AppleScript is the scripting language Apple designed for end-users and is build into Mac operating system. AppleScript has been around for a long time, since System 7 in 1993. AppleScript looks a lot like natural language, and you can use it to control applications, script user interface elements, access and modify application documents, pass data between different applications and access operating systems resources.

For example, you can use AppleScript to create a workflow that automate the export of photos in iPhoto, reduce its size, rename the photos and FTP upload to web gallery. With the latest version of AppleScript in Mac OS X 10.5, you can create a complete Cocoa GUI application using AppleScript.

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We are starting a new automation series where we post tutorials and tips on automating repetitive tasks and batch processing on the Mac. We will cover topics on Automator, AppleScript, Bash scripting and Ruby/Python programming. We give a brief overview to these tools and languages in the first post of the series.

Automator and AppleScript

Mac OS X comes with Automator app to assist you to create automated tasks using an easy to use drag-and-drop user interface. Automator and its underlying AppleScript programming language is Apple’s recommended automation tool and language on the Mac. Most aspects of the Mac can be automated and controlled using the AppleScript language. Many third party OS X apps also provide an interface to allow you to control them via AppleScript.

(The definitive guide by Apple on Mac OS X automation is at www.macosxautomation.com.)

AppleScript is available only on the Mac but is not the only scripting language on the Mac. Depending on the tasks at hand, there are several other choices.

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