Hi Janet,

I am trying to find out how to insert an existing applescript into a snippet or perhaps a more elegant solution to inserting variables into snippets. Perhaps I need to explain:

Snippets are the first level of automation. In snippets you can use environment variables and shell code. You can set variables in the preferences.

For example the snippet

`echo $VARIABLE`

will insert the value of the variable VARIABLE, and you can use regular expression to do some transformations.

I have many variations of boilerplate text that I use dozens of times during the day in my work that require a variable input in certain places. While I am not a programmer, I am all for automating repetitive tasks and I'm not afraid of a little scripting. A little. Some of the stuff in those bundles looked downright scary.

I was kindly directed to use the tab stops for snippets like this:

---

Hello ${1:firstname}

Thank you for your order for a ${2:product} ________________________________________________

Perfect. Easy. The next part, though, is to give me more control over the values I am inserting.

For example, I have been using BBedit (which does the job but I don't particularly like) and in their "clippings" you can insert a placeholder that can call up an applescript to run.

For more complex insertions you can use TM_Commands. Commands are the second level of automation and can be inserted as snippet, and you can have contextual menus for them (cannot help with applescript).

All the best

Guido -- Dr Guido Governatori School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering The University of Queensland Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia Phone: +61-(0)7-336 52907 Fax: +61-(0)7-336 54999 http://www.governatori.net/ http://www.defeasible.org