QuoEdit is a simple text editor for plain (monostyled) text that runs on System 7 and later versions of Mac OS.
QuoEdit is also AppleScript aware. If you are unfamiliar with AppleScript and Apple event, you can skip sections about those things.
･0 Whatﾕs New
0.1 New features of version 0.44
0.1.1 Contextual menu
If contextual menu is available, now you can do basic Edit menu commands via contextual menu at text editing area.
0.1.2 Property ﾒcurrent folderﾓ (scripting)
A new property of application class object with which you can get and set reference to the current folder for Open, Save As and Insert File dialog boxes.
0.1.3 Parameter ﾒstylﾓ (scripting)
A new optional parameter for Save and Close events with which set to true, you can save a document with SimpleTextﾕs style information (only in file made by QuoEdit). This option is available in scripting only.
Now, new Mac OS 8.5 uses [cmd-tab] shortcut key to switch the front program. Therefore, to avoid conflict with it, [cmd-tab] and [cmd-option-tab] shortcut keys of QuoEdit were changed to [control-tab] and [control-option-tab] respectively; these are shortcut keys to move between tab to tab in document window. See also 8th panel of Moving Caret in shortcuts guide.
Old scripts written or recorded with Do Key statement with [cmd-tab] still work. For the detail, see section 4.14.
0.2.2 Remembering current folder
QuoEdit now remembers the last folder opened by Open, Save As or Insert File dialog box independently, for a reason.
0.2.3 Auto resolving of alias file (scripting)
It is a new feature for getting access to file/folder object in the QuoEditﾕs folder via script. For the detail, see section 4.10.
0.2.4 Renaming parameter ﾒstyleﾓ to ﾒstylﾓ (scripting)
A parameter ﾒstyleﾓ for Cut and Copy events was renamed to ﾒstylﾓ that is a name of a style data format. This parameter can be now used also for Save and Close events since version 0.44.
* The renaming does not matter for the already compiled scripts because it is just a change of human word. The internal word used by software is not changed so that the human word is to be updated automatically by AppleScript.
0.3 Improved point
0.3.1 File dialog boxes
In some environment, the contents of standard file dialog boxes was intermittently not updated after opened.
This trouble happens much less frequently in version 0.43. And another solution was added this time.
But if you encountered that case, press the cancel button (or escape key) and try again; then it will work.
(I think it is just a matter of timing to update the dialog box ﾑ basically job of OS. And it seems to be interfered by additional jobs of QuoEdit; 1) moving to proper folder, 2) frequent check of option key state to maintain button name. So, not dangerous trouble.)
Special thanks to Tony for continual feedback about this issue!
･1 Files & Folders
1.1 QuoEdit
The application program itself.
1.2 QuoEdit Preferences
In this file, QuoEdit records preferences for the new documents, state of application, printer information and information of recent files and folders.
QuoEdit first searches QuoEditﾕs folder for this file when QuoEdit starts up (since version 0.4). If not found, then searches the Preferences folder in the System folder of the startup disk, and if not found again, then creates it at that folder. As the result, this file is usually in the Preferences folder.
If you have two or more startup disks and wish to use QuoEdit under common condition from each startup disk, (or if you just wish to make the startup slightly fast,) move this preferences file to the QuoEditﾕs folder and remove it from the Preferences folder(s) if it remains.
QuoEdit once reads this file at startup and overwrites whole information at quitting. If you wish not to record new information like recent files, you can duplicate this file at the Finder before quitting QuoEdit and restore it after quitting.
1.3 QE Shortcuts
A guide file of Apple Guide format about QuoEditﾕs shortcuts.
If Apple Guide is not installed on your computer, refer to ﾒQE Shortcuts.txtﾓ in ﾒMiscellaneousﾓ folder for the contents.
1.4 Scripts folder (can be alias file of any folder)
A folder that includes compiled scripts. Of course you can write your own scripts and put them into this folder. Compiled script in this folder can be easily executed via QuoEditﾕs Execute Script command. (About the Execute Script command, see 2.5.2.)
