JavaScript OSA

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JavaScript OSA, (originally JavaScript for OSA, abbreviated as JSOSA), is a freeware inter-process communication scripting language for the Macintosh computer.

Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines freeware unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the freeware it offers. For instance, modification, redistribution by third parties, and reverse engineering without the author's permission are permitted by some publishers but prohibited by others. Unlike with free and open-source software, which are also often distributed free of charge, the source code for freeware is typically not made available. Freeware may be intended to benefit its producer by, for example, encouraging sales of a more capable version, as in the freemium and shareware business models.

Inter-process communication mechanisms an operating system provides to allow the processes to manage shared data

In computer science, inter-process communication or interprocess communication (IPC) refers specifically to the mechanisms an operating system provides to allow the processes to manage shared data. Typically, applications can use IPC, categorized as clients and servers, where the client requests data and the server responds to client requests. Many applications are both clients and servers, as commonly seen in distributed computing. Methods for doing IPC are divided into categories which vary based on software requirements, such as performance and modularity requirements, and system circumstances, such as network bandwidth and latency.

A scripting or script language is a programming language for a special run-time environment that automates the execution of tasks; the tasks could alternatively be executed one-by-one by a human operator. Scripting languages are often interpreted.

Contents

JavaScript OSA uses the "core language" of the Mozilla implementation of the JavaScript programming language, (see SpiderMonkey). The language is used as an alternative to the AppleScript language. Its use is unrelated to web browser-based scripting. It can be seen as having a similar function to Microsoft's JScript .NET language on Windows machines, although there is no interoperability between the two languages' system-level scripting.

Mozilla Free and open-source software community, developer of Firefox and Thunderbird

Mozilla is a free software community founded in 1998 by members of Netscape. The Mozilla community uses, develops, spreads and supports Mozilla products, thereby promoting exclusively free software and open standards, with only minor exceptions. The community is supported institutionally by the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation and its tax-paying subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation.

JavaScript, often abbreviated as JS, is a high-level, interpreted scripting language that conforms to the ECMAScript specification. JavaScript has curly-bracket syntax, dynamic typing, prototype-based object-orientation, and first-class functions.

Programming language Language designed to communicate instructions to a machine

A programming language is a formal language, which comprises a set of instructions that produce various kinds of output. Programming languages are used in computer programming to implement algorithms.

Description

The language is identical to Mozilla's core language, with extensions added via a "Core" object and a "MacOS" object. The MacOS object has methods for obtaining objects that are bound to applications. This is done via the AppleEvent messaging system, a part of the Macintosh's Open Scripting Architecture.

Application software computer software designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user

Application software is software designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user. Examples of an application include a word processor, a spreadsheet, an accounting application, a web browser, an email client, a media player, a file viewer, an aeronautical flight simulator, a console game or a photo editor. The collective noun application software refers to all applications collectively. This contrasts with system software, which is mainly involved with running the computer.

The language was first released in 2001, and was bundled with Late Night Software's flagship product, Script Debugger. In May 2005, a new "alpha" version of the language was made available for testing. This improved second version of the language was bundled with version 4 of Script Debugger. JavaScript OSA was eventually discontinued due to lack of interest [1] and was dropped from Script Debugger 5 in 2012. [2]

Late Night Software Ltd., is a privately held Canadian software company that has produced several applications, utilities, and developer's tools for the Macintosh computer platform. The company was established in 1995. Its president is Mark Alldritt.

Script Debugger is a Macintosh computer source code editor and debugging environment for the AppleScript programming language, and other languages based on Apple Inc.'s Open Scripting Architecture. It is a product of Late Night Software.

Alternatives

OS X Yosemite introduced JavaScript for Automation (JXA): system-wide support for scripting with JavaScript, built upon JavaScriptCore and the Open Scripting Architecture. [3] It features an Objective-C bridge which enables entire Cocoa applications to be programmed in JavaScript. [4]

OS X Yosemite nineth major release of OS X

OS X Yosemite is the eleventh major release of OS X, Apple Inc.'s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers.

Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that adds Smalltalk-style messaging to the C programming language. It was the main programming language supported by Apple for the macOS, iOS and iPadOS operating systems, and their respective application programming interfaces (APIs) Cocoa and Cocoa Touch until the introduction of Swift in 2014.

Cocoa is Apple's native object-oriented application programming interface (API) for its desktop operating system macOS.

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A computing platform or digital platform is the environment in which a piece of software is executed. It may be the hardware or the operating system (OS), even a web browser and associated application programming interfaces, or other underlying software, as long as the program code is executed with it. Computing platforms have different abstraction levels, including a computer architecture, an OS, or runtime libraries. A computing platform is the stage on which computer programs can run.

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References

  1. ↑ "Yosemite JavaScript for Automation Support". Late Night Software. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ "What's New in Script Debugger 5.0". Late Night Software. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  3. ↑ "JavaScript for Automation". MacStories. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ "JavaScript for Automation Release Notes". Apple, Inc. Retrieved August 31, 2014.

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