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Chapter 8 Administering Client Computers 157
Remote Desktop’s AppleScript Basics
AppleScript scripts consist of commands that are sent to objects. Objects can be a wide
variety of things, including applications, scripts, windows, settings, or the Finder. These
objects can receive a specific set of commands and respond with the desired actions.
Essentially, a script tells an application (Remote Desktop in this case) to either complete
a certain task or retrieve information. You can give the script decision-making
capabilities by using conditional statements; you can give the script a memory by
defining variables.
Remote Desktop has made all of its fundamental functions scriptable. The tasks that
you perform as an administrator by pointing and clicking the mouse can all be
accomplished by running an AppleScript. For example, you can:
 Get information on or rename a computer
 Add computers to a list
 Copy or install items
 Execute a report task
Using the Remote Desktop AppleScript Dictionary
Each scriptable application contains an AppleScript dictionary—the list of objects and
messages that an application can understand. For example, in Remote Desktop’s
dictionary there is an object named “computer list” that has this entry:
A “computer list” is an object which contains other objects (“computers” in this case)
and has properties like its “id” and its “name.” When queried, this object can return the
values for the properties (in Unicode text as indicated), but you can’t change “id” from
within the script (it’s labeled r/o for read-only). This object can be acted upon by the
“verbs,” or messages, in a script.
The dictionary also contains “verbs,” or messages. These verbs are commands that act
on the objects in the dictionary. For example, in Remote Desktop’s dictionary there is a
verb named “add,” and this is its entry:
computer list n [inh. item] : A list which holds computers.
ELEMENTS
contains computers; contained by application.
PROPERTIES
id (Unicode text, r/o) : The unique identifier (UUID) of the computer list.
name (Unicode text) : The name of the computer list.
add v : Add a computer to a task.
add computer : The computer.
to computer list : The computer list (or task) to add the computer to.