On the other hand, try not to leave scripts you never use in this folder. For example, you can remove ﾒHira -> Kataﾓ and ﾒKata -> Hiraﾓ scripts if you never edit Japanese text.
<Get the URL>
Formerly this script called the scriptable version of Internet Config application to open URL, but recently I found a problem that the Internet Config cannot quit safely after this script was executed in some circumstance ﾑ my new G3 Mac.
So, now this script calls command provided with osax files in the Scripting Additions folder.
But if the necessary command is not installed on the computer, error is to be returned. In that case, if your computer runs Mac OS 7.x.x, try installing ﾒICScriptorﾓ application which you can get at:
The installer installs a necessary osax file (if ﾒScripting Additionsﾓ folder is in the Extensions folder).
1.5 Applications folder (can be alias file of any folder)
A folder that should include applications, applets or aliases of applications whatever you like. Application in this folder can be easily launched via QuoEditﾕs Launch Application command. (About the Launch Application command, see 2.5.6.)
<Save, QuoEdit!>
An applet that makes QuoEdit save the front document periodically. (every 180 seconds by default.) It automatically quits after QuoEdit quits.
1.6 Documents folder (can be alias file of any folder)
A folder that can include any files. Put any files or the alias files you often open. File in this folder can be easily opened via QuoEditﾕs Let It Open command. (About the Let It Open command, see 2.5.7.)
<My Scraps>
An empty Scrapbook document for System 7.5 or later (cannot be open on the former OS). Use or make similar files as you like.
1.7 Manual folder
Includes this manual or translated manual(s).
1.8 Miscellaneous folder
<WrapIt>
An application program that is used to wrap text via an Apple event. ﾒWrapﾓ script in the Scripts folder uses it. You can use it also with other AppleScript aware programs freely.
<Remove Null Chars>
QuoEdit versions 0.31 - 0.321 had a problem that null character was inputted next to space character by ﾒPower Input Methodﾓ, a input method for Korean. (Sorry!) A null character is a character whose code is zero.
Use ﾒRemove Null Charsﾓ to remove null characters if you already made text that contains them.
(To see comment about my applets or droplets, hold down the control key at the startup.)
･2 Menu Commands
If you have once used SimpleText or TeachText, basic commands must be so obvious for you. In many cases, the command name itself is the description of the function.
2.0 Apple menu
2.0.1 About QuoEdit
Shows a picture or a movie if a PICT file or a QuickTime movie file (or the alias) named ﾒAbout QuoEditﾓ is found in the QuoEditﾕs folder and memory is enough. The maximum size is 400 pixels width by 300 pixels height.
(However, currently I have no plan to create the movie. You can prepare your own movie or picture freely if you would like.)
2.1 File
2.1.1 New
2.1.2 Open
Opens a file as usual. In addition, QuoEdit remembers the file and the folder as the recent. If you wish QuoEdit not to remember them, hold down the control key when you press the Open button.
(Also, if the control key is down at finish of the opening, QuoEdit does not remember them. You can apply this to opening files from the Finder.)
About the shortcut key, be careful typing cmd-O or cmd-I. And ensuring always the default buttonﾕs name is recommended.
2.1.3 Open Recents
Opens recent file(s) or folder(s). QuoEdit remembers up to 8 files and the folders last opened as long as Mac OS can track them.
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-O.
If you wish QuoEdit to forget once remembered files or folders, select the target and press the cmd-delete keys.
Try also shift + Open button at the files list.
2.1.4 Close
To close every document, add the option key.
2.1.5 Save
To save every document, add the option key.
2.1.6 Save as
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-S.
Like Open command, it remembers the new file and the folder as the recent. If you wish QuoEdit not to remember them, hold down the control key when you press the Save button.
2.1.7 Revert
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-R.
2.1.8 Insert File
With the option key, any fileﾕs data can be inserted (but no resource).
2.1.9 Page Setup
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-P.
The state set in this dialog box is property of the front document.
To set the default state, do this command after closing all documents. On the other hand, if you wish to set the default state which can be set in the Print dialog box, try the Print command after closing all documents.
