Conventions Used in This Guide (AS Language)

Inside Macintosh: AppleScript Language Guide /: Preface - About This Guide

Conventions Used in This Guide
Words and sample scripts in monospaced font are AppleScript language elements that must be typed exactly as shown. Terms are shown in boldface where they are defined. You can also find these definitions in the glossary.
Here are some additional conventions used in syntax descriptions:
language element
Plain computer font indicates an element that you
must type exactly as shown. If there are special symbols (for example, + or &), you must also type them exactly as shown.
placeholder Italic text indicates a placeholder that you must replace with an appropriate value. (In some programming languages, placeholders are called nonterminals.)
[optional] Brackets indicate that the enclosed language element or elements are optional.
(a group) Parentheses group together elements. If parentheses are part of the syntax, they are shown in bold.
[optional]... Three ellipsis points (. . .) after a group defined by brackets indicate that you can repeat the group of elements within brackets 0 or more times.
(a group). . . Three ellipsis points (. . .) after a group defined by parentheses indicate that you can repeat the group
of elements within parentheses one or more times.
a | b | c Vertical bars separate elements in a group from which you must choose a single element. The elements are often grouped within parentheses or brackets.

`language element`
	Plain computer font indicates an element that you must type exactly as shown. If there are special symbols (for example, + or &), you must also type them exactly as shown.
placeholder	Italic text indicates a placeholder that you must replace with an appropriate value. (In some programming languages, placeholders are called nonterminals.)
`[`optional`]`	Brackets indicate that the enclosed language element or elements are optional.
`(`a group`)`	Parentheses group together elements. If parentheses are part of the syntax, they are shown in bold.
`[`optional`]...`	Three ellipsis points (. . .) after a group defined by brackets indicate that you can repeat the group of elements within brackets 0 or more times.
`(`a group`)`. . .	Three ellipsis points (. . .) after a group defined by parentheses indicate that you can repeat the group of elements within parentheses one or more times.
a \| b \| c	Vertical bars separate elements in a group from which you must choose a single element. The elements are often grouped within parentheses or brackets.