AppleScript : The Missing Manual (Missing Manual)

Rating:
Summary: AppleScript Book that Fills the Gap
Review: AppleScript: The Missing Manual by Adam Goldstein succeeds in avoiding the failing of most computer books. The problem with the typical computer book is that it falls into one of two types: a tutorial, too short on information to be worth the price, or a lengthy tome (usually written by a computer programmer) that is far too detailed to be readable. AppleScript: The Missing Manual excels in providing a wealth of information in an easily readable manner and lives up to the "the missing manual" identifier.

AppleScript is generally described as a simple but powerful script programming language that reads like simple English. While this is true, the simple, short but powerful, and easy to read example scripts lulls many users. The truth is that while the finished product is easy to read, AppleScript is a "finicky" language that requires exact wording. There has been a lack of good books on AppleScript and even a shortage of online information on the Internet. Inexplicably, unlike the Apple norm, Apple's documentation on AppleScript is very poorly organized and generally cryptic. Mr. Goldstein's book is welcome relief in the large void.

Many computer books just provide information that can easily be encompassed in a short tutorial. So why bother paying the price of the book when you can easily access similar information for free on the Internet? On the other side of the scale, other computer books fail by including too much esoteric information in far too technical language. How many times do you need to read a discussion on whether a programming item fit the academic criteria of being "object-oriented"? Mr. Goldstein' book contains more information and is more complete than a tutorial while not overloading you with too much information. Any moderately computer literate Mac user should be able to easily read AppleScript: The Missing Manual.

This book comprises three sections: Part One: AppleScript Overview. Part Two: Everyday Scripting Tasks. Part Three: Power User Features. Broken down here is what is provided. The first part introduces and explains the use of AppleScript and the tools available. The second part provides a comprehensive review of the typical uses of AppleScript (i.e. Manipulating text, working with files, etc.). Finally, part three adds additional examples of more sophisticated use of AppleScript to control your computer.

Throughout the book, Mr. Goldstein offers script program examples that effectively illustrate ideas but are short enough to be easily understandable. I am sure that you will refer to these well after reading the book. The book also documents many hidden features and gems available in Mac OS X and AppleScript. How else would you discover the hidden "Image Events" application that allows you to script image file conversions easily? Another example is the book contains a very concise and good explanation of the difference between POSIX and alias file path naming conventions used by AppleScript.

The one shortcoming of AppleScript: The Missing Manual is the lack of a reference to the AppleScript script language. The book does a wonderful job of incrementally adding AppleScript statements and operators from chapter to chapter to aid learning AppleScript. But if you need to look up a specific syntax of AppleScript command you may be out of luck.

I highly recommend this book to any Apple Mac user. For the newly initiated AppleScript writer the many examples will introduce the opportunities to write simple and powerful scripts that automate repetitive tasks or accomplish more complex task. For experienced AppleScripter's, I am confident you will learn hidden features that will make your scripting tasks easier. A big plus of AppleScript is that it a great tool for some tasks. After reading this book you will easy recognize tasks that can benefit for a little AppleScript.

Rating:
Summary: Good start, hits target audience right on
Review: I've been coding AppleScript and AppleEvents since what feels like the beginning of time, starting with AE in 1991 and OS7. Revisiting AppleScript has been one of those processes that in 1997 and now in 2004/5 I have dreaded and embraced for various reasons. The main reason I hate AS so much is the lack of consistancy between application implementations of AppleScript support. I also dislike how over time implementations change making old scripts fairly worthless for relearning and aquanting. One of the other things I dislike most is the lack of a good basic introduction to the concepts and specifics of AppleScript. And finally the lack of a fairly all inclusive book or webpage about AS as a tool, AS the language, 3rd party AS tools that are currently supported and a set of generic educational sample scripts.

Now, Pogue Press along with O'reilly in their "Missing Manual Series" and a very bright high school debutant author named Adam Goldstein have put together what I consider to be the best book on AppleScript currently marketed. Thorough, modern and light reading. Adam Goldstein the wonderkid scripter that runs his own website has done us old time and newbie scripters alike a favor filling a much needed gap Apple left in their AS manuals. This 320+ page book was an easy evening read, consumed in less than 7 hours and 2 hours for reflection and revisiting sections of interest. Some of the most enjoyable things I can mention about this book are... The consistant layout of the text, it is simply a joy to read and hold in my hands. Much like other O'reilly books, this one does not fail to serve well in hand and on desktop next to monitor. Goldstein covers a LOT of territory in 300+ pages, and I found the index useful after the first read for more in depth investigation and details about rather obscure AS topics. To me, a manual of any substance and value is as good as its index. These qualities are alone worth 1/2 the retail of the retail USD $24.95 retail price.

