Where do these redundant Applescript dictionaries come from?

June 23, 2006 3:49 PM

When I use the "Open Dictionary" option in Apple's Script Editor (2.1.1, part of OS X 10.4.6), a lot of my apps have multiple dictionary entries. Where do these come from? How do I get rid of them?
posted by mph to computers & internet (5 comments total)

It usually means you have multiple copies of the application available. Do you have a second hard disk or another partition with OS X installed?
posted by cillit bang at 4:14 PM on June 23, 2006

I've got a backup drive with a complete copy of my primary hard drive that bobs up and down. I usually only turn it on at night so the backup scripts can run overnight. Otherwise, it's usually unmounted and turned off.

Is there any way to get those apps to not register or whatever it is they're doing?
posted by mph at 5:45 PM on June 23, 2006

I suspect that the Open Dictionary option is looking for all files of that are of type "application," so it's not really hitting a registry. To prevent their showing up, you could compress them, using the Finder's "Create Archive of ..." option, then delete the originals. That way you have them if you need them. Do you have an installation of Classic on your Mac? That might also explain having more than one version of various applications. If you never, ever use Classic, it might be worth putting it on a disk image as an archive and deleting the originals.
posted by kimota at 8:23 PM on June 23, 2006

Actually, I've just found if you open the dictionary it will also open the application it comes from. Control-click the Dock icon of that application and choose Show In Finder. That will show you where it's getting the duplicates from.

I don't know of a way to get rid of them other than deleting or hiding the application.
posted by cillit bang at 7:12 AM on June 24, 2006

Actually, I've just found if you open the dictionary it will also open the application it comes from. Control-click the Dock icon of that application and choose Show In Finder. That will show you where it's getting the duplicates from.

Sadly, all three address book instances opened by the Script Editor dictionaries pointed to the Address Book app in my Applications folder.
posted by mph at 10:36 PM on June 24, 2006