why doesnt this simple sciript work?

This is weird. Why would the first script work and the second script not work?

tell application "System Events" to tell process "iChat"
	get value of text area 1 of scroll area 1 of window "chat with andrew" 
end tell

  tell application "System Events" to tell process "iChat"
	set name1 to "andrew"
	get value of text area 1 of scroll area 1 of window "chat with" & name1
end tell
 

Precedence rules.

  tell application "System Events" to tell process "iChat"
	set name1 to "andrew"
	get value of text area 1 of scroll area 1 of window ("chat with" & name1)
end tell
 

Given that these are the ‘original’ scriplets with which you tested, I’d say it’s just a missing space… :smiley: (the concatentation in the second one would produce “chat withandrew” instead of “chat with andrew”)