Script Debugger 7
Late Night Software (press release):
The biggest change in Script Developer 7 is the release of our new “lite” mode, which offers all the basic editing, debugging and dictionary functions that you need to write your code. Even without Script Debugger’s advanced features, it represents a significant improvement over the Script Editor which comes with your Macintosh.
[…]
Script Debugger 7 offers a new way of deploying AppleScripts as standalone applications with an improved interface for your users, support for automatic software updates via Sparkle and much more.
[…]
Script Debugger 7’s Dictionary Explorer lets you move, copy or delete objects. Script Debugger 7’s lets you explore much more of an application’s scripting abilities without writing a single line of AppleScript code.
[…]
Script Debugger 7 offers an entirely new way of generating AppleScript code: Explorer recording. Start recording a script, and then begin exploring an application using Script Debugger’s Dictionary Explorer. As you alter property values or move, copy or delete objects, the corresponding AppleScript code is added to your script.
More changes are listed here. I also really like the redesigned Web site and the new application and document icons. This is a great app.
Update (2018-03-15): Mark Alldritt:
The standard applet shell provided by Apple has been with us since AppleScript’s inception. It is a minimal means of deploying a script as a stand alone application. Our objective with the Enhanced Applet shell is to provide additional functionality for scripters and to improve the user experience, especially when developing droplets (scripts that open files).
See also: The Talk Show.
Script Debugger is really worth its money - even if you feel you do not understand AppleScript, SD's Explorer helps you learning it by experimentation. And the support (there are two main devs working on it) is exceptional. It's one of the longest-living products for the Mac, and it's still improving.
To anyone who feels uncomfortable with but curious about AppleScript: Just download their trial version, open menu File -> Open Dictionary, then choose a running app. In the window that opens, switch the segmented control at the top to "Explorer" and see how you can browse (and modify!) many properties of the chosen app.
For instance, I recently wanted to export all my finished tasks from the app Things. Version 2 of Things does not offer such a command (you cannot even Copy a selection of tasks!). But with AppleScript, and with SD's help, it was easy to browse and export all that data with ease.