DP Applescript Documentation

AncientMariner · Post by **AncientMariner** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:59 am

Hi all ...
I'm trying to get DP to do things via Applescript. I note when I open DP's dictionary in the Applescript Editor, it's woefully empty. Only says it knows "doscript". Can't find any documentation on "doscript <what?>" ... the listing for common application commands is blank. Yet I find it does in fact respond to at least some common application commands.

Is there someplace this is documented?

Thanks!

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Wed May 25, 2011 8:39 pm

AFAIK DP isn't scriptable. If I'm wrong here someone pipe up?

AncientMariner · Post by **AncientMariner** » Thu May 26, 2011 5:55 am

Well, matter of fact, I am getting it to do some useful things. Via Filemaker via C++ plugin I wrote for that platform. It looks like it does in fact respond to some subset of the "required suite" of commands. So there's obviously some code written and implemented ... not documented. I was hoping somebody here would have snooped it out.

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:38 am

Maybe contact MOTU and ask them? Sounds like you're ahead of most people on this subject anyway. I personally just pretty much use DP as is and haven't really thought to look into it as a need hasn't presented itself.

AncientMariner · Post by **AncientMariner** » Thu May 26, 2011 8:00 am

This isn't the way I usually do things. Special client, has to personally sort thru 600 + long WAV files, needs visuals. This is my quick solution. Working well now, thru trial & error ... hopefully won't need such things again. THANKS!

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Thu May 26, 2011 8:03 am

AncientMariner wrote:This isn't the way I usually do things. Special client, has to personally sort thru 600 + long WAV files, needs visuals. This is my quick solution. Working well now, thru trial & error ... hopefully won't need such things again. THANKS!

Well if you can, please do share what you've learned with the board. That's one of the things this place is good for!

FMiguelez · Post by **FMiguelez** » Thu May 26, 2011 8:41 am

.

I'd be VERY interested in hearing more about possibilities of scripting DP.

James Steele wrote: Sounds like you're ahead of most people on this subject anyway.

We have a few heavy-weight programmers in here. Six String Geek comes immediately to mind.
Hopefully he will chime in.

AncientMariner · Post by **AncientMariner** » Thu May 26, 2011 9:20 am

First off, I also normally use DP "as is". This is a very unusual client/situation, and my (very rusty) coding skills have been helpful. What follows is of interest to geeks, and probably few others.

And, I must admit I'm now sure that what's happening is not proof that DP is scriptable.

If that sounds convoluted, it's because the journey to this knowledge revealed that on some undocumented level, DP is, in fact, quite probably scriptable. This may be a custom trapdoor provided for a high-dollar film client. You'll note armies of software developers these days, in the end credits.

The platform I'm using to "launch" is Filemaker Pro, which can send Apple Events, including executing Applescripts. It also provides a trapdoor for people like me ... I can code in C++ (my native language) without having to manage the user, or learn Objective C/Cocoa. Cool.

I am now clear that in this case, Filemaker is not using Applescript per se, to do what I'm doing. I was able to execute the same Filemaker operation with Peak, which doesn't even hint at being scriptable. What I'm doing is telling the system to open a document, and the document vectors to DP. Kinda like double-click from Finder.

But in getting here, I found the following interesting stuff ...

If an application is scriptable, it publishes a dictionary of commands and syntax to the system. Applescript Editor (in Applications/Utilities) lets you see which applications have such dictionaries, and lets you open them and see what commands they recognize.

DP does have an entry here. But, if you open the dictionary, it's not what Apple would call a "well behaved" application. There is a suite of commands that any scriptable app is supposed to address ... DP is blank in this category. There is a custom suite listed, consisting of one entry: "doscript". That's all. Not even a simple syntax example. Nowhere can I find any documentation on what parameters might be expected from there. I have hunted through the printed manual (DP 7) ... nothing I can find. Google searches all dead-end, eventually.

So, here's the thing ... if DP were simply not scriptable, there would be no dictionary listed in the Applescript editor. Pro Tools isn't there, Peak isn't there ... even Apple's own Final Cut Pro isn't there (and these are all installed & authorized on the machine in question).

But DP is there, presenting exactly one strange, mysterious door ...

FMiguelez · Post by **FMiguelez** » Thu May 26, 2011 1:13 pm

.

Ancient Mariner, I encourage you to keep experimenting. What you write sounds potentially fascinating. Can you imagine Scripting DP? Wow! That would be fantastic.

I have never ever read (in the manual or anywhere) anyone talking about scripting DP. But if you can talk C++ and know your way around, you can probably discover something interesting. If so, PLEASE make sure you write about your progress here.

Perhaps Magic Dave could briefly comment on this?

AncientMariner · Post by **AncientMariner** » Thu May 26, 2011 1:31 pm

Well, gotta re-state my feeling that I've stumbled on some sort of "arrangement" ... between MOTU and some client who has the wherewithall to pay for it.

And, someone who didn't figure on someone like me to go snooping about, so they left a trail I could follow. As a VERY OLD coder (does "IBM system/360" mean anything to anyone on this forum?), I can imagine no other explanation for this constellation of information. But much has changed, since I moved to the Mac world, and hence had so much less need to code my own stuff.

MOTUnation.com