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Adobe 27510753 Scripting Guide - Page 18

Variables, Value type, What it is, Example, AppleScript, VBScript

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10 Scripting Basics Adobe InDesign CS2 Scripting Guide Value type Double (VBScript), fixed or real (AppleScript), floating point (JavaScript) String Array (VBScript, JavaScript) or list (AppleScript) What it is A high-precision number that can contain a decimal point. A series of text characters. Strings appear inside (straight) quotation marks. A list of values (the values can be any type). Example 13.9972 "I am a string" AppleScript: {"0p0", "0p0", "16p4", "20p6"} VBScript: Array("0p0", "0p0", "16p4", "20p6") JavaScript: ["0p0", "0p0", "16p4", "20p6"] Variables Variables are containers for data. A variable might hold a number, a string of text, or a reference to an InDesign object. Variables have names, and you refer to a variable by its name. To put data into a variable, you assign the data to the variable. The file name of the current InDesign publication, the current date and time, and the number of pages in the publication are all examples of data that you can assign to a variable. Why not simply enter the data itself (the publication's name, or the current date and time, or the number of pages in the publication, for example), rather than using variables? Because, if you do, your script will work in only one publication or situation. By using variables, you can write scripts that will work in a wider range of situations. As a script executes, it can assign data to the variables that reflect the current publication and selection (for example), and then make decisions based on the content of the variables. Assigning values or strings to variables is fairly simple, as shown in the following examples. AppleScript VBScript JavaScript set myNumber to 10 set myString to "Hello, World!" myNumber = 10 myString = "Hello, World!" var myNumber = 10; var myString = "Hello, World!"; In AppleScript, you can assign an object reference to a variable as you create the object: set myTextFrame to make text frame with properties(geometric bounds: (0,0,3.5, 4)) or you can fill the variable with a reference to an existing object: tell application "Adobe InDesign CS2" set myTextFrame to first text frame of the first spread of the first document end tell VBScript works in a similar way. For example, to assign a variable as you create a frame (myInDesign in the following line is a reference to the InDesign application object): Set myTextFrame = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Spreads.Item(1).TextFrames.Add or to refer to an existing frame: Set myTextFrame = InDesign.Documents.Item(1).Spreads.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)