Another thing that impressed me was Goldstein's breadth of knowledge covering bridge technologies, going from AS to JScript, or RealBASIC to AS, or even JS to AS. Living in the web demands a programmer and designer to know many tools and use the best (or in some cases the only) for the right job. Adam is clear on what AS is good for, and offers a rather complete list of alternatives for various other needs. Adam is an honest writer, something politically not in vogue all the time with writers of technology. I appreciate him being a straight shooter regarding the limitations of AS, where it is most useful, now to maximize its power and leaving it behind for other tools more appropriate. To me these merit the other 1/2 of the retail price.

Covering many application AS interfacing like MS Word, or Adobe PS, the process flow scripter/coder is going to love this up and fast running series of 'Power User's Clinic' box hilites throughout the book. Inclusive are the Workaround sections for solving conflicts and problems with apps that behave or have naming conventions in their AS dictionaries that may result in odd behaviors. For those that want to explore the media aspects of AS programming, there are sections about coding iTunes, Web-Browsers, Commercial Graphic Apps and more.

At least two things lack in my opinion ranking this book high rather than perfectly fitting my personal needs. One is the lack of mentioning a few scripting technologies like FScript, and SenseTalk, both of which are extremely powerful and very complete. The first with true Cocoa objects, and the latter with an AS bridge call via the 'do AppleScript' command and the heart of the fully automated and scriptable testing system called Eggplant. Lastly the total lack of AppleScriptable IRC client control is a big oversite. Granted, few will upon utilizing AS spend time coding IRC clients, there is a deep pool of resources online and a webring dedicated to AS IRC scripting useful to the budding and new scripter.

As this book is a Missing Manual release, it is a great launching place for people that want to know the very basics about the tools available for AppleScript like the Script Editor and XCode. This book serves well those that want to get a feel for the tools out there to write more complicated scripts for automation, that of XCode. It does not touch in great detail the use of UI Browser or Smile, two very strong tools that are available fairly cheap to the AS coder. The very last thing that bothers me is the clear lack of commercial experience and focus for AS coding. There is a large market in Publishing for AS Hackers, and it is growing daily. Its apparent this book could use a section or two regarding integration of AS into a business model/work flow, and how to control data flow as part of a configuration management solution. AS is used as part of very complex media production, websites, newspapers, catalogs, libraries, online selling and stores. Yet nothing significant is mentioned about how AS is or could be used in such environments, and this is a sore point for me and this book, missing a great chance to explain how AS can help someone accomplish something useful other than getting iTunes to play folders of music.

Some of the very enjoyable things I can mention about this book are... The consistant layout of the text, it is simply a joy to read and hold in my hands. Much like other ora.com books, this one does not fail to serve well in hand and on desktop next to monitor. Goldstein covers a LOT of territory in 300 or so pages, and I found the index to be very useful after the first read to go back and revisit some topics like the AppleScript Studio coverage that I particularly want to know about, building full blown GUI based AS applications. The simple yet clear coverage of how to construct a simple speech interface to the say command was fantastic, and worth 1/2 the retail of the book alone.

Another thing that impressed me was Goldstein's breadth of knowledge covering bridge technologies, going from AS to JScript, or BASIC to AS, or even JS to AS. Living in the web demands a programmer and designer to know many tools and use the best (or in some cases the only) for the right job. Adam is clear on what AS is good for, and offers a rather complete list of alternatives for various other needs. Adam is an honest writer, something politically not in vogue all the time with writers of technology. I appreciate him being a straight shooter regarding the limitations of AS, where it is most useful, now to maximize its power and leaving it behind for other tools more appropriate. To me that merits the other 1/2 of the retail price of USD $24.95.

Covering many application interfacing like MS Word, or Adobe PS, the process flow scripter/coder is going to love this up and fast running series of 'Power User's Clinic' box hilites throughout the book. Inclusive are the Workaround sections for solving conflicts and problems with apps that behave or have naming conventions in their AS dictionaries that may result odd behaviours. For those that want to explore the media aspects of AS programming, there are sections about coding iTunes, WebBrowsers, Commercial Graphic Apps and more.

At least two things lack in my opinion making this book a high recommendation rather than a perfect fit for my needs. One of which is the lack of mention of a few scripting technologies out there like FScript and SenseTalk, both of which are extremely powerful and complete, the first with true Cocoa objects, and the latter with an AS bridge call via the 'do AppleScript' command.

In all, I give this book a rating of 4.25 out of a potentail 5 rating, for a solid "B" score. A good first edition with a growing list of errata as I revisit sections and notes I made along the margins. I'd recommend it to the starter and intermediate AS programmer. I could see AppleScript: The Missing Manual used by those interested in an overview of AppleScript and how AS techonology could be integrated into an OS X user's productivity tool arsenal.

