Set variable if specific app is running

Question

Hi All,
I have an applescript that checks 4 times throughout the script if a specific app is running, but it is not setting the variable itExists all the time and I know I am doing something wrong. Here is the code:
tell application "System Events"
if exists process the_App then
set itExists to true
else
set itExists to false
end if
end tell
... and then I process based on the variable:
if itExists then
--do something
else
--do something else
end if
I tried to keep it simple, but in googling I may have oversimplified it. In researching it I don't think I should be setting a variable from within a Tell statement, but it does work, not all the time though.
Is there another efficient (and correct) way to accomplish this?
Any help is appreciated.
Jamy

Answer 1

I think I found it:
If application the_App is running then
(and do processing here)
else
(and do more processing here)
I don't need the tell statements or the variables this way as I can process on the boolean right away. It is working consistently and Saved a lot of lines in my code as well.
Any other thoughts or have I got this right this time?
Thanks much
Jamy