How to detect the OS with ExtendScript?

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

I'd like to detect the Operating System that After Effects in running on with ExtendScript.  Maybe there is an object method that returns a string with an identifier?  Is this possible, and if so, how is it acheived?

Thanks for your help!

[Lazlo_Hollyfeld]

Sorry just found it in the guide.  My apologies.

Example

alert ("Your OS is " + system.osname + " running version " + system.osversion); confirm("You are: " + system.userName + " running on " + system.machineName + ".");

[maxweel]

I remember something different from what you give in the example. First I think osname spells with an uppercase "N": system.osName, but I also believe that it can sometimes return an empty string.

I think it's safer to use first system.osName and then $.os if the string was empty.

[Naoki-Hada]

I think it is moved to $ object.

Sample
alert($.os);

Thank you,

Naoki

[TimSx]

Hey! Just a random subquestion. In what way is $ useful? I found it mentioned 3 times in the guide. -> They say 3 things about it:

that it is

global debugging object, whatever that means,

$.locale designated the operating systems language,

$.os is the operating system name

Is that it? Is there some other functionality I am not aware of?

[Naoki-Hada]

TimSx​

$ object is noted Helper object.

If you check on Data Browser in ESTK, you may find something useful for you.

[Tomas Sinkunas]

To get more info about the object, you can always reflect its properties and methods:

var properties = object.reflect.properties.join(",\n");
var methods = object.reflect.methods.join(",\n");

Just change object to whatever AE object you want to reflect.

[Dan Ebberts]

There's about 5 pages on the $ object in the JavaScript Tools Guide. My favorite function is probably $.writeln(), which I use extensively during debugging.

Dan

[TimSx]

Thank you all!