The sdef dictionary format (introduced in Tiger, Mac OS X 10.4) allows entries in the dictionary to be more extensive than previously. Besides a mere comment, dictionary authors can now include multiple formatted paragraphs of explanation.

Technically, such information appears in <documentation> tags in the XML that constitutes the sdef dictionary.

You can toggle the display of extended explanatory material. To do so:

• Choose Dictionary > Show Extra Documentation. If the menu item is checked, the extended explanatory material is being displayed.

Script Debugger itself also includes supplementary dictionary information that is “injected” into the dictionary display, such as the Description of the alias datatype shown here. This supplementary information is instructional and can be especially helpful to AppleScript beginners.