Dialog Buttons in AppleScript

The default button (the one that gets pressed by using the return key) is different from the one that has the current focus (the one that changes when pressing tab, and gets pressed by using the space key). Unlike the regular dialog, which doesn't give focus to any of the buttons, the display alert dialog does set the focus to the rightmost button, for example

display alert "Alert" message "See the pretty buttons!" buttons {"Cancel", "OK", "Some other button"} cancel button "Cancel" default button "OK"

There's an excellent guide: Introduction to AppleScript Language Guide .

AppleScript does not perform all the same GUI forms present in XCode, but you can design GUIs for use with AppleScript programs using the XTools, but you must install the Developer Tools from your OS X installer DVD.

…buttons {"Manny","Moe","Jack"} default button "Moe"
or default button 2

Note that there is an [Applescript forum|http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=724] under Mac OS X Technologies.
Also see [Macscripter.net|http://www.macscripter.net>.

XCode is found in the Developers folder. If you need programming help I suggest you join the ADC as a free member - developer.apple.com. Searching Google will help you find other documentation sources. You can purchase books at Amazon.com. There is a Developer forum that's part of the Apple Discussions.

AppleScript does not make outlined buttons.

The outlined button is the one that is currently in focus (you can change the focus by tabbing through the various items). The standard AppleScript display dialog doesn't set the focus to any particular button, but display alert sets the focus to the last button (the one on the right). I think that is about as close as you are going to get without creating your own dialogs (with Xcode).

You can designate which dialog button is the default. The command reference provides this information:

*A list of up to three button names*.

+Default Value+:

If you don’t specify any buttons, by default, Cancel and OK buttons are shown, with the OK button set as the default button.

If you specify any buttons, there is no default or cancel button unless you use the following parameters to specify them.

+default button+ (text | integer)

The name or number of the default button. This button is highlighted, and will be pressed if the user presses the Return or Enter key.

+Default Value+:

If there are no buttons specified using buttons, the OK button. Otherwise, there is no default button.