PlayerChapter 2, Product Overview
PreFab Player is a faceless background application (similar to a system extension)
that enables a script to control an application, desk accessory or control panel
through its user interface. Player includes special balloon help to identify user interface objects, complete documentation for the script writer,
and free technical support by e-mail and FAX.
Player Runtime is an inexpensive utility for running scripts that "play" the user interface. You develop and run scripts on your Macintosh with Player. As per the license agreement, you may install Runtime on one additional machine to run any scripts that use Player. Player Runtime is not shareware. Please contact us to license additional users, for OEM licensing, or to inquire about our free 30-day trial version.
Purpose
Player was developed by script writers for script writers. It extends Frontier and AppleScript beyond what can be accomplished with Apple events alone, letting you script almost any application now. Unlike keyboard macro products such as QuicKeys, Tempo and KeyQuencer or palette macro products such as OneClick, there is no need to leave your chosen scripting system or learn a new language. Player adds to UserTalk or AppleScript a set of verbs to directly manipulate the Macintosh user interface. The full power of Frontier's UserTalk language, object database, and powerful debugger are available at every step.
It is equally important to understand what Player is not. First, Player is not a keyboard or palette macro utility. There is no facility
for launching a script from the keyboard: we assume that the script is in charge.
(Menu Sharing, FinderMenu, OSA Menu, deskscripts and droplets provide various ways for the user to launch an AppleScript or Frontier script.)
Second, Player is not a collection of special-purpose extensions for such tasks
as interacting with the clipboard, bypassing the chooser, dialing the telephone,
etc. Many of these features are either built into Frontier or available as Frontier-callable
UCMDs or XCMDs, or AppleScript OSAX extensions. Player's sole purpose is to "play"
the user interface. If you want a keyboard macro product with lots of great extensions, we recommend KeyQuencer, a shareware & commercial product from Binary Software
Operation
When a player piano runs from a coded music roll, the actual piano keys are pulled down, just as if a person were sitting there playing. Similarly, when Player drives the user interface, dialogs will appear, radio buttons will be highlighted, pop-ups will flash, etc. just as if a user were "playing". This approach is not as robust as talking directly to an application's "engine" via Apple events, but has the important advantage of letting you script almost anything on the Macintosh, without waiting for a developer to add sufficient Apple event support. New in 1.5: To prevent the user from interfering with a Player script, call the new disableUserInput() verb.Features
Player and Runtime
menus
- choose commands from pull-down menus
- ... including hierarchical menus
- choose from pop-up menus
dialogs
- click buttons (dismiss unwanted dialogs!)
- select radio button options
- check, uncheck or toggle checkboxes
- click arbitrary objects such as iconic buttons
- navigate file open & save dialogs
- directly set the folder for file open & save dialogs, NEW in 1.1
keyboard
- type text (including passwords)
- enter command/shift/option/control key combinations
- hit function keys, arrows, etc.
mouse
- click (usually relative to the frontmost window or dialog)
- drag ... including through an entire sequence of locations
- move, NEW in 1.5
query
- determine if a dialog item or window exists
- find the name, value or contents of dialog items
general
- disable user input, NEW in 1.5
Player only
(in the suites.PlayerExtras table)- balloon help to identify dialog items and XY coordinates
- Frontier only: the ability to create the appropriate verb based on balloon contents
- verbs to outline all dialog items, or menus in the menubar
- a Frontier suite (i.e. a menu and additional verbs) to help compose scripts
- documentation for the script writer
- free technical support by e-mail and FAX
Note
We realize that compound product names invite abbreviation. Please, do us a favor. Remember that "PreFab" is the company, "Player" and "Text Machine" are the products. Thanks!
Chapter 3. Installation