| OverviewAppleScript: The Missing Manual is
every beginner's guide to learning the Macintosh's ultimate
scripting tool: AppleScript. Through dozens of hands-on
scripting examples, this comprehensive guide ensures that
anyone including novices can learn how to control Mac
applications in timesaving and innovative ways. Thanks to
AppleScript: The Missing Manual, the
path from regular Mac fan to seasoned scripter has never
been easier. Editorial ReviewsProduct DescriptionFrom newspapers to NASA, Mac users around the world use AppleScript to automate their daily computing routines. Famed for its similarity to English and its ease of integration with other programs, AppleScript is the perfect programming language for time-squeezed Mac fans. As beginners quickly realize, however, AppleScript has one major shortcoming: it comes without a manual. No more. You don't need a degree in computer science, a fancy system administrator title, or even a pocket protector and pair of nerdy glasses to learn the Mac's most popular scripting language; you just need the proper guide at your side. AppleScript: The Missing Manual is that guide. Brilliantly compiled by author Adam Goldstein, AppleScript: The Missing Manual is brimming with useful examples. You'll learn how to clean up your Desktop with a single click, for example, and how to automatically optimize pictures for a website. Along the way, you ll learn the overall grammar of AppleScript, so you can write your own customized scripts when you feel the need. Naturally, AppleScript: The Missing Manual isn't merely for the uninitiated scripter. While its hands-on approach certainly keeps novices from feeling intimidated, this comprehensive guide is also suited for system administrators, web and graphics professionals, musicians, scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and others who need to learn the ins and outs of AppleScript for their daily work. Thanks to AppleScript: The Missing Manual, the path from consumer to seasoned script has never been clearer. Now you, too, can automate your Macintosh in no time. |
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Reader Reviews From Amazon (Ranked by 'Helpfulness') Average Customer Rating: based on 20 reviews. Hard to follow, 2007-12-27 Reviewer rating: "AppleScript: The missing manual" is complete and will teach you the basic of AppleScript to the point where you can write your own script to accomplish all kinds of tasks.
The book is pleasently only 325 pages and can be assimilated rather quickly.
The book provides automation examples for a lot of standard Mac fonctionalities and also some third party applications.
I only gave it 3 stars for two reasons.
First I am not a big fan of the style of the author. When I want to learn something I favor an academic style, I find it easier to assimilate things that way. "AppleScript: The missing manual" is written like if it was an everyday conversation however with opinion and jokes.
Second and this is my main complaint, this is a book written mainly by example. There is no real description of syntax of the language at all not even the basic basics. So in order to get a feel for the language you need to read plenty of samples and try to undestand what the author is doing.
I would not recommend this book for any professional or advanced developper who are looking to learn what AppleScript is or how to use AppleScript. This book could however be a good addition for those that want to see example of how AppleScript can be use. | Thorough and Good for the programmer as well as the novice...., 2007-08-24 Reviewer rating: This book is loaded with information from A-Z in AppleScript. I am a programmer. I read the other reviews by programmers who said the book "wasn't enough". This book is the best on the market for AppleScript and if you are starting out writing applications in AppleScript Studio. I couldn't hail it enough. | Okay for beginners, not for programmers., 2007-06-04 Reviewer rating: This book is very basic and doesn't really get into any depth. Rather than teaching the fundamentals of AppleScript, it's more of a guided tour to what you can accomplish with AppleScript in various common applications. For the average computer user, this may be helpful, but if you're a programmer and want to learn how to write your own scripts, other resources would be a better bet.
I also wasn't impressed with the writing style or organization - while I *am* impressed that a high school student could write a book like this, for most technically inclined people, I'd look elsewhere. | OK as an introduction but lacks depth, 2007-02-24 Reviewer rating: "Applescript - the missing manual" is OK as an introduction to the basics of Applescript - it explains how to edit & run a script, gives a feel for what applescript looks like and what its capable of, and describes some useful tools - but I was disappointed by its coverage of the heart of the subject: the syntax of the language. To learn how to do anything even slightly beyond the examples given in the book (which are mostly rather trite) I had to go to the Applescript Language Guide, on the Apple developers site. This actually explains the language, though its way out of date and pretty heavy going.
Overall, an OK book to get started but you'll need something more detailed to really use applescript. If you already know how to program, I'd recommend looking for something a bit more technical. | A great start for beginners, 2007-02-22 Reviewer rating: This title doesn't get down to the fine details or into more advanced AppleScript, yet it does have the ability to get one started on the right track. It's a book for beginners with little understanding of AppleScript. It's well written and easy to follow. It might be all you need...but for those of you who have experience and need to get deeper into the language, I'd suggest another book. It's also based on Panther AppleScript so there are a few pieces of script that need a little fixing in order for it to work in Tiger, but I found it rare. I feel pretty comfortable with AppleScript after reading this book and I'm able to build upon the basics much faster. |
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