2.1.10 Print Options
The shortcut key is cmd-option-P.
2.1.11 Print
2.1.12 Quit
2.2 Edit
2.2.1 Undo
Up to 10 levels of undo/redo are available for each document. The max levels can be specified at the Misc Appl Props dialog box. Note that the more levels, the more memory used.
2.2.2 Redo
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-Z.
2.2.3 Cut
To cut as styled text, add the option key.
2.2.4 Copy
To copy as styled text, add the option key.
2.2.5 Paste
2.2.6 Clear
2.2.7 Select All
These basic Edit menu commands above can be done also via contextual menu if available. However, note that the option key for Cut and Copy commands cannot be used in the contextual menu (in current Mac OS 8.5).
2.2.8 Typeface
Sets font, size, leading (line height) and tab pitch.
As the minimum value of the leading, it can be same as the font size value. But note that too small leading can cause improper line display.
2.2.9 View
Items of the View dialog box just effect view on the monitor. For example, though document windows can be inverted or gray, results of printing documents are always normal. Moreover, showing return characters does not effect whether or not to print them.
While this option is on, it adjusts automatically a space character that precedes or follows the target word(s) when you cut, paste, clear, drag or drop.
Note that QuoEdit does intelligent paste or drop only if the new text is shorter than 255 bytes length.
It adjusts only usual 1-byte space character (20h). For Japanese or Chinese text, QuoEdit tries to avoid adding space characters so that turning off this option might be enough while you edit in these languages. However, QuoEdit handles Korean text something differently from Japanese and Chinese because Korean words are usually divided by 1-byte space characters.
2.2.10.3 Remember Selection
An option to remember the selected location of each document at the last saved time (not closed time).
2.2.10.4 TSM aware
If your input method has problems on inline input, try turning off this option. (Inline input is an input mode of input method for 2-byte languages ﾑ Japanese, Chinese and Korean).
All TSM (Text Services Manager) service that QuoEdit currently supports is the inline input.
2.2.10.5 Caret Speed
Try it if you are not satisfied with the top speed of the Keyboard control panel. But there will be no effect with old CPUs. In that case, select normal speed (cmd-1 on the dialog box).
2.2.10.6 Undo Levels
Currently 1-10.
2.3 Search
2.3.1 Find
2.3.2 Find Backward Again
2.3.3 Find Forward Again
Add the shift key if you wish to extend selection range from current location. This is also applied to other commands.
Add the option key if you wish not to select the target string. This is also applied to other search commands.
2.3.4 Enter Selection
Enters current selection to ﾒSearch forﾓ string. Adding the option key, it enters the selection to ﾒReplace withﾓ string.
2.3.5 Replace
2.3.6 Replace & Find Next
2.3.7 Replace All
2.3.8 Jump To
2.4 Windows
2.4.1 Window Size
Of course you can change window size by dragging the windowﾕs size box. However, this command allows you to set special window size. Try -1 as the size value or other negative numbers if you donﾕt mind.
2.4.2 Arrange
The position for new windows can be changed to avoid jam at the upper left area of the monitor.
Not only windows but it also rearranges shortcut key assignments in the Windows menu items.
When you press the Arrange button, the option key stacks windows up and the shift key stacks down.
2.4.3 Previous
Selects the previous document window in the Windows menu if any.
2.4.4 Next
Selects the next document window in the Windows menu if any.
2.4.5 Windowsﾕ list
The names are added at the bottom of this menu when documents are newly created or opened, and removed when closed. They are never sorted until you close one and open it again.
The current windowﾕs name is shown in bold style. And a diamond mark is shown at the top of each name of document whose text contents are modified.
2.5 Extras
2.5.1 Last Script
Repeats the last script executed from the Execute Script command (or via Do Script event).
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-U.
2.5.2 Execute Script
Executes script in ﾒScriptsﾓ folder in QuoEditﾕs folder (or other folders).
