At 01:08 -0600 2/28/04, Chap Harrison wrote: >I am about to switch away from Applescript -- either that, or go mad.
Welcome to perl. You will be pleased. >It involves loading a Filemaker database. I'm sorry for you. When Filemaker allows me to prepare a macro - er script - with a text editor I might try it again. The idea that one is required to mouse around to make things work is a disaster. You can't even copy and re-use something you did previously in another database. My major use for AppleScript has been to make drag and drop applets which are usually one liners that simply pass a file to perl or perhaps an ANSI-C coded UNIX executable. There is a way to put a perl script in a *.app package which can be run from Finder but I haven't yet figured out how to pass arguments. A problem with scripting applications with other than AppleScript is obtaining the information you need about the structure of the target application. The dictionaries are bad enough in the script editor and you may find it even harder in perl. Just finding the <<codes>> that are the meat of AppleEvents can be impossible. perl will not fix problems with Filemaker or its documentation. Become aware of BBEdit worksheets. They work well with perl. It's almost like MacPerl under MPW. You can store command lines that you use regularly in a worksheet. Then just select and execute with the enter key or - in my case - the right mouse button. And by the way. . . perl can evaluate $y = -$x^2 and get the right answer. -- Applescript syntax is like English spelling: Roughly, but not thoroughly, thought through.
