imported>Qwerty123M: Adding short description: "Macintosh scripting language"

2026-02-11T03:45:36Z

Adding short description: "Macintosh scripting language"

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{{Short description|Macintosh scripting language}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox programming language
| name = JavaScript OSA
| paradigms = [[Comparison of multi-paradigm programming languages|Multi-paradigm]]: [[Object-oriented programming|object-oriented]] ([[Prototype-based programming|prototype-based]]), [[Functional programming|functional]], [[Imperative programming|imperative]], [[Scripting language|scripting]]
| family = [[ECMAScript]]
| designer =
| developer = [[Late Night Software]]
| released = {{Start date and age|2001|05|11}}
| latest release version = Final
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2012}}
| discontinued = Yes
| typing = [[Duck typing|duck]], [[Strong and weak typing|weak]], [[Dynamic typing|dynamic]]
| scope = [[Scope (computer science)|lexical]]
| platform = [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]]
| operating system = [[macOS]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|proprietary]] [[freeware]]
| file ext =
| file format =
| website = 
| implementations =
| dialects =
| influenced by = [[AppleScript]], [[JavaScript]], [[ECMAScript]]
| influenced =
}}
'''JavaScript Open Scripting Architecture''' ('''OSA'''), (originally '''JavaScript for OSA''', then '''JavaScript OSA''', abbreviated further as '''JSOSA'''), is a discontinued [[freeware]] [[inter-process communication]] [[scripting language]] for the [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] computer.

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, but with no interoperability between the two languages' system-level scripting.

==Description==
The language is identical to Mozilla's core language, with extensions added via a ''Core'' object and a ''[[MacOS]]'' object. The latter has [[Method (computer programming)|methods]] for obtaining objects that are bound to [[application software]]. This is done via the [[Apple event]] messaging system, a part of the Macintosh's [[Open Scripting Architecture]].

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<ref name="Yosemite JavaScript for Automation Support">{{cite web |title=Yosemite JavaScript for Automation Support |url=http://www.latenightsw.com/2014/yosemite-javascript-for-automation-support/ |website=Late Night Software |date=December 2014 |access-date=March 22, 2015}}</ref> and was dropped from Script Debugger 5 in 2012.<ref name="What’s New in Script Debugger 5.0? ">{{cite web|title=What's New in Script Debugger 5.0|url=http://www.latenightsw.com/sd5/whats-new-in-script-debugger-5/|website=Late Night Software|date=May 23, 2012 |access-date=March 22, 2015}}</ref>

==Alternatives==
[[OS X Yosemite]] introduced [[JavaScript for Automation]] (JXA): system-wide support for scripting with [[JavaScript]], built upon [[JavaScriptCore]] and the [[Open Scripting Architecture]].<ref name="JavaScript for Automation">{{cite web |title=JavaScript for Automation |url=http://www.macstories.net/linked/javascript-for-automation-on-os-x-yosemite/ |website=MacStories |date=June 7, 2014 |access-date=August 31, 2014}}</ref> It features an [[Objective-C]] bridge which enables entire [[Cocoa (API)|Cocoa]] applications to be programmed in JavaScript.<ref name="JavaScript for Automation Release Notes">{{cite web |title=JavaScript for Automation Release Notes |url=https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/releasenotes/InterapplicationCommunication/RN-JavaScriptForAutomation/Articles/Introduction.html |publisher=Apple, Inc. |access-date=August 31, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.latenightsw.com}}, Late Night Software
* {{Cite web |last1=Hough |first1=Richard |date=May 11, 2001 |url=http://oreilly.com/pub/a/javascript/2001/05/11/js_for_mac.html |title=JavaScript and Mac OS |publisher=[[O'Reilly Media]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019000338/http://oreilly.com/pub/a/javascript/2001/05/11/js_for_mac.html |archive-date=October 19, 2014}}

{{ECMAScript}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Javascript Osa}}
[[Category:Macintosh-only software]]
[[Category:Scripting languages]]

JavaScript OSA - Revision history

imported>Qwerty123M: Adding short description: "Macintosh scripting language"