Usually, QuoEdit temporarily keeps the script data in memory when it is loaded from the file so that the script can be called as the last script later. If you wish QuoEdit not to keep it in memory, hold down the control key when you press the Execute button. (Note that QuoEdit never remembers the file information in either case.)
To open the script file, hold down the option key while you press the default button.
2.5.3 Record Sequence / Stop Recording
Records your operation (task) sequence as a script.
The shortcut key is cmd-option-B; "B" is from ﾒkeyBoard macroﾓ.
(You take it as ﾒAppleScript version of keyboard macroﾓ? Itﾕs OK but I will distinguish it from keyboard macro formally. It entirely depends on the Appleﾕs Open Scripting Architecture and records also actions in the other recordable applications.)
Note that QuoEdit records keyboard actions as the relative movement to the current location while mouse clicks are recorded with the absolute locations.
About manipulations on the dialog boxes, only changed results are recorded.
Note that when you first use this function, it takes a few seconds for AppleScript function to start.
If you use System 7.1, input method for 2-byte languages and AppleScript, donﾕt forget installing the ﾒInline Filterﾓ.
2.5.4 Run Sequence
Replays the operation sequence recorded as a script.
2.5.5 Save Sequence
Saves the recorded operation sequence in a script file.
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-B.
If you are going to execute it frequently for a while, save it in the default folder with name of the following form;
~a ~b ~8 ~3 and so forth
You can execute script of such name in the Scripts folder by cmd-ctrl shortcut key. For example, you can execute a script named ﾒ~eﾓ with cmd-ctrl-E.
This can be applied to other script files. For example, try making an alias of frequently used script file with the name of that form.
(I would like to prepare the table for cmd-ctrl shortcut keys that can be customized in the future.)
Well, now you can treat scripts without the Script Editor. However, it will benefit you to understand how the operations are recorded. If you wish to read or edit the script immediately, hold down the option key when you press the Save button.
2.5.6 Launch Application
Launches other application in the ﾒApplicationsﾓ folder in the QuoEditﾕs folder (or other folders).
2.5.7 Let It Open
Asks the Finder to open a file in the ﾒDocumentsﾓ folder in the QuoEditﾕs folder (or other folders).
The shortcut key is cmd-shift-L.
(If the Finder is not scriptable, this menu item is disabled.)
2.5.8 Speak / Stop Speaking
If Speech Manager is installed on your computer, this command is enabled and QuoEdit can make your computer speak. But only languages Speech Manager supports.
Since QuoEdit passes a copy of text to the Speech Manager just once, you can freely edit the text while computer is speaking.
2.5.9 Pause Speaking / Continue Speaking
The shortcut key is cmd-option-K.
･3 General Things
3.1 Data size
Document data size that QuoEdit can edit depends mainly on the computerﾕs available memory. However, the data size that it can cut, copy, paste, insert or drop still depends on the applicationﾕs partition memory. If you do these actions with large data, increase ﾒpreferred sizeﾓ in the Finderﾕs Get Info window (pre-Mac OS 8.5).
3.2 Shortcut keys
3.2.1 Appearance-compliant Menu display
If Appearance Manager is installed on your computer, keyboard equivalents with the shift or option key are displayed in the menu.
By the way, QuoEdit has the keyboard equivalents for every menu command. Yes, I know that Appleﾕs guidelines say ﾒAssign keyboard equivalents only for frequently used menu commandsﾓ. Iﾕm sorry, but I like shortcut keys so much.
3.2.2 Arrow key movement
As Appleﾕs human interface guidelines suggest, the option key increases the unit of the arrow key movement and the command key increases it again.
3.2.3 Shortcuts guide
If Apple Guide is installed on your computer and ﾒQE Shortcutsﾓ file is in the QuoEditﾕs folder, you can see about shortcuts from the Help (guide) menu.
3.3 Properties of each document
3.3.1 Properties set in dialog boxes
Items of every dialog box which has the ﾒSet Defaultﾓ button are properties of each document and they are saved in each document file (made by QuoEdit) as a resource. For example, whether or not to print return characters set in the Print Options dialog box is a property of each document. (If a document is raw text for publishing for example, printing special characters can be helpful for the proofreading.)
