Welcome to the demonstration version of the Scripter!
This 30-day demonstration version includes most of the functionality of the final product, with a few features disabled, such as saving and printing. Please copy it to your hard disk before running.
Please remember that, without the full package which includes the manual, you'll likely only discover a small portion of Scripter's power.
ABOUT SCRIPTER
Scripter® is the premiere authoring and development environment for writing in the AppleScript language. Scripter's editing and debugging capabilities go far beyond those of Apple's Script Editor and other AppleScript editors and debuggers.
The first enhanced AppleScript tool to be demonstrated in public, it was shown at the beginning of 1993. With its point-and-click approach, and many tools, Scripter was instantly heralded by many as "making AppleScript usable," by allowing both novices and experts alike to tap into the rich power of AppleScript. Early versions of Scripter have been used at sites around the world throughout the past three years to assist significantly in the development of major projects using AppleScript. Since then, it has opened the AppleScript door for many, many people, ranging from those just getting into AppleScript all the way to those creating complex automation systems.
Scripter was also the first tool to incorporate real single-step debugging, as demonstrated in early 1994. It has the only debugger available that gives you direct access to all your variables, whether local, global or properties, and provides many other advanced debugging capabilities that help you find bugs you didn't even know you had!
But Scripter is not just an editor or a debugger; it is a full environment for working with AppleScript. Scripter was designed around the uniqueness of the AppleScript language -- as AppleScript is different from most other languages, so Scripter employs a different approach than the traditional development model.
CAPABILITIES
Scripter contains several dozen features to help streamline the process of writing and developing AppleScript scripts, most of which are not available in other products. The majority of the capabilities fall into three areas:
Extended script writing capabilities and shortcuts: The tool palette contains an assortment of shortcuts and assembly tools to help you save time during script writing. Additional editing features assist you in putting together your scripts, including a full six-function search-and-replace menu, tools for navigating around in your scripts easily, generating frequently-used constructs, easy access to your collection of frequently-used scripts, and more. Virtually every editing function and shortcut is undoable.
Better access to application vocabularies: In addition to the dictionary reference window, you can use application-specific builder windows to help you in assembling script statements, increasing the probability that you'll get your syntax right. And there's a command window to try out individual commands.
Aids for debugging: The variable watcher, expression evaluator, and enhanced trace log, assist you in finding your bugs quickly. And true line-by-line debugging tells the story immediately.
INSTALLATION
You can place the Scripter demo application anywhere you like, except the Desktop. Double-click the Scripter icon and you're ready to go!
QUICK TOUR - THE BASICS
• Application Bar
The Application Bar is the "control center" of Scripter. In it, you'll keep your favorite scriptable applications around, so you can access their vocabulary information instantly. Just double-click on an empty slot and pick a scriptable application. To access the vocabulary, double-click (or double-click with a modifier key down) and one of the vocabulary windows (such as a builder or a dictionary) will open.
• Builders
You can use the up and down arrow keys to browse through the the list of commands. Double-click on a command name and keywords to assemble a command from pieces of the vocabulary, typing over the prompts for the value types. There's a builder for each application in the App Bar, and one for all your currently-installed scripting additions.
• Tools and shortcuts
The tools palette contains gadgets to help put together your scripts faster, such as commenting and uncommenting, generating file specs, and viewing and assembling lists and records, to name a few. There's also a full Search menu with six find-and-replace functions, and navigation capabilities.
• Collection
Keep your frequently-run scripts around in the Collection; you can use it like a Scripts menu. Or use it to keep your favorite scripts and handler libraries always available by double-clicking on a name in the Collection, to open the script or library in an editing window. Navigate to the handler you want using the Markers menu, select it, grab it, and put it in the script you're working on.
• Command window
Try out one-liners here, useful for seeing the cumulative effect of each line on the previous lines, or for trying that pesky application-defined command without messing up your scripts, until you get it right.
• Debugging
You can access any of your variables in the Observe window, you can execute AppleScript commands anywhere in your debugging session in the Instant window, and you can find out where you've been in the Log window. Single-step or auto-step through your script until you encounter a bug, and in many cases, fix the bug using the Observe or Instant window.
There's a lot more than this; all is explained in the full version.
CHECK OUT THE DEMO VERSION
We've kept the menus trim, to keep them clean and also because we're allowing for significant expansion in our future releases. But don't let the simple menu scheme mislead you, there's a lot of depth to Scripter. Some of the features are readily accessible by holding down a modifier key while clicking or double-clicking on an icon. For example, in the application bar, double-click on an empty space to add an app; then double-click on an occupied space to open its builder, shift-double-click to bring up its dictionary, and so on. Hold the shift key down while stepping to step into subroutine handlers.
The demo version is designed to let you get a brief feeling for Scripter's power. Play around with it: Add your favorite scriptable applications to the App Bar and build some commands. Breeze through writing scripts with the shortcuts. Try out commands one at-a-time until you get them just perfect. Step through your code; watch and change variable values. Type a handler call in the Call Box and call the handler. Trace through what you did to figure out where things went astray.
Keep in mind that the demo version is no substitute for the complete version with the manual and auxiliary goodies. Because Scripter is designed to be different from other tools you may be familiar with, you will likely discover only a subset of its capabilities.
The 30-day demo version:
- is limited to 75 lines of script
- cannot save or print,
- cannot copy or drag-edit to other applications.
The real version also:
- allows you to create groups of applications for the app bar,
- integrates with FaceSpan and other applications,
- includes Apple Guide databases,
- incorporates Macintosh Drag and Drop in a number of ways,
- allows you to access the ScriptBase database directly from the Scripter environment,
- includes some extra auxiliary goodies to help you as you script.
and includes several more features and last-minute optimizations which were not quite ready when this demo version was built.
NOTE: If you're running System 7.5 or later, you must have a printer driver installed for Scripter to operate properly.
PRICING AND ORDERING
The suggested price for the Scripter package is US $199. Scripter is available from:
