I've been running an apple script with FM6 for years. Moving to 9 now, revising for this release. In AS, some "set variable to cell" statements are not picking up values. When I explore the data base with Script Debugger, it is not showing some values either. Are there issues between AS and FM in this new release that are causing these problems?

Well, you haven't given us the full context of your AppleScript, but there are several differences between the AppleScript implementation in FileMaker 6 and FileMaker 7+. First, FileMaker 7+ can have multiple tables and FileMaker 6 could not. Hence you sometimes need to be more explicit.

If FileMaker is not on a layout that has the "cell", then you need to use either a "layout" or "table" reference to target the field, and they are not exactly the same thing either; "table" in AppleScript, BTW, is a name of a FileMaker table occurrence, not the name of a FileMaker base table; clear as mud :-?.

You really need to study the new object hierarchy to see what belongs to what. Like many things in FileMaker 7+, context is important. Look at the "Apple Events Reference.fp7" file, in the Apple Events folder, in your FileMaker application folder.

Another change that screwed up a lot of my AppleScripts was a subtle change to the document index. The phrase "document 1" means "the first document you opened this session," NOT necessarily "front document". Whereas "window 1" is still the front window.

There is a default of the frontmost document and layout. So, you can avoid having to specify layout or table if you are on, or flip to a layout with the fields you need. Then you can just say:

cell "Name" of current record

Working now. Probably two problems. I had Tell Window "Listserv Lists". Changed to Tell Current Record. Looks like target record of window is 1, not current. Can't remember where these rules are discussed. Are they in the Apple Events Reference?