Beginning AppleScript®

Introduction

The AppleScript language evolved from a revolutionary language called HyperTalk, which was developed in 1987 by Bill Atkinson. HyperTalk, which was part of the programming environment called HyperCard, allowed you to write English-like sentences to accomplish your tasks. Several commercial applications, most notably the popular game Myst, were developed in HyperCard. However, due to various marketing decisions, HyperCard and HyperTalk never gained widespread popularity and support.

Like HyperTalk, AppleScript remained a language embraced by a relatively small circle of enthusiasts. With the surge in popularity of Mac OS X, a powerful operating system based on UNIX, came a surge in the popularity of AppleScript. This was partly due to the fact that more and more applications became scriptable, meaning you could talk to them from an AppleScript program. AppleScript was also found to be well suited for automating repetitive tasks in the workplace, a process known as workflow automation. Finally, AppleScript's growth in popularity was partly owed to Apple's recognition and adoption of AppleScript as a key technology component in Mac OS X.

AppleScript is called a scripting language. Scripting languages are programming languages designed primarily to control or coordinate the operation of other programs. Examples of other popular scripting languages include JavaScript, Perl, Ruby, VBScript, the UNIX shell, and Python.

On your Mac, a scripting language might ask the Safari ...