How to Use AppleScript Scripts to Return Values to FoxPro

Last reviewed: May 21, 1996
Article ID: Q108622

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Macintosh, version 3.0b
Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b

SUMMARY

The AppleScript language supports a RETURN statement that allows the author of a script to send a result back to the calling procedure. The calling procedure can be a FoxPro program, command, or procedure. Examples are provided below.

NOTE: AppleScript is manufactured by a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.

MORE INFORMATION

A script, which is a series of one or more commands supported by the AppleScript language, is analogous to a procedure written in Microsoft FoxPro or some other high-level language. Like procedures, a script can communicate with a calling program by returning a value to it. To run a script from within Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, use the following command syntax:

  RUNSCRIPT <AppleScript> [TO <variable> | <field>]

If the script terminates with a RETURN statement, that value is returned to FoxPro and stored in the optional parameter to the RUNSCRIPT command.

The following example is an elementary AppleScript script that simply returns a Boolean, or logical, value:

   return TRUE

The following example illustrates how FoxPro for Macintosh can store a value to a variable named retVal from an AppleScript script named MyScript:

   RUNSCRIPT HD:Scripts:MyScript TO retVal

Although AppleScript supports a variety of extended types, or classes, such as lists, records, and aliases, FoxPro transforms them into simple character expressions when storing them.

Since only a single value can be returned from an AppleScript script and FoxPro for Macintosh does not support the passing of parameters to an AppleScript script, a character expression delimited with commas or some other value is recommended. Since AppleScript supports the list as a standard class, it makes sense to take advantage of it to build a list of return values. For example, the following AppleScript returns multiple values to the calling program by building a list object:

   set theList to {"First"}
   set theList to theList & "Second"
   return theList

If you save the script, name it MyScript2, and invoke it issuing the following command in the FoxPro Command window:

   RUNSCRIPT MyScript2 TO retVal

The list is returned to FoxPro as a character string delimited with commas. In this case, the character expression "First, Last" is returned, and the individual values can be returned using FoxPro's arsenal of string- manipulation functions such as SUBSTR() and AT(). The following FoxPro code snippet extracts the elements from retVal and stores the individual values to new variables:

   var1 = SUBSTR(retVal,1,AT(',',retVal)-1)
   var2 = SUBSTR(retVAL,AT(',',retVal)+3)

For more information about AppleScript, including a detailed explanation of the language and its supported types, see the "AppleScript Developer's Kit" from Apple Computer.

Additional reference words: vFoxMac 3.00b FoxMac 2.50b
KBCategory: kb3rdparty kbtool kbprg
KBSubcategory:

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Last reviewed: May 21, 1996
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