Trying to understand document creation using JS

[Jens Troeger]

Hello,

I’m currently exploring the InDesign scripting capabilities using the InDesign CS6 Javascript Scripting Guide and the Scripting Tutorial​. Are there other documents that you would recommend, besides the example scripts in the SDK?

After reading through them and looking at the code, I do have a few questions and I hope that the community here can help me clarify them. Assume I’ve created a new document and a master spread following the examples in the Scripting Tutorial, pages 29 through 37.

1. When I add a number of paragraphs, then each paragraph is terminated by a \r character, correct?
2. It also seems that adding a large number of paragraphs automatically creates new pages, each of which contains its own TextFrame, correct?
3. As I populate the document with paragraphs, is there a way to set the style for a paragraph and then add the paragraph, or do I have to add the paragraph first and only then can I modify its style?
4. As I populate the document with paragraphs, how do I keep track of the last paragraph so that I can keep adding after the last one? It looks like InDesign’s object model of pages and text frames does not offer a plain linear view of the added text? (See page 79 of Javascript Scripting Guide.)
5. Similarly to 3. and 4. but in the context of the text content of a paragraph:
   1. It looks like paragraph.words[] is the way to access the content of a paragraph?
   2. How do I incrementally add text content to a paragraph and style that content? Add first, then select a number of words, then apply a style; or can I change style, then add words in that style, then change and continue with a default style?
6. How do I insert a page break?
7. How do I mark some text as a clickable external URL?
8. Is it possible to mark up some text (words) and associate a comment or pop-over with them, information that does not belong to the actual content of the document?

For now that’s all, although I do have a few more questions...

Jens

[Laubender]

Hi Jens,

I would recommend reading some books while experimenting with code.

See e.g. this one in German language by Gregor Fellenz:

InDesign automatisieren | Keine Angst vor Skripting, GREP & Co.

Regards,
Uwe

[Saeedfs]

Hi all,

are there some books in english

Regards,
Saeed

[Laubender]

Hi Saeed,

for ExtendScript in English I see Grant Gamble's book:

InDesign CS5 JavaScript Paperback – June 29, 2011

Or Peter Kahrel's book:

Scripting InDesign CS3/4 with JavaScript – Updated for CS5: August 2010

See also Jongware's:

http://indesignsecrets.com/javascript-for-the-absolute-beginner.php

For DOM documentation InDesign, InCopy and InDesign Server up to CS6

(also older versions of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop and FrameMaker):

Indesign JavaScript Help

Gregor Fellenz' DOM documentation:

InDesign ExtendScript API (8.0)

InDesign ExtendScript API (10.0)

InDesign ExtendScript API (11.0)

If you want to gather your own DOM documentation—e.g. InDesign CC version 9 that is not covered above—see this:

GitHub - grefel/extendscriptApiDocTransformations: Transformations for Adobe ExtendScript API Docume...

Regards,
Uwe

[Saeedfs]

Thanks , Uwe.

i will read them

Regards,
Saeed

[grefel]

Hey Uwe,

Thanks for mentionining my DOM documentation.

Please not the link http://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/ to the latest version (for now 12 - CC 2017). In my opinion this is the link to bookmark, the versioned links will not update.

Viele Grüße,

Gregor