AWSBrowser is a great way of extending the functionality of your OS X services without additional application code. To understand what is possible and what is not possible, it is necessary to take a brief look at OS X services and how they work.
Cocoa Services
Cocoa services are OS X services available to Cocoa applications. They can provide data, transform data, or process input data. They're based on the system passing data back and forth over a clipboard. The nature of the service is determined by the service provider. Most but not all services need selected text to perform.
ACP Services
AWS.service is a behind-the-scenes application which never appears on screen. It runs services on the Cocoa services menu.
The ACP Services include both bidirectional and unidirectional services. The freeware version of the ACP Services, the ACP Web Services you have here, are unidirectional.
AWSBrowser
Use AWSBrowser through browse through the AWS resource catalogues. You can use AWSBrowser to test resources before you export them to your Services menu.
Drawers
AWSBrowser has two 'drawers' to help you browse. One is the 'config' drawer with data that's included on your Services menu; the other is the 'detail' drawer with specifics about the service and a 'test field' you can use to try the service out before installing it.
Export
Use 'Export' to export selected services to your 'Services' menu and activate them immediately if at all possible.
[Note: services submenus are currently not allowed on 10.6. The submenu option remains for legacy and future purposes.]
Goto All
'Goto All' immediately accesses all selected services with your test input field contents.
[Note: this is limited to two services in the standalone edition. The ACP version has no such limitations.]
Caveats
The new services system for 10.6 may require you to activate new services from System Preferences.
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