AppleScript updated for OS 9.1/X interoperatibility

Apple’s venerable AppleScript got an update recently. The new version of AppleScript can be downloaded from Apple’s servers or via the Software Update control panel included with Mac OS 9.

AppleScript is part of the Mac OS that aids in software automation tasks. AppleScript is supported broadly by Mac applications, and can be used in everything from automating simple, repetitive tasks to building complex series of command sequences to handle a variety of activities.

AppleScript 1.6 sports the following changes, according to the included documentation:

Lets you use scripts created for Mac OS 9 in the Classic environment provided with Mac OS X.

Note: To use scripts with Classic, you must have this version of AppleScript installed in the Mac OS 9.1 system used by Classic.

Lets you use scripts created in Mac OS X, or create scripts to use in Mac OS X.

Lets you create scripts using the Unicode Text data type to work with Unicode text, which is supported by Mac OS X.

Lets you use scripts that work with applications built for Mac OS X.

This release of AppleScript also addresses several known issues with earlier versions:

Script applications (“applets”) created in earlier versions no longer report that variables or properties are undefined when they were defined by your script.

The Read/Write scripting additions commands work correctly.

As MacCentral went to press with this article, Apple’s official software update Web site had not been updated with the information about AppleScript 1.6. The download is available via Apple’s download server, however.

More general information, support and links to AppleScript resources around the Web are all available from Apple’s extensive AppleScript Web site.