Adobe 23101764 Scripting Guide - Page 9

Photoshop CS Scripting Guide

5

Introduction

JavaScript

1

1.6 JavaScript

In addition to writing AppleScripts and Visual Basic scripts, you can also write cross-platform

JavaScripts (using the text editor or your choice) on either the Mac or Windows platform.

Photoshop provides a built-in, platform-independent framework for executing JavaScripts.

The easiest way to run your JavaScripts is to use the “File>Scripts” menu. JavaScripts are

stored in or accessed through the Scripts folder.

Scripts folder

The Scripts folder is located in the “Presets” folder of your Photoshop installation. All

JavaScript

fi

les placed in the Scripts folder are available for execution from the Scripts menu.

On both Mac and Windows, JavaScript

fi

les must be saved as text

fi

les with a '.js'

fi

le name

extension.

For more information on the JavaScript scripting environment, see

Section 3.2.3, “Viewing the

JavaScript Environment

.

1.7 Choosing a scripting language

Your choice of scripting language is determined by two trade-offs:

1.

Do you need to run the same script on both Macintosh and Windows computers?

2.

Do you need to control multiple applications from the same script?

As mentioned earlier, JavaScript is a cross-platform language that works on either platform.

The same script will perform identically on Windows and Macintosh computers. However,

JavaScript is invoked from the Scripts menu within Photoshop and lacks the facilities to

directly address other applications. For example, you cannot easily write a JavaScript to

manage work

fl

ows involving Photoshop and a database management program.

AppleScript and Visual Basic are only offered on their respective platforms. However, you can

write scripts in those languages to control multiple applications. For example, you can write an

AppleScript that

fi

rst manipulates a bitmap in Photoshop and then commands a web design

application to incorporate it. This same cross-application capability is also available with

Visual Basic on Windows.

You may also use other scripting languages when working with Photoshop. On Mac OS, any

language which lets you send Apple events can be used to script Photoshop.

On Windows, any language which is COM aware can be used to script Photoshop.

Section	Page
Photoshop CS Scripting Guide	1
Table of contents	3
Introduction	5
1.1 About this manual	5
1.1.1 Conventions in this guide	5
1.2 What is scripting?	6
1.3 Why use scripting?	7
1.4 What about actions?	7
1.5 System requirements	8
1.5.1 Mac	8
1.5.2 Windows	8
1.6 JavaScript	9
1.7 Choosing a scripting language	9
1.8 Legacy COM scripting	10
1.9 New Features	10
1.10 What’s Next	11
Scripting basics	12
2.1 Documents as objects	12
2.2 Object model concepts	12
2.2.1 Object classes	12
2.2.2 Object inheritance	13
2.2.3 Object elements or collections	13
2.2.4 Object reference	13
2.3 Object Model	14
2.3.1 Additional Containment Classes	16
2.3.2 Hello World Sample Scripts	18
2.4 Documenting scripts	21
2.5 Values	22
2.6 Variables	24
2.6.1 Assigning values to variables	24
2.6.2 Using variables to store references	25
2.6.3 Naming variables	25
2.7 Operators	26
2.8 Commands and methods	26
2.8.1 Conditional statements	27
2.8.2 Control structures	28
2.9 Handlers, subroutines and functions	29
2.10 Debugging and Error Handling	30
2.10.1 AppleScript debugging	31
2.10.2 Visual Basic debugging	32
2.10.3 JavaScript Debugging	33
2.10.4 Error handling	33
2.11 What’s Next	34
Scripting Photoshop	35
3.1 Photoshop scripting guidelines	35
3.2 Viewing Photoshop objects, commands and methods	35
3.2.1 Viewing Photoshop’s AppleScript dictionary	36
3.2.2 Viewing Photoshop’s type library (VB)	37
3.2.3 Viewing the JavaScript Environment	37
3.3 Your first Photoshop script	39
3.3.1 AppleScript	39
3.3.2 Visual Basic	40
3.3.3 VBScript	42
3.3.4 JavaScript	43
3.4 Advanced Scripting	45
3.4.1 Advanced JavaScript	45
3.4.2 Advanced Visual Basic	50
3.4.3 Advanced AppleScript	54
3.5 Object references	59
3.5.1 AppleScript	59
3.5.2 Visual Basic and JavaScript	60
3.6 Working with units	61
3.6.1 Unit values	61
3.6.2 Unit value useage	64
3.6.3 Changing ruler and type units	65
3.7 Executing JavaScripts from AS or VB	66
3.7.1 Passing arguments to JavaScript	67
3.7.2 Executing one-line JavaScripts	68
3.8 The Application object	68
3.9 Document object	72
3.9.1 Saving documents and save options	72
3.9.2 Document information	74
3.9.3 Document manipulation	75
3.10 Layer objects	76
3.10.1 Setting the Active layer	79
3.10.2 Layer sets	79
3.10.3 Linking layers	80
3.10.4 Applying styles to layers	81
3.10.5 Rotating layers	81
3.11 Text item object	81
3.11.1 Setting the contents of the text item	83
3.11.2 Setting text stroke colors	84
3.11.3 Setting fonts	84
3.11.4 Warping text	85
3.12 Selections	85
3.12.1 Defining selections	86
3.12.2 Stroking the selection border	88
3.12.3 Inverting selections	88
3.12.4 Expand, contract and feather selections	88
3.12.5 Filling a selection	90
3.12.6 Rotating selections	91
3.12.7 Loading and storing selections	91
3.13 Working with Filters	92
3.13.1 Selecting channel(s) to filter	92
3.13.2 Other filters	93
3.14 Channel object	93
3.14.1 Channel types	93
3.14.2 Setting the active channel	94
3.14.3 Creating new channels	94
3.15 Color objects	95
3.15.1 Setting a Color	95
3.15.2 Getting and converting colors	97
3.15.3 Comparing Colors	98
3.15.4 Getting a Web Safe Color	98
3.16 History object	98
3.16.1 Filling a selection with a history state	99
3.17 Clipboard interaction	100
3.17.1 Copy	100
3.17.2 Copy merged	100
3.17.3 Cut	101
3.17.4 Paste	101
3.17.5 Paste into command	102

Adobe 23101764 Scripting Guide - Page 9

JavaScript, 7 Choosing a scripting language

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