Disclosure: One thing I wish most would do is complete disclosure so I would know what kind of motivation and flavoring may occur during a review. To apply to self, I must tell you that I review O'reilly books for payment, in this case a free copy of the book in question. I am also a long time user of HyperSense, SenseTalk and Xmodules writer for SenseTalk dating back to 1990 and the advent of HyperCube the original NeXT/OSX Scripting Media System. However, I have attempted to be fair as well as critical of this book and its author when warranted. Goldstein's book would have benefited from more years of commercial software and configuration management experience and not hobby or part time scripting practices.

Todd Nathan is an old hand at new technology. Coding since 6502 ASM for the Apple ][ line of computers in the early 80s, he has seen technologies come and go, mostly go. He enjoys developing Forth compilers in scripting languages for the sheer torture of it all, and ASForth is his latest undertaking. A complete Forth compiler, runtime and interpreter written in AppleScript.

Rating:
Summary: Another Missing Manual Hit
Review: [...]AppleScript: The Missing Manual by Adam Goldstein is part of the Missing Manual series of beginner/intermediate books published by Pogue Press/O'Reilly and Associates. The focus of this book series is on computer products that have been released without adequate printed manuals (Mac OS X, iLife '04, Google, iPod and iTunes, Windows XP, Windows 2K among others). Their newest release, AppleScript: The Missing Manual, is a welcome addition to their catalog of smart, funny and user-friendly books.
AppleScript is a scripting language that mimics the syntax of English. As such, it's extremely similar to how sentences are structured and, as a result, is very intuitive and simple to use. However, this doesn't belie the fact that it's a very powerful tool for automation.
Goldstein's Missing Manual is an exciting newcomer to the meager collection of AppleScript introductory volumes. This book covers the current Mac OS 10.3 (Panther) release of AppleScript and includes multimedia support, GUI scripting and AppleScript Studio. While it is intended for the beginner and intermediate user, power-hounds will also find many tricks, tips and hidden tools within its pages.
The book is divided into four parts: "AppleScript Overview", "Everyday Scripting Tasks", "Power-User Features" and "Appendixes".
Part One begins with the usual suspects: where to find the AppleScript folder in Mac OS X, how to enable the script menu and the surprising number of useful scripts you'll find there. In just a few pages, Goldstein hands the reader a collection of valuable scripts that were hiding in OS X Panther all along (I particularly like the "ransom note" script).
Part Two is the main core of the book and covers "Everyday Scripting Tasks". The seven chapters in this section run the gamut of increasing difficulty: manipulating text, controlling files, creating lists, organizing and editing graphics, playing sound and video, internet and network scripting and organizing information in databases. The author quickly takes the reader through a series of simple scripts designed to illustrate AppleScript syntax.
Once the reader whips through the example scripts in Parts One and Two, it's time to get down and geeky. Part Three titled "Power-User Features", is the section of the book for geeks and wanna-be geeks. Goldstein shoves enough advanced techniques in five chapters to make these alone worth the price of the book. The reader learns how to enable folder actions, attach built-in folder actions to specific folders, view and edit these built-in folder actions and run his or her own actions.
My favorite chapter in this section is Chapter 13, Mixing AppleScript and Unix. Goldstein gives a quick terminal lesson followed by a neat trick to display the Expose button ("the blob"). Other helpful actions: use do shell script to run Unix programs straight from AppleScript, run shell scripts with admin privileges, run AppleScripts from Unix thus saving time by bypassing the Script Editor and schedule commands (use an AppleScript to run cron every day, use iCal to schedule scripts). Even users who normally shy away from the terminal will want to try some of these.
Part Four contains the Appendix A through C: "AppleScript Support in Common Programs" (a very useful set of tables of applications, their level of AppleScript support, price and where to get them), "Moving from Hypercard to AppleScript" (options and advice for converting Hypercard stacks to AppleScript and major syntax differences between HyperTalk and AppleScript) and "Where to Go from Here" (AppleScript sources: Web sites, discussion lists and books).
Goldstein's style of writing is exceptionally clear with just a dash of humor that humanizes the experience of reading a technical or "how-to" manual. The reader won't find anything confusing, lacking in detail or dull. This book is eminently satisfying on many levels: the writing style is conversational and humorous (I would imagine this is a pre-requisite for writing for David Pogue), the style of this book series is consistently pleasant to read and the level of technical difficulty satisfies the range of readers from beginner through power-user. The "valuable information:price" ration is, hands-down, in the buyer's favor.
A final note about Adam Goldstein, the author of Applescript: The Missing Manual...he is the teenage founder of GoldfishSoft (www.goldfishsoft.com), a Mac OS X games and utilities software company (my 7 year-old son loves AlgeKalk and FrakKalk, geek that he is). By "teenage", I mean Adam Golstein is 17-ish. He began contributing to this Pogue/O'Reilly series several years ago by writing a few sections of Mac OS X Panther Edition: The Missing Manual (FileVault, journaling and Disk Restore). I suspect we'll be hearing a lot more from Mr. Goldstein...and I'm looking forward to it.