Scripting Matters, a company that specializes in AppleScript solutions, is sponsoring a nationwide series of seminars covering power-user techniques for the automation of Macs.
“Automating Your Mac With AppleScript” explores the AppleScript scripting environment that’s included free with every Mac. Attendees will learn the basics of getting started with AppleScript, and find out about freely available resources, according to Ray Robertson, one of the seminar leaders and founder of Scripting Matters. Featured products include Mac OS X, the Finder, iTunes, iPhoto, FileMaker Pro, Outlook Express, QuarkXPress, Illustrator and others.
Another seminar, “Automating Publishing in InDesign and QuarkXPress,” will focus on using a variety of tools and plug-ins to automate work the desktop publishing programs. Attendees will learn some advanced tips and tricks for working with complex publications and information about XTensions and plug-ins that will automatically create documents and update information, Robertson said. The seminar also covers the basics of using AppleScript with these programs, as well as advanced techniques for sophisticated search and replace, database publishing and catalog management.
The seminars are US$125 each or $200 for both sessions. They’ll be held in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Louisville, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica/L.A., Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. See the Scripting Matters Web site for details.