Using Script Debugger With AppleScript Studio

NOTE: The information presented here requires Script Debugger 3.0.9 or later.

NOTE II: The Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4) version of AppleScript Studio no longer supports Script Debugger's AppleScript Debugger. As a result, the changes that improve Script Debugger 3.0.9's ability to debug AppleScript Studio projects are only usable under Panther (Mac OS X 10.3) or Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2).

Introduction

AppleScript Studio is Apple's AppleScript visual development toolset for developing applications using the Cocoa application frameworks. This page describes how to use Script Debugger with AppleScript Studio.

As of this writing, AppleScript Studio does not support external script editors such as Script Debugger. However, there are still several very useful ways of applying Script Debugger to AppleScript Studio projects to save time.

Viewing the AppleScriptKit Dictionary

Script Debugger 3.0.2 introduces a new AppleScript Studio command to the Dictionary submenu of the File menu to open AppleScript Studio's dictionary (referred to as the AppleScriptKit dictionary). The AppleScriptKit dictionary defines the commands and objects AppleScript Studio scripts can use to manipulate their user interfaces.

Applying Script Debugger's Explorer to AppleScript Studio Projects

Because the AppleScriptKit is not an application, it cannot respond to AppleEvents. therefore, Script Debugger's Dictionary Explorer cannot be used on the AppleScriptKit directly. To apply the Dictionary Explorer to your AppleScript Studio project, you must build and run the project. You can then open the project application's dictionary.

Using Script Debugger's AppleScript Debugger within AppleScript Studio

NOTE: In order to use Script Debugger's AppleScript Debugger with AppleScript Studio on Mac OS X 10.2 (or later) systems, you must use Script Debugger 3.0.9.

You can use Script Debugger's AppleScript Debugger in place of XCode's built-in AppleScript debugger if you wish. To do this, you need to add a definition for OTHER_OSAFLAGS to your Development build settings. To do this:

1. Open the Project's Project Info window;
2. Click on the Styles tab;
3. Display your Development build settings by selecting the Development build style in the Build Style popup menu;
4. Click on the Plus (+) button to add a new setting;
5. Enter OTHER_OSAFLAGS as the new setting's name; and
6. Enter -l "AppleScript Debugger" (that's the lower-case letter 'l' and not the number 1 or upper-case i) as the setting's value.

Sample Project

With these changes made, rebuild your project and Script Debugger's debugger will be used whenever the project runs. You may want to create a separate build style for Script Debugger so that you can easily switch between Script Debugger and Project Builder's debuggers.

NOTE: AppleScript Studio adds a definition for the ASDScriptUniqueIdentifier property to the end of your script when it compiles your script.

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