The FooDoo Lounge is a collection of resources for people using AppleScript, including some free software, sub-routine handlers, scripting dictionaries and information about various characteristics and features of the language.
FooDoo is for fun - serious fun - so come on in and sit down, or take a look around and enjoy the upholstery.
Released PDF Print Services, which is based on a tip in MacAddict magazine, updated a couple of the pictures and corrected a few more typos.
The Many Partings update: Significant things have passed or are in the process of passing - my love left me for the desert, my daughter has gone to France for a year and I'm leaving the impossibly beautiful place I've lived for more than 20 years. Apart from that, things are reasonably stable in my life.
See the Change Log for previous updates.
If you use libraries you may wish to check out baseLib, the general purpose lib I use in just about everything I write. It's run-only but the docs are comprehensive. Also, check out this tutorial for some basic info on how to use libraries.
Check out the Routines section for a whole swag of fast and reliable sub-routines you can paste directly into your own scripts. The handlers all include full specifications and usage examples and are compatible with any version of AS unless otherwise noted. If you're not sure how to use handlers, you may wish to read this first.
I've marked up the AS Dictionaries of about 90 osaxen and scriptable apps, including historical versions of Standard Additions and the Finder. These all contain internal links to terms defined elsewhere in the dictionary, so they are somewhat easier to navigate than normal dictionaries.
If you've ever wanted to know which folder paths can be returned by the highly useful path to command, this page contains a full list of the human language terms available and the much larger list of 4 character codes that can be used. I have also released a utility called Open Special Folders which makes use of this command.
Gestalt selectors offer a useful, if somewhat arcane, way of getting various bits of information about the system your script is running on. This page includes a few of the many possibilities, including fully backward compatible methods for determining AppleScript and system versions. Stand alone handlers for these purposes can be found on this page.
I originally did this because I got up one morning during my existential crisis phase and decided that if that day was to be my last - a distinct possibility during that period - then I should probably do something about releasing the software I'd written. I'm happy it wasn't a Good Day To Die because, amongst other things, it took me slightly longer than a day to do it. Given that I still appear to be alive, I've continued to update it and focused on making it a more general resource for scripters.
It's also become a vehicle for me to learn more about web design, which is mainly fun. Getting things to render acceptably in a wide range of browsers has been frustrating at times, but challenges are good. I write the pages in BBEdit - a truly fine tool, which also happens to have outstanding support for AppeScript.
I can't remember what I originally did to get this, but it can still be invoked by trying to compile a variable name longer than 255 characters.
When I'm not writing AS or html (which is most of the time) I design & install solar power systems, play music, take pictures, collect weird things and spend time with my daughter.
I have had an enormous amount of fun writing code and doing this site hasn't been all bad either. As many have found before me, distilling a little knowledge down to a few lines of logical instructions and getting a machine to execute them can be a highly engaging pastime.
Constructive feedback is always welcome and I appreciate comments and bug reports on anything on this site. I can't guarantee a reply to general queries, but I do read all mail and will respond as I am able. The email address for this is foo and the server is foodoo.sunreal.com.au. Add the @ sign between these two elements.
Most of the code is either generic or original to my knowledge, but there are a few of Nigel Garvey's excellent numeric routines, contributions and techniques in these projects.
Along with many contributors to the AS lists, Nigel, Joe Barwell and my nephew Owen Butler have all really helped me get my head around AS &/or expand my understanding of it. Various great musicians have also played their parts.1
Thanks folks. :-)
The FooDoo Lounge is Copyright © Richard Morton 2002-2005
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1 Did I mention that I like really bad puns? Would you have noticed if I hadn't said anything?