IN-Frequently Asked Questions About PsyScript
(shamelessly based on the E-Prime FAQ about nonexistent Mac versions :-)
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What is PsyScript?
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What are the advantages over existing products?
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What are the minimum/recommended computers?
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Can I get a demo?
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When can I buy PsyScript?
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Can I be a Beta Test Site?
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How much does PsyScript cost?
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What kind of technical support is available for PsyScript?
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Will it run on Intel processors?
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Can I interface with external devices?
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What sound and image file types are supported?
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Is there copy protection?
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What do the licenses mean?
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What is the cost of future cross- or upgrades?
PsyScript is a free application for doing psychology experiments.
Intuitive event script
Just learn a dozen 1 and 2-letter mnemonic codes. Experience shows that these
are easy to learn and teach. For instance to show the phrase "hello world"
at the top left of the screen, wait half second, erase them and show a picture
of a lion in the centre of the screen, you say:
tell application
"PsyScript"
do trial
" 'hello world'(50 100) #500 !e @lion "
end tell
Help List
Help list for free support (Subscribe
now)
Consulting
help available if needed
English Syntax
set
background color
to black
Object Model
Fully leverages the mac-standard AppleScript language: a full object oriented
language supported into OS-X and beyond.
All aspects of PsyScript are object-based so you can literally say
get
every
key
whose
noticed
is true
get
pupil size
of every
eyelink sample
whose
timestamp
> 1005
tell
staircase
to update
without
correct
given
duration:10
Syntax checking & highlighting
Script Editor checks your syntax for correctness.
The program structure is made visible with pretty-printing that you control
Advanced Control structures
repeat
with thisStim
in {"dog",
2, "cat",
"rabbit",
"hello"}
do
trial trialString
given
{thisStim}
end
repeat
Access to all the scripting additions (Osaxen)
These are very powerful. commands exist to format HTML reports, parse text
with GREP, etc.
Access to other scriptable Applications
You can ask Apple's URL services to ftp experiment results to an internet
database or e-mail them to yourself. You can do powerful processing of the
results in Excel automatically, make graphs etc. All without human intervention:
we have saved untold hours of work with these features.
Hardware
In addition to standard mouse and keyboard input, PsyScript supports:
PsyScript Pro has full ethernet control over the SR EyeLink
Video eye tracker
A Power Mac with OS 8.5
;-) you got the real thing, baby.
Never: it's free.
Talk to me. If you can code yourself, then you can have access to the source,
if you want a feature added then we can do this for a modest fee.
umm, it's free.
All your fellow users via an e-mail
server list (look at the top of any page on this site)
If you need more intensive consulting
or support, this
is available for free or if you want entire experiments written and analysed,
then for a fee.
No. Never will either ;-) (unless
of course someone else ports the code and then away you go with best wishes).
Yip. You can write to a serial port
(or USB-serial adaptor). I use this for EEGsynchronisation and talking to the
Contact Instruments skin conductance device.
PsyScript also talks to the ActiveWire
card - a $US 59 solution for msec response timing and digital I/O.
PsyScript can control the SMI
Eyelink tracker over ethernet.
I am keen to grow this side of PsyScript,
so let
me know what you need.
Pretty much anything:
jpg, mpg, PICTs, SNDs, text, mov - anything that QuickTime will run.
Absolutely none. PsyScript is here to stay for free.
What types of licenses are available?
PsyScript is released under a version of GPL. This means that it is free,
can never be taken back from you, and you own the right to hack the raw source
code however you want, including selling it, as long as you make available
any changes back to anyone who wants them.
Nothing: so download it now and have go - maybe it is just what you need
to get your next exciting experiment going now!
Applescript in a Nutshell : A Desktop Quick Reference |
AppleScript for Applications: Visual QuickStart Guide |
AppleScript For Dummies |
Applescript for the Internet Visual Quickstart Guide |
Applescript Language Guide; English Dialect |
Danny Goodman's Applescript Handbook |
