

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, up-to-date starting point, January 9, 2005

By	Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Frankly the pickings for Applescript books is pretty slim. To have a new book on the subject is a welcome surprise. I would have preferred that the book had more exposition in relation to the amount of code, but that's a small gripe with what is otherwise a well written book. The basics are covered from the syntax of the language and the tools, to file management and logging. Then the author discusses scripting the common iLife applications. This is where I appreciated the up-to-date information as the other book on Applescript from O'Reilly is badly in need of an update.

I would have preferred some additional information on Applescript Studio, as this is an exciting new development for Applescript. But that is also a minor grip.

A must buy for those interested in a starting point for scripting their OS X box.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A competent, well-written, friendly textbook, April 12, 2007

By	J. Eric Schonblom "anobium" (Eastern Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a tough grader, and four stars from me is doing very well! The bottom line is that this book is well organised, written clearly, and discusses a moderately difficult subject pleasantly and with competency.
The book fitted my background. I started programming in 1959, became proficient in FORTRAN by the mid 60's, added BASIC and LOGO when I bought my first computer a decade later, used HyperCard while it was being supported, dabbled in PASCAL, and learned too little C before retiring in 1996. When I bought this book, my last programming was ten years behind me, and modern computer languages weren't in my repertory at all.
I like a textbook approach -- clear exposition with plenty of examples, followed by problems to solve -- and Kochan provided just that. Often the examples preceded the exposition, and that worked fine, too. I prided myself on solving all the chapter-ending problems without looking at any of the solutions, and the book equipped me to do that, although a few problems in the later chapters took me a long time. Very occasionally I encountered typographical errors, but, almost always, what I had learned from the book allowed me to proceed. The point is not that there were typos here and there -- what technical manual is without them -- but that the book itself kept them from becoming an obstacle.
From the end of Chapter 4 I was able to begin using what I had learned, actually putting AppleScript to work. That provided motivation to go on and finish the book, which took three months, incidentally.
The book has an attractive layout and is blessed with an excellent table of contents, a comprehensive index, and a short list of other resources, all features of a well-written text, and all too often omitted.
Still, four stars, not five. Why? Had I bought the book when it was published in 2005, rather than in January of 2007, I might well have given five stars, but writing about current programming techniques, especially when referring to other programs -- essential in teaching AppleScript -- is aiming at a moving target, and as the author indicated would happen, the target had moved on. An example in Chapter 11 using iDVD that a 2005 reviewer praised doesn't work on the newer version of iDVD on my computer, and the gap was too big for me to bridge. Kochan warned that two web-service examples in Chapter 13 might not remain available, and one of them is gone now. Despite these glitches, both Chapter 11 and Chapter 13 are well worth reading and studying, but each has lost a useful example.
The book was unable to teach me the crontab feature in Chapter 13. I have not figured out whether a misprint, something outdated, or my own incompetence is responsible.
The publisher, Wiley, provides an errata list for the textbook on line and provides a place there to post questions; however, the site is also dated and did not help me. Most of the errata listed there came from me.
A principal purpose of AppleScript is to enable users to make more efficient use of other programs, such as Adobe PhotoShop and Apple iTunes, to name just two. This cannot be done in an elementary textbook, and Kochan illustrates what might be attempted without pretending to teach you to do it. On page 556 he cites "AppleScript, the Definitive Guide," by Matt Neuburg, saying: "This book explains many of the intricacies of the AppleScript language and is the recommended follow-up to the book you hold in your hands." I plan to find out. Neuburg's book, incidentally, wasn't suited to introduce me to AppleScript when I attempted to read it first.
The bits of outdated material listed above should not discourage you from buying and profiting from "Beginning AppleScript." I do not know a better place to start.