AppleScript "do shell script" Error: "Cant' make...into type string."

Hello!

I'm fairly new to AppleScript. I am working on a project in FileMaker Pro to "Perform AppleScript"
I have been testing some basic AppleScripts in Script Editor before transferring them and running them through FileMaker Pro, however.

In Script Editor I am getting the error:
Terminal got an error. Cant' make application "Terminal" into type string.

The Scripts I am entering are as such:

tell application "Terminal"
activate
do shell script
"say hello"
end tell

I've also tried

tell application "Terminal"
activate
do shell script
"system_profiler SPHardwareDataType"
end tell

The first time I attempted "say hello" it worked, but then suddenly it all stopped working and I continually get this error. I deleted all saved test scripts, and restarted my system even and it persists.

Any ideas!?

Thank you!

Firstly when your activating another application like "Terminal", you have to allow time for the application to activate before passing it more instructions.
But in this case you don't even need to activate "Terminal", because the "do shell script" command is an "AppleScript" command, and not a "Terminal command, so "Terminal does not understand the instruction.

So in the "Script Editor" application, you can simply type this, and hit the run button in the "Script Editor" toolbar to hear and see the shell return result.


The Result display pane is at the bottom of the "Script Editor" applications window.
In the case of the simple script above, the return result is an empty string, as this shell command does not have a return value.

If you type your second example into the "Script Editor" like below, and hit the run button, you will see the returned result in the result pane as a string.


You can then do something with the rsult if you typed your script like this.


I hope this helps.
But I would recommend learning the basics of AppleScript before moving on to more complex examples.
There are plenty of free online resources for learning AppleScript.

And in recent times you can even create fully fledged applications in Xcode with Applescript, and create a custom user interface for your applications as well.

Regards Mark