Frontier: The Definitive Guide (Paperback)

Description:

Of course you love your Mac, but don't you wish you could program it yourself?

Instead of looking for an application that does what you need, what if *you* could write a program to concatenate files, change file-types, munge text?

What if you could automate repetitive processes, and tie existing applications together: Have QuarkXPress construct a whole catalog based on a FileMaker database, or have Clip2GIF transform all the PICTs in a Microsoft Word file into GIFs?

What if you could send email without an email program, or download Web pages without a browser? What if you could control remote computers across a network?

What if you could beef up your Web site by writing your own CGI scripts, or by generating hundreds of related Web pages automatically?

With UserLand Frontier, you can do all this and more. What is Frontier?

• It's a simple but sophisticated scripting language (UserTalk), with speed that blows AppleScript away and a far easier learning curve -- plus it's multi-threaded and includes an elegant debugging environment.
  
  
• It's an integrated database with instant access to data, text, outlines, and tables.
  
  
• It's a totally automated environment, where scripts can create dialogs, open windows, edit text, alter menus.
  
  
• It's a hook to the system, able to read and write files, open documents, read the clipboard.
  
  
• It's a base for sending and receiving Apple events, so it can drive any scriptable application and can be integrated into other scripting applications.
  
  
• It's a network application, able to function as a client or server over AppleTalk or the Internet.
  
  
• It's a powerful scripting environment for Web site management and system level scripting.
  

Frontier: The Definitive Guide is the first book devoted exclusively to teaching and documenting this wonderful program. With it, you can learn all about Frontier or find out about just those aspects that interest you. Whether you're a complete Frontier beginner or an experienced hand in need of a clear, ordered reference, this book is for you.

Packed with examples, advice, tricks and tips, Frontier: The Definitive Guide teaches you Frontier from the ground up. Even if you've never programmed before, you'll be cranking out Web pages or writing your own custom scripts in no time. Before you know it, you'll have joined the ranks of thousands of Macintosh power users who make Frontier their "home base."

Covers Frontier 4.2.3 for the Macintosh.

描述：
當然，你喜歡你的Mac，但你是否希望能夠自己編程它呢？

不必尋找能夠滿足你需求的應用程式，如果*你*能夠編寫一個程式來合併文件、更改文件類型、處理文本呢？

如果你能夠自動化重複的過程，並將現有的應用程式連接在一起：讓QuarkXPress根據FileMaker數據庫構建整個目錄，或讓Clip2GIF將Microsoft Word文件中的所有PICT轉換為GIF？

如果你能夠在沒有郵件程式的情況下發送電子郵件，或者在沒有瀏覽器的情況下下載網頁？如果你能夠在網絡上控制遠程計算機？

如果你能夠通過編寫自己的CGI腳本或自動生成數百個相關的網頁來增強你的網站？

使用UserLand Frontier，你可以做到這一切甚至更多。什麼是Frontier？

- 它是一種簡單但複雜的腳本語言（UserTalk），速度超越AppleScript，學習曲線更容易，並且支持多線程並包含優雅的調試環境。
- 它是一個集成的數據庫，可以立即訪問數據、文本、大綱和表格。
- 它是一個完全自動化的環境，腳本可以創建對話框、打開窗口、編輯文本、修改菜單。
- 它是系統的一個鉤子，能夠讀寫文件、打開文檔、讀取剪貼板。
- 它是發送和接收Apple事件的基礎，因此可以驅動任何可腳本化的應用程式，並可以集成到其他腳本化應用程式中。
- 它是一個網絡應用程式，可以作為客戶端或服務器在AppleTalk或互聯網上運行。
- 它是一個用於網站管理和系統級腳本的強大腳本環境。

《Frontier: The Definitive Guide》是第一本專門介紹和記錄這個出色程式的書籍。通過這本書，你可以全面了解Frontier，或者只找出你感興趣的方面。無論你是完全的Frontier初學者還是需要清晰有序的參考資料的經驗豐富的使用者，這本書都適合你。

《Frontier: The Definitive Guide》充滿了例子、建議、技巧和提示，它從頭開始教你Frontier。即使你以前從未編程過，你也能夠很快地製作網頁或編寫自己的自定義腳本。在你意識到之前，你將加入成千上萬的Macintosh高級使用者的行列，他們將Frontier作為他們的“基地”。

本書涵蓋了Macintosh上的Frontier 4.2.3版本。