Table A-13 explains the placeholders used in the syntax descriptions in this book.
| 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 References to Applications. |
| 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, see Boolean. |
| 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. |
| compositeValue | A value that contains other values. AppleScript has three types of composite values: lists, records, and strings. |
| 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, see Date. |
| 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, script object, 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, see Integer. |
| 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 References to Files. |
| nameString | A string of the form " Disk : Folder1 : Folder2 :...: FileName " that specifies where a file is stored. For more information, see References to Files. |
| 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 Real. |
| record | An expression that evaluates to a record. Record is an AppleScript value class. For more information about records, see Record. |
| reference | A reference that specifies an object or location. For more information about references, see 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 References to Applications. |
| 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 References to Files. |
| referenceToLocation | A reference that specifies a location. For more information about locations, see Parameters That Specify Locations. |
| referenceToObject | A reference that specifies an object or objects. For more information about references, see Objects and References |
| resultList | List of results for objects that were handled before an error occurred. |
| resultList Variable | 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 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, see String. |
| 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. |