Use of ElementDef.WrapElement() to create a specific parent element

[Joseph_McFadden]

I have a "lettuce" element that is not wrapped by a "bread" element.  The task is given the selected "lettuce" element to wrap it in a "bread" element.

Documentation has that the ElementDef.WrapElement() returns void.  When I wrap the "lettuce" element, the resulting parent element is also "lettuce".  The "lettuce" element is now wrapped by a "lettuce" element.

Thoughts on how to impose a "bread" element that wraps around the "lettuce" element?

var doc = app.ActiveDoc;

var elementRange = doc.ElementSelection;

var elementLoc = elementRange.beg;

var parentElement = elementLoc.parent;  // not "bread" element

var childElement = elementLoc.child;  // "lettuce" element

PreChecksAndProceed(parentElement, childElement);

function PreChecksAndProceed(parentElement, childElement) {
    var elemDef, name;
   
    if (!childElement.ObjectValid())
    {
        alert ("AciveDoc has no ElementSelection");
        return;
    }

    elemDef = childElement.ElementDef;
    if (!elemDef.ObjectValid())
    {
        alert ("Selected element's (elemDef.ObjectValid() == false)");
        return;
    }
   
    name = elemDef.Name;
    if (name != "Lettuce")
    {
        alert ("Selected element is not Lettuce.");
        return;
    }

    if (!parentElement.ObjectValid())
    {
        alert ("Selected element's (parentElement.ObjectValid() == false)");
        return;
    }

    elemDef = parentElement.ElementDef;
    if (!elemDef.ObjectValid())
    {
        alert ("Parent element's (elemDef.ObjectValid() == false)");
        return;
    }
   
    name = elemDef.Name;
    if (name == "Bread")
    {
        alert ("Selected Lettuce element is already wrapped by a Bread element.");
        return;
    }

    Wrap_Element(childElement);
    return;
};

function Wrap_Element(elementToWrap) {
    var elemDef = childElement.ElementDef;
    if (!elemDef.ObjectValid())
    {
        alert ("Selected element's (elemDef.ObjectValid() == false)");
        return;
    }
   
    elemDef.WrapElement();

    // todo the selected element is "Lettuce" that wraps the initial "Lettuce" element.
    return;
};

[Russ Ward]

Hi Joseph,

I don't have time to fully analyze the flow of this code sample, but I do notice right away that you don't ever ask the document for the <bread> element definition, so there is no way to wrap using a <bread> element. It seems that you are asking for the <lettuce> element definition with:

var elemDef = childElement.ElementDef;

...so with that, you get the <lettuce> element definition and therefore should expect more lettuce.

Here is a sample that wraps a specified element in a specified tag, then returns the new element. Take a look at this... it should provide you the answers you need.

Russ

//Wraps the specified element in the specified
//tag and returns the new wrapping element object
function wrapElement(doc, childElem, tag)
{
    //Set the selection in the document to select
    //the child element, in preparation for the wrap
    var er = new ElementRange();

    er.beg.parent = er.end.parent = childElem.ParentElement;
    er.beg.child = childElem;
    er.beg.offset = er.end.offset = 0;    

    doc.ElementSelection = er;

    //Get the element definition for the wrap
    //element tag
    var elementDef = doc.GetNamedElementDef(tag);

    //Wrap the element    
    elementDef.WrapElement();

    //WrapElement() returns null, so we have to use a little trickery
    //to find the new parent element. The new element will be 
    //completely selected, so we can get the element range
    //and check the child of the beginning element location.
    er = doc.ElementSelection;

    return er.beg.child;
}

[Joseph_McFadden]

Russ,

I thank you for your reply and insightful answer.  I had not considered GetNamedElementDef().

Given a selected element (Lettuce) on FrameMaker page, the use of GetNamedElementDef() is the equivalant of selecting an available element (Bread) from the listings in the Element Catalog dialog.

Joseph