The Editor preferences pane collects a number of options having mostly to do with Script Debugger’s behavior as you type, as well as certain appearance settings in script windows and other windows.

Editing Options:

Auto-indent

If checked, then when you create a new line in a script window by typing Return, or paste text into a script window, its indentation will match the indentation of the preceding line. Otherwise, the new material will start at the left edge of the window. (AppleScript will indent properly in any case when the script is compiled.)

Auto-pair delimiters ([{" "}])

If checked, turns on Script Debugger’s auto-pairing feature.

Wrap selection with delimiters

If checked, then when you type a left delimiter when there’s a selection, the paired delimiters wrap the selection (rather than having the left delimiter replace the selection).

Auto-close AppleScript blocks (end tell, etc.)

If checked, turns on Script Debugger’s auto-closing feature.

Reference applications by ID when pasting Tell blocks

If checked, then when Script Debugger performs its Paste Tell behavior to create a tell block targeting an application, the application’s bundle id (such as id "com.apple.finder") is used in the outermost tell block, rather than its name.

This AppleScript feature was introduced in Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5). This way of specifying an application has the advantage that it doesn’t require the application’s name to remain constant (or that you state the name correctly), and that it will never generate AppleScript’s dreaded “Where is…?” dialog.

Paste Object References as nested Tell blocks

If checked, then when pasting an object reference (such as you might obtain by copying from an outliner), what’s pasted is a nest of tells. If unchecked, what’s pasted is a single line of ofs (though of course the outermost reference to the application itself will still be a tell block).

Share Find string with other applications

Cocoa maintains a “Find panel pasteboard” where all applications can share their search strings. Thus, if you search for text in one application (say, Safari) and then switch to another application (say, TextEdit) and bring up the Find dialog, the very same search string is present. This behavior can be beneficial or annoying, so the checkbox lets you turn this feature on or off.

Synchronize split-view appearance

If checked, then changing a view setting in a split view pane changes the same setting for the other panes of the same script. Hold down the Option key as you change a view setting to reverse the behavior from your preference here.

Synchronize split-view selection

If checked, then selecting in one split view pane selects the same text in the other panes.

Balance includes enclosing ([{ }]) delimiters

If checked, then the balance command selects everything including the delimiters surrounding the starting selection; otherwise, it selects everything enclosed by the delimiters surrounding the starting selection.

Auto-hilite opening ([{ when typing closing }])

If checked, then when you type a right delimiter, the corresponding left delimiter is momentarily highlighted (and if there isn’t one, Script Debugger beeps).

Hilite delay

Sets the length of time during which the momentary highlighting is present.

Scroll if necessary

If checked, Script Debugger will scroll backwards if needed to reveal the highlighted left delimiter.

Highlight blocks when mouse hovers in gutter

If checked, nested blocks are shaded and selectable by hovering the mouse to the left of a script.

Show compiled state in gutter

If checked, uncompiled scripts display stripes in the gutter.

Table Of Contents Options:

Sort table of contents menu alphabetically

If checked, the table of contents pop-up menu is sorted alphabetically. Otherwise, its order is the order in which things appear in the script. Hold down the Shift key while summoning the table of contents menu to see it sorted in the order opposite to your preference here.

Show navigation bar location when scrolling

If checked, then as you scroll a script window, a tooltip appears showing the line number of the line currently appearing at the top of the window, along with other navigation bar information about that line.

New Line Character:

Sets the line-end character that is typed in a script when you press the Return key.

Tab Width:

Sets the number of spaces to which a tab character should be equivalent. This is how far a nested block is indented in a compiled script, how far apart tab stops are, and how many spaces a tab character is converted to when you choose Edit > Entab.

Edit > Comment Inserts:

Sets the string prefixed to the start of each selected line by the Edit > Comment command.