Because using a Mac means more than just using one particular application, Automation is most effective when it is integrated throughout the operating system and all of the programs it runs. OS X includes built-in tools for creating, editing, and running scripts and automation files, when and where you need them. The following short overview describes some of the useful automation features of OS X.
![script-menu-populated](gfx/script-menu-populated.png)
The Script Menu (⬆ see above ) provides an easy way to access your scripts, organized by application or function.
This section provides an overview of how to use some of the built-in automation utilities of OS X. Specifically, it describes:
- how to view the Numbers scripting dictionary in the AppleScript Editor application;
- how to activate and setup the system-wide Script Menu utility;
- how to take advantage of the new Services support in Numbers 3.1 using Automator;
- how application developers can enable their applications to provide user scripts for interacting with Numbers.
IMPORTANT: The documentation provided here on these topics assumes a basic knowledge of AppleScript, and how to use the AppleScript Editor to create and edit AppleScript scripts. If you are new to these topics, we suggest a short online tutorial, and/or one of the excellent available books on the subject, such as AppleScript 1-2-3 (available in print and on the iBooks Store).