applescripttell

tell application - string vs. string?


If I run:

tell application "Maps"
    set miniaturized of windows to false
end tell

...this works fine

Yet, when I run:

set applicationName to "Maps"
tell application applicationName
    set miniaturized of windows to false
end tell

...I get:

Maps got an error: Can’t make |miniaturized| of every window into type reference.

I also tried:

tell application (applicationName as string)
    ...
end tell

...but I get the same error.

I'm new to Apple Script and not quite understanding the nuances between the two.


Solution

  • The argument of tell application is required be a literal string (a constant) because the terminology is evaluated at compile time.

    The alternative is an using terms from application block but the argument requires a literal string, too

    using terms from application "Maps"
    
    end using terms from