Working with AppleEvent Descriptors

This page describes TclÆ calls that manipulate AppleEvent descriptors. For information on the associated ToolBox calls and data structures, see INSIDE MACINTOSH: Interapplication Communication.

AppleEvent Descriptors

`tclAE::coerceData`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AECoercePtr call.

Synopsis


tclAE::coerceData
typeCode 
data 
toType

Description

Create a new AEDesc, casting data from typeCode to toType. Unlike the ToolBox call, the data is passed directly, rather than in a pointer.

Example

tclAE::coerceData "/some/path/here" alis

alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)

`tclAE::coerceDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AECoerceDesc call.

Description

Create a new AEDesc, casting the original AEDesc to toType.

Example

tclAE::coerceDesc alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000») TEXT

“/some/path/here”

`tclAE::createDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AECreateDesc call.

Description

Create a new AEDesc of type typeCode with optional data.

Example

tclAE::createDesc type

'type'()

tclAE::createDesc TEXT "some text"

“some text”

`tclAE::duplicateDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEDuplicateDesc call.

Description

The descriptor record specified by anAEDesc is duplicated and the new AEDesc is entered into the hash table.

`tclAE::getData`

Tcl wrapper for AEGetDescData call (read access for theAEDesc.dataHandle in pre-Carbon), including coercion.

Synopsis

tclAE::getData theAEDesc [desiredType] [typeCodePtr]

theAEDesc is cast to desiredType (if supplied). Pass '????' in desiredType to force the return of raw binary data. If supplied, the final type of the data will be placed in the variable named by typeCodePtr.

Example

tclAE::getData “3”

tclAE::getData “3” **** type

set type

TEXT

tclAE::getData “3” sing type

3.0

set type

sing

`tclAE::getDescType`

Tcl read access for theAEDesc.descriptorType.

Synopsis

tclAE::getDescType theAEDesc

Result

The DescType of theAEDesc.

Example

tclAE::getDescType “3”

TEXT

tclAE::getDescType 3

shor

`tclAE::replaceDescData`

Tcl wrapper for Carbon AEReplaceDescData call and/or Tcl write access for theAEDesc.typeCode and theAEDesc.dataHandle.

Synopsis

tclAE::replaceDescData theAEDesc typeCode data

Result

None.

Description

The data and typeCode in theAEDesc are replaced.

Example

tclAE::replaceDescData {“eeny meeny”} TEXT {miney moe}

“miney moe”

`tclAE::setDescType`

Tcl write access for theAEDesc.descriptorType.

Synopsis

tclAE::setDescType theAEDesc toType

Result

None.

Description

The DescType of theAEDesc is set to toType. The internal data of theAEDesc is unchanged.

Example

tclAE::setDescType {“eeny meeny”} JUNK

JUNK(«65656E79206D65656E79»)

AppleEvent Descriptor Lists

`tclAE::countItems`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AECountItems call.

Synopsis

tclAE::countItems anAEDescList

Result

The number of items in anAEDescList.

Description

Count items in anAEDescList.

Example

tclAE::countItems {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]}

`tclAE::createList`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AECreateList call.

Synopsis

tclAE::createList [isRecord]

Result

New AEDescList.

Description

If isRecord is present and true, an AERecord is created, otherwise an AEDescList.

Example

tclAE::createList

[]

tclAE::createList 1

{}

`tclAE::deleteItem`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEDeleteItem call.

Synopsis

tclAE::deleteItem theAEDescList index

Result

None.

Description

Delete descriptor record at position index from theAEDescList. All subesequent descriptor records will then move up one item.

Example

tclAE::deleteItem {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]}

[123, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]

`tclAE::getNthData`

Tcl emulator for ToolBox AEGetNthPtr call.

Synopsis

tclAE::getNthData theAEDescList index [desiredType] [keyIfAnyPtr] [typeCodePtr]

Result

The data from the descriptor record at position index in theAEDescList.

Description

The descriptor record specified by index is obtained from theAEDescList. The Resulting AEDesc is then processed as by tclAE::getData.

Example

tclAE::getNthData {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 1

eeny meeny

tclAE::getNthData {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 2 TEXT

/some/path/here

tclAE::getNthData {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} 2 TEXT key type

/some/path/here

set key

keyC

set type

TEXT

`tclAE::getNthDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEGetNthDesc call.

Synopsis

tclAE::getNthDesc theAEDescList index [desiredType] [keyIfAnyPtr]

Result

AEDesc hash key for the item descriptor.

Description

The item record specified by index is obtained from theAEDescList. The Resulting AEDesc is optionally coerced to desiredType, duplicated, and a new hash key is returned for it.

Example

tclAE::getNthDesc {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 1

“eeny meeny”

tclAE::getNthDesc {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 2 TEXT

“/some/path/here”

tclAE::getNthDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} 2 TEXT key

“/some/path/here”

set key

keyC

`tclAE::putData`

Tcl emulator for ToolBox AEPutPtr call.

