Frontier
Do-Script 3.0.3
UserLand Software, Inc.
©
copyright 1992-94, UserLand Software, Inc.
UserLand
Software is the developer of the UserLand Frontier scripting system. The
company is located at 555 Bryant #237, Palo Alto, CA 94301. 415-326-7791,
415-326-7793 (fax). UserLand, Frontier, Frontier Runtime and Frontier Extras
are trademarks of UserLand Software, Inc. Other product names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owners.
Email:
userland.dts@applelink.apple.com. If youÕre an AppleLink user, check out the
UserLand Discussion Board under the Third Parties icon. CompuServe users enter
GO USERLAND at any ! prompt. The UserLand Forum is in the Computing Support
section on CompuServe. On America On-Line, enter the keyword USERLAND.
Comments,
questions and suggestions are welcome!
About Frontier Do-Script
This
is the simplest of the sample programs. It implements a routine called
FrontierDoScript that shoots an IAC message at Frontier asking it to run a
short script, and returns a string representation of the value of the script.
When
it starts up, it makes one call to Frontier with a script that has a syntax
error to test error reporting from Frontier. Then it sends a legal script to
Frontier in a tight loop. ItÕs a thorough exercise of FrontierÕs Òback-doorÓ
script runner.
Here
are several examples of programs that might want to use FrontierDoScript:
¥ A
macro program such as CE SoftwareÕs QuicKeys 2 can incorporate a short Frontier
script in a macro or a macro sequence. This allows Frontier scripts to be
triggered by a Òhot keyÓ from within any application.
¥ A
to-do list or reminder program can allow a user to schedule a script to run at
a specific time, or under specific circumstances. The script can do anything
that Frontier can do, including calls to the Macintosh OS to copy, remove, or
rename files or folders, or launch an application, and drive an IAC-aware
application.
¥ A
user-interface design tool such as AppMaker, PrototypeMaker, or even Resorcerer
or ResEdit can allow the script writer to design dialogs that call scripts when
the user clicks on a button. Frontier itself doesn't include a dialog design
tool.
¥ A
draw program, page layout program or animation program can allow a user to add
a text object that gets a value by calling a Frontier script. This would make
templates and stationary much smarter and allows easy customization by power
users for less sophisticated users.
This
program does not use the IAC Tools library. For a version of
FrontierDoScript that builds on top of the IAC Tools library, check out
appletfrontier.c in the Applet Toolkit folder.
Frontier Do-Script 3.0.3 -- 7/27/94 dmb
Universal
Headers, PowerPC compatibility
Frontier Do-Script can now be built using AppleÕs
Universal Headers under Symantec C/C++ 7.0 or Metrowerks C/C++ 1.0 68K or PPC.
Native or Òfat binaryÓ applications can be generated in the Code Warrior
environment using the Do-Script source.
Frontier Do-Script 3.0 -- 11/4/93 dmb
A new version
uses the Component Manager
There are now two sub-folders here, one that uses the
Apple Event interface described above, and the second that uses AppleÕs Open
Scripting Architecture to connect to Frontier. This version only works with
Frontier 3.0, and it requires either System 7.1 or QuickTime to run.
The Component Manager version is considerably faster
than the Apple Event-based version!