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Angusdog
Angusdog
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Removing empty XML tags & returns

Mar 26, 2012 8:08 PM

I have a XML feed from a web app (over which I have control as to how the XML is tagged etc) and the XML drops into an indd template, applies character, para, table and cell styles.

 

The issue I have is that if an XML tag is empty (and they often are), I can't search and replace for extra carriage returns as there's markers in there from the XML (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong).

 

If I select the invisible characters and paste them into the Find and Replace dialogue box, they show up as ~I (GREP) or ^I (normal), which is apparently an index marker.

 

Is there any way of getting rid of these via a script? If I try to search for those invisible characters, no changes get made, i.e. none are found.

 

Is there a GREP method that may work?

 

Thanks in advance.

584 Views   3 Replies   Latest reply: Green4ever, Mar 27, 2012 9:17 PM
 
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  • Green4ever
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    1. Green4ever,
    Mar 26, 2012 10:09 PM   in reply to Angusdog
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    Hi,

     

    It is already discussed few months ago.See the thread http://forums.adobe.com/message/4139703#4139703, Any way I'm reposting it. Use the below script,

     

     

    var xpath ="//*";
var root  = app.activeDocument.xmlElements[0];
var node  = null;
    try {
        var proc  = app.xmlRuleProcessors.add([xpath]);
        var match = proc.startProcessingRuleSet(root);
        while(match!=undefined) {
            node = match.element;
            match = proc.findNextMatch();
            content=node.contents;
                if(node)
                    app.select(node);
            var myText = app.selection[0];
            var content=myText.contents;
                if(content.search(/^[\s\r\n]+$/)!=-1){                                 
                    myText.untag();
                    }
        }//End of While
    } //End of Try
    catch(ex){
        alert(ex);
        } 
    finally {
    proc.endProcessingRuleSet();
    proc.remove();
    }

     

    ------------------

    Green4ever

     
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  • Angusdog
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    2. Angusdog,
    Mar 27, 2012 1:05 PM   in reply to Green4ever
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    Thanks very much for that. I did search this forum and not sure why I didn't see that earlier post.

     

    The variable xpath - what does that refer to, i.e. what should I set that to? Is that the path to the XML file, or the active document?

     

    Sorry for the newb questions - this is somewhat of new territory for me.

     

    Thanks,


    Simon.

     
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  • Green4ever
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    3. Green4ever,
    Mar 27, 2012 9:17 PM   in reply to Angusdog
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    You can use the script as is. The variable xpath holds a xpath expression. "//*"  will match any tag in any location. To know more about xpath see http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath/#section-Introduction and you can see some examples here: http://www.adp-gmbh.ch/xml/xpath.html. Remember that this is not a recomendation, it is just for reference only.

     

    ----------------

    Green4ever

     
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