[OS X TeX] Applescript-tcl dictionary, wishlist

[Jon Guyer]

On Jan 7, 2005, at 9:41 AM, Claus Gerhardt wrote:

> Though I wouldn't consider myself to be a guru of any kind, here are 
> BBEdit's Applescript commands (numbered from 1 to 6):
:
:
> 6. set theSelection to selection as text

Just to avoid any repeat of the previous confusion, this should be

6. get selection as text

"set theSelection to" is done by AppleScript, not by BBEdit.

> I would strongly suggest that a more or less extensive 
> (Applescript)-tcl dictionary exists so that people fluent in 
> Applescript but illiterate in tcl can use.

{Alpha Directory}/Help/Alpha\ Commands
<http://www.tcl.tk/man/tcl8.4/TclCmd/contents.htm>

The first is also available via the {Alpha Developer Menu} --> 
"AlphaDev Help Files" submenu, but that's not activated by default.

These references aren't at all comprehensive. Most of the commands that 
you would want to invoke from AppleScript are higher level Tcl procs 
that are built on the commands described in those two references. The 
documentation for most of those is sadly lacking, even to AlphaTcl 
scripters and not just to the AppleScript literati. They are the 
organic product of well over ten years of development and dozens of 
contributors. We (or at least I) figure out what to call by searching 
Alpha's Tcl library for likely calls and namespaces and by simply 
having done it so long that I can make educated guesses. I'm not 
defending this state of affairs; simply stating what it is. At this 
point, your best resource is to ask here, or better yet, on the 
AlphaTcl-Developers mailing list.

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