AppleScript: Please explain these two commands

[J Christopher]

I was reading this post, and found the following AppleScript:

-- Hit the Tab-key
delay 1.0
set timeoutSeconds to 2.0
set uiScript to "keystroke tab"
my doWithTimeout(uiScript, timeoutSeconds)

Could someone please explain:

set timeoutSeconds to 2.0

and

my doWithTimeout(uiScript, timeoutSeconds)

What, exactly, do these commands do?

Thanks.

[wdympcf]

Well, the first is just the setting of a variable - timeoutSeconds is the variable and it is being set to a value of 2.0. The second is a function that was presumably captured using Automator's Watch Me Do capability. In this case, the doWithTimeout function executes a "tab" keystroke and waits two seconds afterwards before continuing with the rest of the script.

[J Christopher]

Okay, thanks. That makes sense.

Just to make sure I'm understanding correctly,

my doWithTimeout(uiScript, timeoutSeconds)

is the functional equivalent (in this particular case) to

tell application "System Events" to keystroke tab
delay 2

Is this correct?

Is the "my doWithTimeout()" a single defined function, or is "my" separate from "doWithTimeout()"? If the latter is true, what does "my" do?

[Red_Menace]

"My" is a reserved word that is used in tell statements to make sure that the handler call is sent to the correct target:

http://developer.apple.com/documenta...0983-CH206-SW1

[NovaScotian]

Quote: Originally Posted by J Christopher Okay, thanks. That makes sense. Just to make sure I'm understanding correctly, my doWithTimeout(uiScript, timeoutSeconds) is the functional equivalent (in this particular case) to tell application "System Events" to keystroke tab delay 2 Is this correct? Is the "my doWithTimeout()" a single defined function, or is "my" separate from "doWithTimeout()"? If the latter is true, what does "my" do?

Your functional equivalent is correct, and my refers to the script itself, usually meaning that AppleScript, Standard Additions, or a Scripting Addition should do it, not a tell block in which the command is embedded:

tell application "Finder"
	set someThing to my Handler(arguments)
end tell

on Handler(arg)
	-- do stuff the Finder doesn't know about
end Handler