macOS Repeat loop weirdness

[kryten2]

I noticed some odd behaviour when copying some code from ScriptEditor to a Run Applescript action in Automator.

This example code runs fine in Scripteditor :

set numberList to {"1", "2", "3"}
repeat with i from 1 to number of items in numberList
	set this_item to item i of numberList
	display dialog this_item giving up after 3
end repeat

When copied to the Run Applescript action in Automator it changes into this when compiled :

set numberList to {"1", "2", "3"}
repeat with i from 1 to number of items [COLOR="Red"]of[/COLOR] numberList
	set this_item to item i of numberList
	display dialog this_item giving up after 3
end repeat

The "of" between number and items is no longer bold and the "in" changed to of. When run it errors with the following message :

Syntax Error

No result was returned from some part of this expression.

The solution is to change the code to this :

set numberList to {"1", "2", "3"}
repeat with i from 1 to count of items of numberList
	set this_item to item i of numberList
	display dialog this_item giving up after 3
end repeat

Why does this happen? Can someone shed some light on this? Thanks.

 

[chown33]

Why not just switch to the more concise:

repeat with each_item in numberList
	display dialog each_item giving up after 3
end repeat

The form is:

repeat with listVar in someList

Search for Repeat with listVar in this doc:
http://oreilly.com/catalog/aplscptian/chapter/ch07.html


EDIT
If you insist on using counted loops, consider using the shorter:

count of listName

Reference doc:
https://developer.apple.com/library...applescriptlangguide/reference/aslr_cmds.html

It's superfluously prolix to write:

count of items of listName

 

[kryten2]

Thanks for the reply chown33. Clear as ever. Had to lookup the meaning of superfluously prolix. Got it now.