The General preferences pane collects a number of options having mostly to do with Script Debugger’s startup behavior and how Script Debugger opens and saves script files.

On Startup:

Remember open scripts

If checked, then when Script Debugger quits, all open scripts are remembered and will be reopened automatically the next time Script Debugger starts up.

Create new script if nothing else is open

If checked, then when Script Debugger starts up, if no other window opens, a new script window will be created.

On Reopen:

Create new script if nothing else is open

If checked, then when Script Debugger gets a Reopen event when no window is open, a new script window will be created. A Reopen event is sent, for example, when you click on Script Debugger’s Dock icon (but not when you press Command-Tab to switch to Script Debugger).

For New Documents:

Show Template Chooser

When you choose File > New Script or File > New Script Tab, Script Debugger will behave as if you had chosen File > New Script From Template or File > New Script Tab From Template, presenting the template chooser.

Use template

When you choose File > New Script or File > New Script Tab, Script Debugger will use the template listed here as the default basis for the new script.

Choose Template

This button summons the template chooser so that you can pick a different template to be the default basis for new scripts.

Opening Documents:

Open in Tabs

If checked, then when an existing script is opened, it will be displayed in a tab in the frontmost script window if there is one. Otherwise, it will be displayed as a separate script window.

As the note beneath this checkbox explains, you can hold Shift while opening a script to reverse this behavior on a particular occasion. So, for example, if the checkbox is checked and you open a script while holding Shift, the script will be displayed as a separate script window.

Warn when applications may be launched

If checked, then when Script Debugger begins opening a script file that might cause AppleScript to launch an targeted application, it puts up a “Launch Applications?” dialog.

Always open as text without launching applications

If checked, then when Script Debugger begins opening a script file that might cause AppleScript to launch an targeted application, Script Debugger opens the script as text if possible — thus bypassing AppleScript altogether and so preventing the targeted application from launching (and so there is no “Launch Applications?” dialog). AppleScript may still subsequently launch the targeted application if you later compile the script.

Mac OS Settings:

Respond to applescript:// URLs in web pages

The applescript: URL scheme permits a hyperlink (in a web browser, a PDF document, and so forth) to contain AppleScript code, to be displayed by a script editor application when the link is clicked. (The script editor application does not automatically run the code, as that would be a security violation.) By default, the protocol sends its messages to Apple’s AppleScript Editor, and Apple provides no interface for changing this target. This checkbox is provided so that you can switch the routing of the protocol to Script Debugger.

Default editor for OSA scripts, applets, and droplets

Mac OS X determines from a document’s filename extension what application opens the file. This checkbox lets you associate the relevant filename extensions (.scpt and so on) with Script Debugger. (It also causes Script Debugger to be the editor that responds to the Edit button in an applet’s runtime error dialog.)

In theory, you could accomplish the same thing by choosing Script Debugger in the Default Script Editor pop-up menu of Apple’s own AppleScript Editor’s preferences.