The ﾒSet Defaultﾓ button immediately sets the state of the dialog box as preferences for later created new documents. (These preferences are handled as the applicationﾕs properties.)
Print information set in the Page Setup dialog box is also a property of each document but whether or not to save the information (generally 120 bytes size) in the file can be selected in the Print Options dialog box. (Versions 0.1.x and 0.2.x always saved it.)
3.3.2 Remembering windowﾕs position
If a document window was once moved with mouse or via Apple event, the position is remembered at the saving.
But if once rearranged with the Arrange command, QuoEdit assumes those windows are not moved by the user and the positions are not remembered in this case.
(Saving a document with the zoomed-in state is not recommended. How to record the size and position is my home work to do.)
3.4 Drag and drop
You can drag and drop on the document windows or the Find dialog box. Receiving text files is also available.
QuoEdit does drag and drop in the conventional way like other Macintosh applications do. In addition, if you hold down the option key at the BEGINNING of the dragging and drag the text to the out of application, QuoEdit outputs the style information with the text. It will be useful for foreign language text whose character encoding is different from the system script.
3.5 WorldScript (available with System 7.1 and later)
3.5.1 2-byte characters languages
If the proper script system containing WorldScript II is installed on your computer, QuoEdit supports editing Japanese, Chinese or Korean language text whose character set consists of both 1-byte and 2-byte characters.
3.5.2 Right-to-left direction language
If the proper script system containing WorldScript I is installed on your computer, QuoEdit supports editing right-to-left direction language text like Arabic or Hebrew on condition that the contents are not bidirectional; that means Hebrew context contains no English words, for example.
If the system direction is right-to-left, editing bidirectional text will be fine except that selection range is always shown contiguous on the monitor.
Currently, QuoEdit fixes the line alignment of Hebrew or Arabic font documents to right regardless of the system direction.
3.6 Letting the Finder do something (if the Finder is scriptable version)
You can let the Finder open a target file from several standard file dialog boxes of QuoEdit with the option key + default button. (The dialog boxes are Open, Insert File, Execute Script and Save Sequence.) The button reads ﾒOpen!ﾓ while you hold down the option key selecting a file. This is also applied to the Open Recents dialog box.
And you can let the Finder reveal a target file from many standard file dialog boxes of QuoEdit with the option-shift keys + default button. The button reads ﾒReveal!ﾓ while you hold down the option-shift keys selecting a file. This is also applied to the Open Recents dialog box.
(Note that when you hold down the option key selecting an alias file, what to do for the standard file dialog box takes priority.)
QuoEdit does these things by sending an Apple event to the Finder asking to do.
3.7 Search
3.7.1 Ignoring uppercase / lowercase
The way case is ignored was once changed at version 0.43 in two points, as result of reconstruction of search engine.
When case sensitive option in the Find dialog box is ﾔoffﾕ:
1) formerly, if the document font was Roman font, QuoEdit ignored not only case but also diacritical marks like umlaut and accent used in German, French or so on. NOW it always considers diacritical marks.
2) now QuoEdit takes more advantage of script system than old versions. For example, it ignores 2-byte alphabetical uppercase / lowercase in Japanese, Chinese or Korean documents if the corresponding script system is available on the computer. It also ignores Cyrillic uppercase / lowercase (in hi-ascii) in Cyrillic documents if Cyrillic script system is available on the computer.
3.7.2 Regular Expression (grep)
QuoEdit supports elementary level of grep search which is 2-byte characters aware.
You can use the following metacharacters for the search string (not for the replace string).
Note that you cannot specify return character itself in the regular expression.
