Examples

// TO DO: include corresponding aeglue commands as comments

Application objects

// application id "com.apple.Finder"
let finder = Finder() // (use the glue's default bundle ID)

// application "Adobe InDesign CS6"
let indesign = AdobeInDesign(name: "Adobe InDesign CS6")

// application "Macintosh HD:Applications:TextEdit.app:"
let textedit = TextEdit(name: "/Applications/TextEdit.app")

// application "iTunes" of machine "eppc://jsmith@media-mac.local"
let itunes = ITunes(url: URL(string: "eppc://jsmith@media-mac.local/iTunes"))

// application id "com.apple.Stickies" // a non-scriptable application
let stickies = AEApplication(bundleIdentifier: "com.apple.Stickies")

Property references

// a reference to startup disk of application "Finder"
finder.startupDisk

// a reference to name of folder 1 of home of application "Finder"
finder.home.folders[1].name

// a reference to name of every item of home of application "Finder"
finder.home.items.name

// a reference to text of every document of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents.text

// a reference to color of character 1 of every paragraph of text ¬
//     of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.paragraphs.characters[1].color

All elements references

// a reference to disks of application "Finder"
finder.disks

// a reference to every word of every paragraph ¬
//     of text of every document of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents.text.paragraphs.words

Single element references

// a reference to disk 1 of application "Finder"
finder.disks[1]

// a reference to file "ReadMe.txt" of folder "Documents" of home of application "Finder"
finder.home.folders["Documents"].files["ReadMe.txt"]

// a reference to paragraph -1 of text of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.paragraphs[-1]

// a reference to middle paragraph of text of last document of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents.last.text.paragraphs.middle

// a reference to any file of home of application "Finder"
finder.home.files.any

Relative references

// a reference to paragraph before paragraph 6 of text of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.paragraphs[6].previous(TED.paragraph)

// a reference to paragraph after character 30 of document 1 of application "Tex-Edit Plus"
texeditplus.documents[1].characters[30].next(TEP.paragraph)

Element range references

// a reference to words 1 thru 4 of text of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.words[1, 4]


// a reference to paragraphs 2 thru -1 of text of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.paragraphs[2, -1]

// a reference to folders "Documents" thru "Music" of home of application "Finder"
finder.home.folders["Documents", "Music"]

// a reference to text (word 3) thru (paragraph 7) of document 1 of application "Tex-Edit Plus"
texeditplus.documents[1].text[TEPCon.words[3], TEPCon.paragraphs[7]]

Test references

// a reference to every document of application "TextEdit" whose text is "\n"
textedit.documents[TEDIts.text == "\n"]

// a reference to every paragraph of document 1 of application "Tex-Edit Plus" ¬
//      whose first character is last character
texeditplus.documents[1].paragraphs[TEPIts.characters.first == TEPIts.characters.last]

// a reference to every file of folder "Documents" of home of application "Finder" ¬
//      whose name extension is "txt" and size < 10240
finder.home.folders["Documents"].files[FINIts.nameExtension == "txt" && FINIts.size < 10240]

Insertion location references

// a reference to end of documents of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents.end

// a reference to before paragraph 1 of text of document 1 of application "TextEdit"
textedit.documents[1].text.paragraphs[1].before

open command

Open a document in TextEdit:

// tell application "TextEdit" to open (POSIX file "/Users/jsmith/ReadMe.txt")
try textedit.open(URL(fileURLWithPath: "/Users/jsmith/ReadMe.txt"))
// TextEdit().documents["ReadMe.txt"]

get command

Get the name of every folder in the user's home folder:

// tell application "Finder" to get name of every folder of home
try finder.get(FINApp.home.folders.name)

Or, more concisely:

try finder.home.folders.name.get()

Remember to declare the command's return type if you intend to use the returned value:

let folderNames = try finder.home.folders.name.get() as [String]
print(folderNames.joined(separator: ", "))
// "Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, ..."

set command

Set the content of a TextEdit document:

// tell application "TextEdit" to set text of document 1 to "Hello World"
try textedit.documents[1].text.set(to: "Hello World")

count command

Count the words in a TextEdit document:

// tell application "TextEdit" to count words of document 1
try textedit.documents[1].words.count() as Int
// 42

Count the items in the current user's home folder:

// tell application "Finder" to count items of home
try finder.home.count(each: FIN.item) as Int
// 11

(Note that Finder and many other Carbon applications require the count command's each parameter to be given. Cocoa-based apps should accept either form.)

make command

Create a new TextEdit document:

// tell application "TextEdit" to make new document ¬
//     with properties {text:"Hello World\n"}
try textedit.make(new: TED.document, 
       withProperties: [TED.text: "Hello World\n"]) as TEDItem
// TextEdit().documents["Untitled"]

Append text to a TextEdit document:

// tell application "TextEdit" to make new paragraph ¬
//     at end of text of document 1 ¬
//     with properties {text:"Yesterday\nToday\nTomorrow\n"}
try textedit.make(new: TED.paragraph, 
                   at: TEDApp.documents[1].text.end,
             withData: "Yesterday\nToday\nTomorrow\n")

duplicate command

Duplicate a folder to a disk, replacing an existing item if one exists:

// tell application "Finder"
//   duplicate folder "Projects" of home to disk "Work" with replacing
// end tell
try finder.home.folders["Projects"].duplicate(to: FINApp.disks["Backup"], replacing: true)
// Finder().disks["Backup"].folders["Projects"]

add command

Add every person with a known birthday to a group named "Birthdays":

// tell application "Contacts"
//   add every person whose birth date is not missing value to group "Birthdays"
// end tell
try contacts.people[CONIts.birthDate != MissingValue].add(to: CONApp.groups["Birthdays"])

quit command

Close every TextEdit document without saving:

// tell application "TextEdit" to quit saving no
try textedit.quit(saving: TED.no)

Quit the Stickies app if it's currently running:

let stickies = AEApplication(bundleIdentifier: "com.apple.Stickies") // default glue
if stickies.isRunning { try? stickies.quit() }