[Pythonmac-SIG] Pythonmac-SIG Digest, Vol 34, Issue 59

[Bob Ippolito]

On Feb 11, 2006, at 7:37 PM, Daniel Lord wrote:

>
> On Feb 11, 2006, at 6:32 PM, pythonmac-sig-request at python.org wrote:
>
>> Ronald Oussoren wrote:
>>
>>> Totally off-topic, but if you'd move to setuptools you can keep  
>>> several separate packages, but users could install using  
>>> 'easy_install appscript' which would then take care of the  
>>> dependencies for you.
>>
>> I think setuptools is going to be a great solution and definitely  
>> plan to more there eventually. For now though, the mpkg-based  
>> distribution provides a lower barrier to entry (one less thing to  
>> install first), and it's a familiar format to all Mac users. One  
>> of the obvious audiences for appscript is existing AppleScripters,  
>> who aren't always overly enthusiastic about approaching unfamiliar  
>> technology, so it keeps things simple for them.
>
> this is a personal opinion so I don't expect consensus. I _like_  
> appscript. A lot. HAS did a great job with it. And while I like the  
> power of Apple Events, I do not like Applescript--the syntax is not  
> standard by design--it varies from application to application which  
> in theory means flexibility but in practice means entropy and  
> chaos. And some application developers cannot even get the AETE  
> right and so their scripting is broken or at least crippled.  
> Applescript does not have decent control structures nor regular  
> expression support. Its file system syntax is horrific. I applaud  
> the idea and the 'dream'--it just fell far short in practice. So  
> using Python or Perl, whose syntax and language elements don't vary  
> much from application to application is much better. The objects  
> can vary--just not how to address them. I have used Mac::Glue with  
> Perl, appscript with Python satisfactorily though I wish Apple  
> would build in Apple Event support for those languages.

That's irrelevant to appscript.  If you're disappointed with the  
inconsistency of a given application's scripting dictionary then  
complain to the developer.  Apple can't do a damn thing about it  
(unless of course they're the developer of the given app).  Apple  
can't "build in support" for Python that would really be any  
different than what current solutions offer.  What they could do is  
offer better tools for creating scripting dictionaries, and more  
documentation on the topic, but that's about it.

-bob

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