Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication /

Chapter 6 - Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

This chapter describes how your application can use the Apple Event Manager and application-defined functions to resolve object specifier records. Your application must be able to resolve object specifier records to respond to core and functional-area Apple events defined in the Apple Event Registry: Standard Suites.

For example, after receiving a Get Data event that requests a table in a document, your application can use the Apple Event Manager and application-defined functions to parse the object specifier record in the direct parameter, locate the requested table, and send a reply Apple event containing the table's data back to the application that requested it.

This chapter also describes how your application can use the Apple Event Manager to create object specifier records. If you want to factor your application for Apple event recording, or if you want to send Apple events directly to other applications, you need to know how to create object specifier records.

To use this chapter, you should be familiar with the chapters "Introduction to Apple Events" and "Responding to Apple Events" in this book. The section "Working With Object Specifier Records," which begins on page 3-27, provides a general introduction to the subject.

If you plan to create object specifier records, you should also be familiar with the chapter "Creating and Sending Apple Events." If you are factoring your application, you should read the chapter "Recording Apple Events" before you write code for resolving or creating object specifier records.

This chapter begins with an overview of the way your application works with the Apple Event Manager to resolve object specifier records. It then describes

• how the data in an object specifier record is organized
• how to install entries in the object accessor tables
• how to write object accessor and object callback functions
• how to create an object specifier record

IMPORTANT

Versions 1.0 and 1.01 of the Apple Event Manager do not include the routines for resolving and creating object specifier records described in this chapter. To use these routines with those versions of the Apple Event Manager, you must link the Object Support Library (OSL) with your application when you build it, and call the AEObjectInit function before calling any of the routines.

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Chapter Contents

Resolving Object Specifier Records

Descriptor Records Used in Object Specifier Records

Object Class

Container

Key Form

Key Data

Key Data for a Property ID

Key Data for an Object's Name

Key Data for a Unique ID

Key Data for Absolute Position

Key Data for Relative Position

Key Data for a Test

Key Data for a Range

Installing Entries in the Object Accessor Dispatch Tables

Installing Object Accessor Functions That Find Apple Event Objects

Installing Object Accessor Functions That Find Properties

Writing Object Accessor Functions

Writing Object Accessor Functions That Find Apple Event Objects

Writing Object Accessor Functions That Find Properties

Defining Tokens

Handling Whose Tests

Writing Object Callback Functions

Writing an Object-Counting Function

Writing an Object-Comparison Function

Writing Marking Callback Functions

Creating Object Specifier Records

Creating a Simple Object Specifier Record

Specifying the Container Hierarchy

Specifying a Property

Specifying a Relative Position

Creating a Complex Object Specifier Record

Specifying a Test

Specifying a Range

Reference to Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

Data Structures Used in Object Specifier Records

Routines for Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

Initializing the Object Support Library

Setting Object Accessor Functions and Object Callback Functions

Getting, Calling, and Removing Object Accessor Functions

Resolving Object Specifier Records

Deallocating Memory for Tokens

Creating Object Specifier Records

Application-Defined Routines

Object Accessor Functions

Object Callback Functions

Summary of Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

Pascal Summary

Constants

Data Types

Routines for Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

Initializing the Object Support Library

Setting Object Accessor Functions and Object Callback Functions

Getting, Calling, and Removing Object Accessor Functions

Resolving Object Specifier Records

Deallocating Memory for Tokens

Creating Object Specifier Records

Application-Defined Routines

Object Accessor Functions

Object Callback Functions

C Summary

Constants

Data Types

Routines for Resolving and Creating Object Specifier Records

Initializing the Object Support Library

Setting Object Accessor Functions and Object Callback Functions

Getting, Calling, and Removing Object Accessor Functions

Resolving Object Specifier Records

Deallocating Memory for Tokens

Creating Object Specifier Records

Application-Defined Routines

Object Accessor Functions

Object Callback Functions

Assembly-Language Summary

Trap Macros

Trap Macros Requiring Routine Selectors

Result Codes