10.1. Record Notation

In AppleScript, you use the special record data type to store database information, much like how you use the list data type to store ordered sets of information. To create a record in AppleScript, you use this format:

set recordName to {fieldName:fieldData, otherFieldName:otherFieldData, ...}

You've already used this notation, although perhaps without knowing it, for the make command's with properties option. Record notation is useful for far more than just AppleScript commands, though; records are also convenient for storing clusters of information.

Say you wanted to create a database entry for a chicken (storing its nickname, weight, and height). You could use this code to do the deed:

set myChicken to {nickname:"Matthew", weightInPounds:20, heightInInches:26.5}

Then, if you wanted to access a specific piece of information from the record, you would use the ubiquitous of keyword:

set myChicken to {nickname:"Matthew", weightInPounds:20, heightInInches:26.5}
display dialog (nickname of myChicken) --Gets the data from myChicken record

But just seeing the name of the chicken probably seems pretty boring to you. By changing that script around a little, you can use AppleScript to pull information out of the record and string it together in an amusing dialog box message:

set myChicken to {nickname:"Matthew", weightInPounds:20, 
    heightInInches:26.5}
display dialog (nickname of myChicken) & " the chicken weighs " & ¬
    (weightInPounds of myChicken) & " pounds. Man, that's one ¬
    big chicken!"

Now when you run the script, a dialog box appears to display the nickname of myChicken (Matthew) and the weightInPounds of myChicken (20). The result is a message that says: "Matthew the chicken weighs 20 pounds. Man, that's one big chicken!"

Just like other AppleScript variables, you can also set the values inside a record using the of keyword. For instance, this script:

set myWardrobe to {shirts:7, pants:2}
set the shirts of myWardrobe to 6

updates the shirts value inside the myWardrobe record with 6 instead of 7.