It does not appear to be possible to put data into an AERecord by index on Mac OS X. Use tclAE::putKeyData.

Synopsis

tclAE::putData theAEDescList index typeCode data

Result

The updated value of theAEDescList.

Description

The descriptor record specified by index in theAEDescList is replaced with a new descriptor record composed from data cast to typeCode.

Example

tclAE::putData {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 1 TEXT "miney moe"

[123, “miney moe”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]

tclAE::putData {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} -1 TEXT "miney moe"

[123, “miney moe”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»), “miney moe”]

`tclAE::putDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEPutDesc call.

It does not appear to be possible to put an AEDesc into an AERecord by index on Mac OS X. Use tclAE::putKeyDesc.

Synopsis

tclAE::putDesc theAEDescList index anAEDesc

Result

The updated value of theAEDescList.

Description

The descriptor record specified by index in theAEDescList is replaced with a copy of anAEDesc.

Example

tclAE::putDesc {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} 0 345

[345, “miney moe”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]

tclAE::putDesc {[123, “eeny meeny”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)]} -1 345

[123, “miney moe”, alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»), 345]

AppleEvent Descriptor Records

`tclAE::deleteKeyDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEDeleteKeyDesc call.

This call is presently broken. It does delete the key, but does not update the string form. Also, the call does not return the AEDesc.

Synopsis

tclAE::deleteKeyDesc theAERecord theAEKeyword

Result

The updated value of theAERecord.

Description

Delete the keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword from theAERecord.

Example

tclAE::deleteKeyDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyB

{keyA:123, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}

`tclAE::getKeyData`

Tcl emulator for ToolBox AEGetKeyPtr call.

Synopsis


tclAE::getKeyData 
theAERecord 
theAEKeyword 
[desiredType]
[typeCodePtr]

Result

data.

Description

The keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword is obtained from theAERecord. The Resulting AEDesc is then processed as by tclAE::getData.

Example

tclAE::getKeyData {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyB

eeny meeny

tclAE::getKeyData {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyC TEXT type

/some/path/here

set key

keyC

`tclAE::getKeyDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEGetKeyDesc call.

Synopsis

tclAE::getKeyDesc theAERecord theAEKeyword [desiredType]

Result

New AEDesc.

Description

The keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword is obtained from theAERecord, optionally coerced to desiredType, duplicated, and a new hash key is returned for it.

Example

tclAE::getKeyDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyB

“eeny meeny”

tclAE::getKeyDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyC TEXT

“/some/path/here”

`tclAE::putKeyData`

Tcl emulator for ToolBox AEPutKeyPtr call.

Synopsis

tclAE::putKeyData theAERecord theAEKeyword typeCode data

Result

The updated value of theAERecord.

Description

The keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword in theAERecord is replaced or inserted with a new descriptor record composed from data cast to typeCode.

Example

tclAE::putKeyData {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyB TEXT "miney moe"

{keyA:123, keyB:“miney moe”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}

tclAE::putKeyData {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyD TEXT "miney moe"

{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»), keyD:“miney moe”}

`tclAE::putKeyDesc`

Tcl wrapper for ToolBox AEPutKeyDesc call.

Synopsis


tclAE::putKeyDesc 
theAERecord 
theAEKeyword 
anAEDesc

Result

The updated value of theAERecord.

Description

The keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword in theAERecord is replaced or inserted with a copy of anAEDesc.

Example

tclAE::putKeyDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyB {“miney moe”}

{keyA:123, keyB:“miney moe”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}

tclAE::putKeyDesc {{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»)}} keyD {“miney moe”}

{keyA:123, keyB:“eeny meeny”, keyC:alis(«0000000000E2000…00073FFFF0000»), keyD:“miney moe”}

AppleEvents

`tclAE::getAttributeData`

Tcl emulator for ToolBox AEGetAttributePtr call.

Synopsis


tclAE::getAttributeData 
theAppleEvent 
theAEKeyword 
[desiredType]
[typeCodePtr]

Result

The data from the keyword-specified descriptor record from theAppleEvent.

Description

The keyword-specified descriptor record specified by theAEKeyword is obtained from theAppleEvent. The Resulting AEDesc is then processed as by tclAE::getData.

Example

set ae [tclAE::send -r -s "syso" "GMT "]

aevt\ansr{'----':-18000, &tran:0, &rtid:40370184, &addr:psn («0000000000000002»), &timo:0, &inte:112, &esrc:2, &from:psn («00000000003E0001»)}

tclAE::getAttributeData $ae rtid

40370184

tclAE::getAttributeData $ae addr **** type

set type

psn

tclAE::getAttributeDesc $ae addr

psn («0000000000000002»)