AppleScript (Computer program language)

AppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple Inc. that facilitates automated control of Mac applications. First introduced in System 7, it is currently included in macOS in a package of automation tools. The term AppleScript may refer to the scripting language, to a script written in the language, or to the macOS Open Scripting Architecture that underlies the language. AppleScript is primarily a mechanism for driving Apple events – an inter-application communication (IAC) technology that exchanges data between and controls applications. Additionally, AppleScript supports basic calculations and text processing, and is extensible via scripting additions that add functions to the language. AppleScript is tightly bound to the MacOS environment as are other command languages such as Unix shell, Windows Script Host and Rexx. In other words, AppleScript is not a general purpose scripting language like Python. One way that AppleScript is bound to the unique aspects of its environment is that it relies on applications to publish dictionaries of addressable objects and operations. As is typical of a command langauge, AppleScript is not designed to directly perform intensive processing. For example, a script cannot efficiently perform intensive math operations or complicated text processing. However, AppleScript can be used in combination with other tools and technologies which allows it to leverage more efficient programming contexts. The language has aspects of structured, procedural, object-oriented and natural language programming, but does not strictly conform to any of these paradigms.: xxvi