Placeholders used in syntax descriptions
| Placeholder | Explanation |
| applicationName | A string containing the name of the application as it would be listed in the Application menu, or a string of the form "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:ApplicationName" that specifies where the application is stored. For more information, see page 145. |
| attribute | An attribute, identified by a constant, that can be considered
or ignored in a Considering or Ignoring control statement.
The constants for attributes are case, white space, diacriticals, hyphens, expansion, punctuation, and application responses. |
| Boolean | An expression that evaluates to true or false. (Boolean is an AppleScript value class. For more information about Boolean values, see page 38.) |
| className | A class identifier or an expression that evaluates to an object
class identifier. |
| commandName | An identifier (name) for a command. |
| commandStatement | A statement, consisting of a command with either parameter values or formal parameters, to be passed to a parent script object. |
| compoundValue | An expression that evaluates to a compound value (a list, record,
or string). |
| containerReference | A reference that specifies a container for another object. |
| dataValue | An expression that evaluates to a value of the appropriate class for the object being created. |
| date | An expression that evaluates to a date. (Date is an AppleScript value class. For more information about dates, see page 42.) |
| directParameter | The direct parameter of a subroutine definition. |
| directParameterVariable | A parameter variable used as a placeholder for the value of the direct parameter in a subroutine definition. |
| errorMessage | An expression, usually a string, that describes an error. |
| errorMessageVariable | A parameter variable for the expression that describes the error. |
| errorNumber | The error number for the error. |
| |
| errorNumberVariable | A parameter variable for the error number. |
| expectedType | A class identifier for the value class to which AppleScript was attempting to coerce a value when an error occurred. |
| expectedTypeVariable | A parameter variable for the value class to which AppleScript was attempting to coerce a value when an error occurred. |
| expression | A series of AppleScript words whose value is a Boolean, class identifier, constant, data, date, integer, list, real, record, reference,
or string. |
| handlerDefinition | A command or subroutine handler definition. |
| IDvalue | An expression that evaluates to an object's ID property. For most objects, the ID property is an integer. |
| integer | An expression that evaluates to an integer. (Integer is an AppleScript value class. For more information about integers,
see page 46.) |
| label | An identifier for a parameter. |
| labelForFalseParam | An identifier for a Boolean parameter whose value is false. |
| labelForTrueParam | An identifier for a Boolean parameter whose value is true. |
| list | An expression that evaluates to a list. |
| listOfFiles | A list of references, each of which has the form file "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:Filename" or alias "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:Filename" and specifies a file.
For more information , see page 143. |
| nameString | A string of the form "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:FileName" that specifies where a file is stored. For more information, see page 143. |
| number | An expression that evaluates to an integer or real number. |
| offendingObject | A reference to an object that caused an error. |
| offendingObjectVariable | A parameter variable for the reference to the object that caused
an error. |
| parameterValue | An expression that evaluates to a value of a parameter. |
| |
| paramVariable | A parameter variable (also known as a formal parameter) used as a placeholder for the value of a parameter in a handler definition. |
| pluralClassName | A plural class identifier or an expression that evaluates to a plural class identifier. |
| propertyLabel | The identifier for a property of an object, or an expression that evaluates to the identifier for a property of an object. |
| propertyValue | An expression that evaluates to a value of the appropriate class for the property being defined. |
| real | An expression that evaluates to a real number. (Real is an AppleScript value class. For more information about real numbers, see page 52.) |
| record | An expression that evaluates to a record. (Record is an AppleScript value class. For more information about records, see page 53.) |
| reference | A reference that specifies an object or location. (For more information about references, see Chapter 5, "Objects and References.") |
| referencePattern | A reference, a list of reference patterns, or a record of
reference patterns. |
| referenceToApplication | A reference of the form application "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:
...:ApplicationName" that specifies an application. For more information, see page 145. |
| referenceToFile | A reference of the form file "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:
Filename" or alias "Disk:Folder1:Folder2:...:Filename" that specifies a file. For more information , see page 143. |
| referenceToLocation | A reference that specifies a location. (For more information about locations, see "Parameters That Specify Locations" on page 80.) |
| referenceToObject | A reference that specifies an object or objects. (For more information about references, see Chapter 5, "Objects and References.") |
| resultList | List of results for objects that were handled before an error occurred. |
| |
| resultListVariable | A parameter variable for a list of results for objects that were handled before an error occurred. |
| saveOption | A constant (yes, no, or ask) that specifies whether to save an object that has been modified before closing it. |
| scriptObjectVariable | A variable whose value is a script object. (For more information about script objects, see Chapter 9, "Script Objects.") |
| session | An object that specifies a specific session. |
| statement | An AppleScript statement. |
| string | An expression that evaluates to a string. (String is an AppleScript value class. For more information about strings, see page 59.) |
| subroutineName | An identifier (name) for a subroutine. |
| subroutineParamLabel | Any of the following labels: above, against, apart from, around, aside from, at, below, beneath, beside, between, by, for, from, instead of, into, on, onto, out of, over, thru (or through), under. |
| timeDifference | An integer specifying a time difference in seconds. |
| variable | A variable (a user-defined identifier that represents a value). |
| variablePattern | A variable, a list of variable patterns, or a record of
variable patterns. |