^ matches at beginning of paragraph
^¥t tab at the beginning of the paragraph
$ matches at end of paragraph
)$ ")" at the end of the paragraph
. matches any character other than return character
? zero or one preceding pattern
* zero or any number of preceding pattern
+ one or any number of preceding pattern
[s] any one of the characters in the bracket (always case sensitive)
[abc] a, b or c
[a-z] a, b, c, ...... x, y or z
[^s] any character not in the bracket (always case sensitive)
[^0-9a-zA-Z] any character other than alphanumeric characters
¥ escape sequence
¥b backspace (¥x08)
¥e escape (¥x1B)
¥f form feed (¥x0C)
¥n line feed (¥x0A)
¥r carriage return (¥x0D)
¥s space (¥x20)
¥t tab (¥x09)
¥xDD hexadecimal character code (from one to four digits)
¥^C control character
¥C others: the character itself (always case sensitive)
3.8 The color
Take it easy, please, even if you found that, someday, the color of window header changes day by day. Itﾕs just a feature of QuoEdit. The beginning is the April Foolsﾕ Day.
3.9 Whatﾕs ﾒquoﾓ?
q: quick manipulations (my wish)
u: understandable simple user interface (a little forced wish)
o: OSA (Open Scripting Architecture) aware
About Latin word ﾒquoﾓ, you may want to ask your evangelist.
･4 AppleScript / Apple Events
4.1 AppleScript aware
AppleScript is a very useful stuff that makes various tasks automated and QuoEdit is AppleScript aware ﾑ scriptable and recordable about almost every task other than drag and drop.
About AppleScript itself, it is not described here. Please refer to books or documents about AppleScript if you feel necessary.
4.2 Confusing words
4.2.1 ﾒCommandﾓ or ﾒEventﾓ?
About ﾒcommandﾓ of AppleScript, it is expressed as ﾒeventﾓ in this document from view point of the Apple event to distinguish it from the applicationﾕs menu command.
4.2.2 ﾒScriptﾓ?
We can find out two meanings in the word ﾒscriptﾓ in the Mac OS softwares.
First, a generic term of languages. For example, Roman script contains English language, German language, French language and so forth, and Japanese script contains only Japanese language. Of course we donﾕt talk about it here.
Second, executable program or the source text of the program that can be written by the users. Especially, here it means script in the AppleScript form.
So donﾕt be confused about the word ﾒscriptﾓ. You will be able to distinguish them in the context.
4.2.3 ﾒAppleScriptﾓ
AppleScript is one of the scripting components that support Open Scripting Architecture (OSA) of Apple Computer. So, you can take ﾒAppleScriptﾓ in this document like ﾒAppleScript or other scripting componentﾓ. (QuoEdit was actually tested with only AppleScript.)
4.3 Terms
To refer for events and classes that QuoEdit supports, do the Open Dictionary command of the Script Editor and choose QuoEdit. You can also do it by just dragging QuoEditﾕs icon to the Script Editorﾕs icon. If you often do it, try the following script.
tell application "Script Editor"
launch
activate
open ((path to application "QuoEdit") as alias)
end tell
4.4 A restriction of AppleScript
I once learned that the maximum text length AppleScript can treat is 30000 bytes.(*) (That was described on some Appleﾕs document but forgot what document it was.)
However, if two programs (like QuoEdit and AppleScript) donﾕt send and receive the text itself directly, the restriction does not matter. Of course, sending and receiving text via the Clipboard or files also does not involve this problem.
For example, when you select a large text and let AppleScript do a script that contains the following statement, memory error might be returned or system error can actually occur.
if selection as text is not "" then
To avoid this problem, replace it with the following.
if 0 < length of selection then
(*) Actually, the error message of AppleScript tells the limit is 32KB (=32*1024=32768 bytes? while limit of TextEdit is 32000 bytes instead of 32KB). I set the maximum text length to 30000 bytes in my scripts for the safety but if you are sure that up to 32000 bytes of text is OK, you can change it.
4.5 Transliterate
When this event is sent to QuoEdit, It just passes a translation of the order to a Mac OS toolbox routine called ﾒTransliterateTextﾓ and replace the specified original text with the result text.
About the max text length that TransliterateText routine can treat, it seems to be 65535 bytes that is the max 2-byte integer. (I got the value from my experiments.)
