Are there definitive docs for AppleScript somewhere?

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

I have been working on a tool the last few days, and I can’t tell you how many times either my google search doesn’t send me to apple’s site at all. OR I get what look like official docs on apple’s site. Then I look through the google AI result, and the AI result is giving me more info, more statement options etc than apple’s own site does!

Is this language a secret or is there a good set of docs around somewhere? When it comes to documentation, php and javascript are miles ahead of applescript.

Also I’ve been “coding” in applescript since 1994.

2 Likes
#2

Here is an online version.
AppleScriptLangGuide

Thre is a PDF version out there. I have a copy but I’ll try to find the proper link.

Found it
AppleScript Language Guide 2013

There is also a great website with lots of guides for Applescrpt
MacOSXAutomation

#3

Everything is well organized and preserved on this site.

#4

So am I missing something or are the official apple applescript docs not searchable? Theres a search box on the page but it searches the whole site, not applescript docs specifically. Its crazy that 30 years later, its the same fully unnecessary battle to code in applescript.

#5

There’s also this guide:

Don’t know how it differs from the other guide mentioned earlier.

1 Like
#6

Correct. I keep the pdf for that purpose. FWIW, the pages are marginally newer than any pdf I’ve found, dating to early 2016. The difference is in the listed error messages.

As an aside, I don’t recall how I ended up with it, but I have those pages installed on my system. I am guessing I did so from xcode’s documentation download capabilities many years ago. I don’t generally use them but occasionally I’ve been without internet when I wanted to look up an error message. Also, for simple reading, I prefer the web layout.