AppleScript Dialect file
File type: Various data file
A .dlct file is an AppleScript dialect file used by AppleScript, Apple's scripting language for Mac computers.
It contains language-specific resources that help AppleScript recognize and compile scripts written in a supported dialect.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: September 28, 2026
AppleScript was created by Apple Inc. and has been included with Macintosh operating systems since System 7. A DLCT file provides resources for an AppleScript dialect, such as terminology and syntax used for a particular human language.
The file is a support resource for AppleScript rather than a script document. It works with AppleScript Editor, which is included with Mac OS X and macOS, and forms part of the language support used when AppleScript reads or compiles scripts.
DLCT files are generally managed by the operating system or AppleScript installation and are not normally created as user documents. They may be encountered in older Mac OS X installations or applications that provide AppleScript language support.
A .dlct file is not normally opened as a standalone document. On a Mac, leave it in its original AppleScript or system-support location so that AppleScript Editor can use it when required.
To view or edit the associated script, open the script itself in AppleScript Editor rather than opening the DLCT file directly.
There is no practical standalone conversion for an AppleScript dialect file. It is a language-support resource, not a script or document format intended for export.
If the goal is to use a script in another AppleScript dialect, open the script in AppleScript Editor and save or compile it using the required language settings, where supported. Do not convert the DLCT file itself.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving dlct files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Language