Currently, the results of 1-byte <--> 2-byte conversion for Asian languages are not perfect and it seems to be problem of resources that TransliterateText routine uses. About this issue, please ask Apple Computer to improve it.
4.6 Cut / Copy / Paste
Before letting QuoEdit do these things by script, activate QuoEdit if not active because cut, copy or paste at background can be failed. Note that QuoEdit explicitly avoids error message about this issue.
4.7 Do Copy event
When AppleScript will not accept parameters of ﾒCopyﾓ event at the compiling, try ﾒDo Copyﾓ. (Itﾕs OK in already compiled script. The problem is at the compiling or re-compiling.)
QuoEdit has optional parameters for Cut and Copy events additionally but AppleScript (current version 1.3.2) will not accept them for Copy event while Cut is OK. AppleScript might try interpreting ﾒcopyﾓ something different way from other events because ﾒcopyﾓ is a standard command of AppleScript while it is also event name many applications support.
By the way, ﾒdo copyﾓ is just a dummy event name of ﾒcopyﾓ to fool the AppleScript.
4.8 ﾒignoring nurseﾓ parameter for Cut/Copy events
While operations are recorded, QuoEdit adds this parameter to Cut and Copy events and ﾒnurseﾓ is an abbreviation of ﾒno-user-selection errorﾓ.
Usually, when user selects no text and tries Cut or Copy, no-user-selection error is to be returned.
You will realize how itﾕs helpful to ignore the error when you treat tab delimited data and some fields are empty for example.
4.9 Some index references with definite index
4.9.1 File class that belongs to document class
As the index, only 1 is available:
file 1 of document "abc" of application "QuoEdit"
4.9.2 Script class that belongs to application class
As the index, only -1, 1, ﾒlastﾓ or ﾒfirstﾓ is available.
-1 or ﾒlastﾓ means the last executed script by the Execute Script command:
last script of application "QuoEdit"
1 or ﾒfirstﾓ means the current script recorded by the Record Sequence command:
script 1 of application "QuoEdit"
4.9.3 File class and folder class that belong to application class
As the index, only negative numbers or ﾒlastﾓ are available. It means reference to the recent files or recent folders:
tell application "QuoEdit" to open last file
tell application "QuoEdit" to get folder -1
4.10 Name reference for object in QuoEditﾕs folder
QuoEdit provides simple reference to the file or folder in the parent folder of QuoEdit. The class is ﾒfileﾓ or ﾒfolderﾓ and it requires only file name or folder name:
tell application "QuoEdit" to get folder "Scripts"
(Note that the class and its container class is the same as sample of 4.9.3 but the meaning is completely different. I wish to avoid new class declaration for recent files and folders.)
By the way, ﾒScriptsﾓ, ﾒApplicationsﾓ or ﾒDocumentsﾓ folder in the QuoEditﾕs folder can be an alias file of that name respectively. But donﾕt worry about that. For example, even if "Scripts" in QuoEditﾕs folder is an alias file of any folder, QuoEdit automatically resolves it and returns reference to the original folder (since version 0.44). On the other hand, if you need a reference to the alias file itself, use the Finder scripting.
4.11 Choose One File event
Choose One File is another event of Choose File in the standard Scripting Additions. The original one cannot specify the default location (folder or file) to be viewed and that is why QuoEdit has this event. To choose a file at the preferred folder, specify the folder like the following for example.
choose one file at alias "My Disk:Text Utilities:MacPerl:my scripts:"
And also in this dialog box, the option key + default button make the Finder open the target file, or the option-shift keys + default button make the Finder reveal it. In these cases, QuoEdit returns error number -128 which means user-canceled error, equivalent of the cancel button pressed.
4.12 About Open event
As QuoEdit now usually remembers recently opened files and the folders (since version 0.4), it also remembers them when it receives Open event.
But if you have written some script which makes QuoEdit open file, is it necessary to remember the file? The script means that the opening task is automated so that probably you would like QuoEdit not to remember it. In this case, it is recommended to add ﾒwithout rememberingﾓ to the Open statement as the parameter.
