December 96 - According to Script: Vocabulary Advice
According to Script:
Vocabulary Advice
Cal Simone
One of the beautiful things about AppleScript is that it allows you to do
nearly anything you want in your vocabulary; however, just because it allows
something doesn't mean that you should do it. To help guide you, I'll regularly
include miscellaneous pieces of vocabulary advice in this column. This time
I'll address words to avoid in your vocabulary. Here are a few examples:
- Avoid using object as the name of a class. If you must implement an
abstract object class, use base class.
- Avoid using the word of in your terms. It tends to be confusing, since
it's used between parts of an object specification. It may not always possible
to avoid this, but think carefully before doing it.
- Avoid using end as the first word of a verb name.
Let's look more
closely at the problem with using
end. Keep in mind that users are accustomed
to seeing
end at the end of a block, and AppleScript automatically appends the
word
tell,
repeat,
if, or the name of the handler after the
word
end if the user types
end on a line by itself. For example:
if the moon is blue
...
end [if] -- AppleScript fills in the "if"
If you use
end as part of a verb name in your vocabulary, such as
end animation,
users will type the word
end by itself and expect AppleScript to fill it in. Of
course, this won't happen for a dictionary-defined command like
end animation,
which isn't a true block construct, so it will appear that the AppleScript
compiler is behaving arbitrarily.
begin animation
...
end -- AppleScript doesn't fill in "animation"
This confusion already exists in the case of the Database suite event End
Transaction. In dictionaries of applications that support transactions, users
find themselves having to remove the word
transaction in the phrase
end
transaction whenever they recompile a script. Don't create this confusion in
your vocabulary -- it's better to use verb names like
start animation and
stop
animation. Users will assume that the full verb name is required.
start animation
...
stop animation
CAL SIMONE (mainevent@his.com)
plans to include this advice in one of his
future According to Script columns in develop. We're putting it on the CD and
develop's Web site so you
won't have to wait for this valuable information.*
