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Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication /

Chapter 3 - Introduction to Apple Events / About the Apple Event Manager

Supporting Apple Event Objects

If your application responds to core and functional-area Apple events, it must also be able to resolve object specifier records that describe the objects on which those Apple events can act. In addition to the tasks described in the chapter "Responding to Apple Events," you must perform the following tasks to handle Apple events that contain object specifier records:

• Write object accessor functions that can locate the Apple event objects you support, and install corresponding entries in your application's object accessor dispatch table.
• Write any object callback functions that you decide to provide. To handle object specifier records that specify a test, your application must provide at least two object callback functions: one that counts objects and one that compares them.
• Call AEResolve from your Apple event handlers whenever an Apple event parameter includes an object specifier record.

The chapter "Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records" describes how to perform these tasks. It also describes how applications that send Apple events to themselves or directly to other applications can create object specifier records.