4.13 About Do Script event
When you describe Do Script statement specifying a file, putting ﾒwithout memory keepingﾓ as the parameter is recommended to avoid the complication.
While operations are being recorded, QuoEdit adds this parameter automatically when you do Execute Script command (since version 0.4).
4.14 A parameter of Do Key event
In former versions of QuoEdit, shortcut keys to move caret from tab to tab were [cmd-tab] and [cmd-option-tab]. Now, they are [control-tab] and [control-option-tab] respectively since version 0.44, because [cmd-tab] is newly used by Mac OS 8.5 for switching task purpose.
So, the old statement to move caret to the next tab stop:
do key _tab with {_cmd}
should be:
do key _tab with {_ctrl}
from now on, for example. Just use _ctrl instead of _cmd.
<< Important >>
You may already have written some scripts with the parameter of [cmd-tab]. And you may have recorded and saved many [cmd-tab] key operations by Record Sequence and Save Sequence commands. Donﾕt they work anymore?
DONﾕT WORRY about that. Fortunately, Do Key event is high-level event. That means, Do Key event never generates actual key down, so that the command
do key _tab with {_cmd}
is still received and handled exactly by QuoEdit ﾑ never intercepted by Mac OS 8.5. Therefore, the old scripts still run as expected.
HOWEVER, future version of QuoEdit might not accept [cmd-tab] as the parameter. If your important script contains Do Key statements with parameter of [cmd-tab], you should modify it.
･5 Environment
5.1 System requirements
Mac OS must be System 7 or later and it is required. (Actually I have not tested QuoEdit on System 7.0 yet).
The followings are however optional.
<AppleScript>
First five commands in the Extras menu require AppleScript installed on the computer. In System 7 and 7.1, AppleScript and Scripting Additions are not included originally so that you may have to get and install it. If you run System 7.5 or later and did the standard installation, AppleScript will be available already.
<Scriptable Finder>
In some situations, QuoEdit can ask the Finder to open or reveal file (or folder). To do this, the Finder have to be scriptable version. (No matter whether AppleScript is available or not.)
About System 7.1, Finder version 7.1 is not scriptable and Finder version 7.1.3 with ﾒFinder Scripting Extensionﾓ is scriptable (7.1.2 will be also ok, probably). About System 7.5 or later, it is already scriptable.
<Macintosh Drag and Drop>
If you are a user of System 7.0 or 7.1, extension softwares which enable the Macintosh Drag and Drop are required to do drag and drop.
<Speech Manager>
To take advantage of speech feature, Speech Manager is required. Installer programs may have name of ﾒText-To-Speechﾓ.
<Appearance Manager>
To see keyboard assignments with the shift key or the option key in the menu, Appearance Manager is required. If your computer is running Mac OS 8 or later, it is already available.
However, whether Appearance Manager is available or not does not matter to use shortcuts with the shift or option key because QuoEdit internally handles them equally.
<Apple Guide>
To see the shortcuts guide from Help menu (Guide menu), Apple Guide is required to be installed. If the computer runs System 7.5 or later on the standard condition, it is available already.
5.2 Factory environment
This version of QuoEdit was developed and tested with the following equipment.
Computer: Power Macintosh G3 DT233
OS: Mac OS 8.1, 8.5 (plus a few Language Kits)
Development tools: Symantec C++ version 7.0 (C language)
Guide Maker 1.4b3
Printer: PC-PR1000EW, NEC
Printer driver: MacPrint Pages ver.1.0.1, Kansai Electric
･6 Distribution
QuoEdit 0.44 is free. You can distribute it to your friends.
QuoEdit is copyrighted and all rights to it are reserved by the author Lyomei Sakai.
Scripts in ﾒScriptsﾓ folder are also copyrighted but I will not insist on them. You may, I think, reuse those scripts on your responsibility.
I will not take responsibility for results of using QuoEdit. However, I will appreciate your bug reports.
･7 Acknowledgements
I really appreciate people who gave me useful information or valuable advice for improvement of QuoEdit.
And many thanks to people who gave me nice messages!
