Does anyone know how to write a GREP to create hyperlinked text

[generalyao]

I have a long word document with hyperlinked text and I'm looking for an automated way to create the hyperliked texts in InDesign.

For example:

Here are some suggestions from the Wisconsin Water Librarians, but feel free to swap out with your own or visit our subject specific reading list: Water Birds (https://waterlibrary.aqua.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/waterfowl_aug16.pdf).

The words "Water Birds" should be the hyperlinked to the URL follwing it. 

Any ideas? I can figure out how to isolate and change the type style of the hyperlink, but other than cutting and pasting into the interactive menu, I can't figure out a way to transfer the links. Thanks!

[John Mensinger]

generalyao  wrote

I can figure out how to isolate and change the type style...

All GREP can do is find/replace/apply style. You can get some forms of automated hyperlink generation in PDF export, but not to extent you describe.

[generalyao]

Thanks, John. So there's no way around copying or typing links into the interactive hyperlinks menu?

[Chad Chelius]

John's right, GREP can only find and replace existing text or apply a style to text found using a regular expression. If you have a lot of these to do, a script is the way to go. I'm not a scripter but there are some awesome people on this forum who are and would probably be willing to write a script for a fee. A fee by the way which will save you tons of time moving forward. Good luck!

[Barb Binder]

I'll move this to the scripting forum for you.

~Barb

[Laubender]

generalyao  wrote

… The words "Water Birds" should be the hyperlinked to the URL follwing it.

Sorry, but I can see no URL following "water birds" in "Watching water birds" in the PDF.

Where should a script pick up this information?

Regards,
Uwe

[Laubender]

If the Word document already contains the hyperlinks, why do they missing after importing the docx or doc file?

Regards,
Uwe

[generalyao]

Thanks for the reply. I found a macro in word that maintains the hyperlink text and the URL but I need a script to automatically create the hyperlinked word when importing into InDesign. So, it's not a GREP issue after all, it's a scripting issue.

[Laubender]

Hm. I still do not get it. Sorry.

Can you describe in more detail what the Word file is for? Is this just a list of names where you apply the hyperlinks with a macro? Or will the Word file contain all the text that you want to flow to InDesign and you cannot see a way to place the text on an InDesign page together with the hyperlinks?

Thanks,

Uwe

[Colin Flashman]

Kris Coppieters from Rorohiko developed a script that may assist you with this task. Check out his article here: https://www.rorohiko.com/wordpress/use-indesign-find-and-replace-to-assign-hyperlinks-to-text/

[generalyao]

Thanks, Colin. Even with this script, it's out of my league.