The Script Manager uses five different files, some of which are created automatically. All five files are found within your JAWS settings folder. See Naming JAWS Settings Files for more information on how JAWS derives the names of files created automatically.
The first file the Script Manager uses is the JAWS script source file. The script source file is the file that contains all the text of the scripts and functions you create. This file is essentially a text file with the file extension of jss.
When you start the Script Manager from an application that is not supported by Freedom Scientific, the Script Manager automatically creates this file for the active application. For example when you run the Script Manager from within Notepad, the Script Manager creates a new script file. The manager creates the file because Notepad is not supported by Freedom Scientific. In other words, the script developers at Freedom Scientific have not written any scripts or user-defined functions for Notepad. See section 4.2 for more information on starting the Script Manager.
The second file the Script Manager uses is the JAWS script documentation file. This file contains the name, synopsis, description, return value, and parameters for all of the scripts and user-defined functions in the corresponding script file. Like the script source file, this file is also a text file with an extension of jsd.
When you activate keyboard help, the information JAWS speaks as you press keystrokes is retrieved from this file. When you press a keystroke once, JAWS speaks the synopsis of the script. When you press the same keystroke twice in succession, JAWS speaks the description.
The next files the Script Manager uses contain header and message information. You can create and modify both of these files using the Script Manager. The first of these two files is the JAWS script header file and has an extension of jsh. You use header files to store things such as constant and global variable definitions. The second of these 2 files is the JAWS script message file and has a file extension of jsm. You use message files to store all of the spoken messages used within your script file.
Through the use of the Include statement, you can add the content of both of these files to as many script files as you want. Storing your constant definitions, global variable definitions, and messages in header and message files makes for easier maintenance. For example, when you store all of your messages in a message file, it is much easier to translate those messages from English to another language. Instead of searching your entire script file for all spoken messages, you need only to look at the appropriate message file. See 5.1 The Include Statement for more information on including header and message files.
The last file used by the Script Manager is the JAWS script binary file. This file matches the script source file with one exception. The file contains the machine language used by your computer to determine what action to take when a script is performed or a user-defined function is called. The file has an extension of jsb and is created each time you compile your script source file. You cannot view the contents of this file with the Script Manager or any other text editor.