AppleScript's Future in a Rich Scripting Environment

by , 4:55 PM EDT, June 24th, 2008

AppleScript has been around for a long time, but other more modern approaches always make developers look at where they are and where they want to go. Adobe is doing just that, according to Jason O'Grady and David Morgenstern at The Apple Core on Tuesday.

The authors pointed to a post on Friday by the Adobe QE product lead for Photoshop on where Adobe developers stand with regard to "ExtendScript, JavaScript, ActionScript, AppleScript, VBScript and other scripting languages with Photoshop and the Adobe Creative Suite."

The survey may, at first glance, raise questions about Apple's support of AppleScript, which has always been unwavering. In fact, it's always about the allocation of resources in a rich language and scripting development environment. Even so, it the discussion can't help but raise questions about whether AppleScript is an solution for the long term.

"It's easy to read between the lines here: if we're counting the votes from professional scripters, and considering a product that supports multiple platforms, which is made at a company that is pitching its own framework, AppleScript may be running out of luck," the authors noted.

There's hardly any subject area that creates a more heated discussion than computer languages. In the authors' article, several developers do weigh in. One suggested Apple drop AppleScript and make JavaScript its favored scripting language.

The arguments can go on and on. However, the fact that there are so many new language solutions being used in the Apple development environment, especially Ruby, suggests that that the discussion is just beginning, especially with respect to the future of AppleScript.