Interpreting Appleworks 6 Dictionary

I am new to MacScripter, but have used Applescript a bit since OS 7.5 with Appleworks. (I am also an antique programmer.) My older Macs are headed to the computer graveyard at an increasing rate. I am attempting to move Appleworks 5 programs with custom button bar to Appleworks 6 where there are no custom button bars. My current specific problem is that I am attempting to use (from the AW6 dictionary) “db search” to do a canned database search. This search does work in AW6 directly. With any parameters that I try, the script stops with this error:
"AppleScript Error

Appleworks 6 got an error: db search (name/index etc.) doesn't understand the apply message."

Among my attempts are:

apply db search “AW6 named search” of database layer 1 of document 1
apply db search 6 of database 1
apply db search 6

The AW6 database is open in the frontmost window

The AW6 dictionary shows “db search” and “apply db search” as valid items. I would appreciate any insights as to what parameters I need to supply and/or whether AW6 really does allow database manipulation.

When we define a ‘registered sort’, we give it a name and thhe sort is available in the Tool_palette on the left side of the window in a square palette offering:

layout
search
sort
report

It’s the name of one of these sorts which we must pass.

I apologize but I don’t know the exact English names of the AppleWorks GUI items.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) jeudi 15 juillet 2010 16:07:21