Section	Page
1 Introduction	9
What is in this book	9
Who should read this book	9
What you need to use scripting	9
JavaScript	10
Macintosh	10
Windows	10
How to use the scripts in this document	10
Copying examples with long lines	11
Running JavaScript files	11
Where to find more information	11
InDesign online scripting resources	12
2 Scripting Basics	13
Introduction to scripting	13
What is scripting?	13
Why use scripting?	14
What about macros?	14
Making script files readable	15
Commenting the script	15
Continuing long lines in AppleScript and VBScript	15
Continuing long lines in JavaScript	15
Objects and classes	16
Objects	16
Object references	16
Values and variables	17
Values	17
Variables	18
Variable names	19
Assigning values to variables	19
Array variables	20
Converting values from one type to another	20
Finding the value type of a variable	21
Operators	22
Methods	22
Control structures	23
Conditional statements	23
Loops	24
Subroutines and handlers	25
3 Getting Started with InDesign Scripting	27
Measurements and positioning	27
Coordinates	27
Measurement units	28
The InDesign document object model	29
Looking at the InDesign object model	29
Your first InDesign script	30
Adding features to “Hello World”	33
Adding a user interface to \	37
Dialog box overview	37
Adding the user interface	38
Creating a more complex user interface	41
Handling errors	47
Using palettes to manage scripts	48
Using the Scripts palette	48
Using the Script Label palette	49
Testing and troubleshooting	50
AppleScript debugging	50
VBScript debugging	50
JavaScript debugging	50
4 Using ExtendScript Tools and Features	51
The ExtendScript Toolkit	52
Configuring the Toolkit window	52
Selecting a debugging target	53
Selecting scripts	54
Tracking data	55
The JavaScript console	56
The call stack	56
The Script Editor	57
Debugging in the Toolkit	58
Profiling	62
Dollar ($) Object	63
Dollar ($) object properties	63
Dollar ($) object functions	64
ExtendScript Reflection Interface	66
Reflection Object	66
ReflectionInfo Object	67
Localizing ExtendScript Strings	68
Variable values in localized strings	69
Enabling automatic localization	69
Locale names	70
Testing localization	70
Global localize function	71
User notification helper functions	71
Global alert function	72
Global confirm function	72
Global prompt function	73
Specifying measurement values	74
UnitValue object	74
Converting pixel and percentage values	75
Computing with unit values	76
Modular programming support	77
Preprocessor directives	77
Importing and exporting between scripts	79
Operator overloading	80
Application and namespace specifiers	81
Application specifiers	81
Namespace specifiers	82
Script locations and checking application installation	82
5 Working with Documents in AppleScript	83
Basic document management	84
Creating a new document	84
Opening a document	84
Closing a document	85
Saving a document	85
Basic page layout	86
Defining page size and document length	86
Defining bleed and slug areas	87
Setting page margins and columns	88
Changing the pasteboard's appearance	90
Using guides and grids	90
Defining guides	90
Setting grid preferences	92
Snapping to guides and grids	92
Changing measurement units and ruler	93
Defining and applying document presets	93
Creating a preset by copying values	93
Creating a preset using new values	94
Using a preset	95
Setting up master spreads	95
Setting text-formatting defaults	97
Setting application text defaults	97
Setting the active document's defaults	99
Using text defaults	99
Adding XMP metadata	99
Creating a document template	100
Printing a document	104
Printing using page ranges	104
Setting print preferences	104
Using printer presets	107
Creating printer presets from printing preferences	107
Exporting a document as PDF	112
Using current PDF export options	112
Setting PDF export options	112
Exporting a range of pages	114
Exporting pages separately	114
Exporting pages as EPS	115
Exporting all pages	116
Exporting a range of pages	116
Exporting with file naming	116
6 Working with Documents in JavaScript	119
Basic document management	120
Creating a new document	120
Opening a document	120
Closing a document	120
Saving a document	121
Basic page layout	122
Defining page size and document length	122
Defining bleed and slug areas	122
Setting page margins and columns	123
Changing the pasteboard's appearance	125
Using guides and grids	125
Defining guides	125
Setting grid preferences	127
Snapping to guides and grids	127
Changing measurement units and ruler	127
Defining and applying document presets	128
Creating a preset by copying values	128
Creating a preset using new values	129
Using a preset	130
Setting up master spreads	130
Setting text-formatting defaults	131
Setting application text defaults	131
Setting the active document's defaults	134
Using text defaults	134
Adding XMP metadata	134
Creating a document template	135
Printing a document	138
Printing using page ranges	138
Setting print preferences	138
Using printer presets	141
Creating printer presets from printing preferences	141
Exporting a document as PDF	146
Using current PDF export options	146
Setting PDF export options and exporting pages separately	147
Exporting a range of pages	149
Exporting pages as EPS	149
Exporting all pages	149
Exporting a range of pages	149
Controlling export options	150
7 Working with Documents in VBScript	151
Basic document management	152
Creating a new document	152
Opening a document	152
Closing a document	153
Saving a document	153
Basic page layout	154
Defining page size and document length	154
Defining bleed and slug areas	154
Setting page margins and columns	156
Changing the pasteboard's appearance	157
Using guides and grids	158
Defining guides	158
Setting grid preferences	160
Snapping to guides and grids	160
Changing measurement units and ruler	161
Defining and applying document presets	162
Creating a preset by copying values	162
Creating a preset using new values	163
Using a preset	163
Setting up master spreads	163
Setting text-formatting defaults	165
Setting application text defaults	165
Setting the active document's defaults	167
Using text defaults	168
Adding XMP metadata	168
Creating a document template	168
Printing a document	173
Printing using page ranges	173
Setting print preferences	174
Creating printer presets from printing preferences	177
Exporting a document as PDF	178
Using current PDF export options	178
Setting PDF export options	179
Exporting a range of pages	180
Exporting pages separately	180
Exporting pages as EPS	181
Exporting all pages	181
Exporting a range of pages	181

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Scripting Basics

Adobe InDesign CS2 Scripting Guide

Value type

What it is

Example

Double (VBScript),

ﬁxed or real (Apple-

Script), ﬂoating point

(JavaScript)

A high-precision number that can con-

tain a decimal point.

13.9972

String

A series of text characters. Strings ap-

pear inside (straight) quotation marks.

"I am a string"

Array (VBScript,

JavaScript)

or list (AppleScript)

A list of values (the values can be any

type).

AppleScript

: {"0p0", "0p0",

"16p4", "20p6"}

VBScript

: Array("0p0", "0p0",

"16p4", "20p6")

JavaScript

: ["0p0", "0p0", "16p4",

"20p6"]

Variables

Variables are containers for data. A variable might hold a number, a string of text, or a reference to an

InDesign object. Variables have names, and you refer to a variable by its name. To put data into a variable, you

assign the data to the variable. The ﬁle name of the current InDesign publication, the current date and time,

and the number of pages in the publication are all examples of data that you can assign to a variable.

Why not simply enter the data itself (the publication’s name, or the current date and time, or the number of

pages in the publication, for example), rather than using variables? Because, if you do, your script will work

in only one publication or situation. By using variables, you can write scripts that will work in a wider range

of situations. As a script executes, it can assign data to the variables that reﬂect the current publication and

selection (for example), and then make decisions based on the content of the variables.

Assigning values or strings to variables is fairly simple, as shown in the following examples.

AppleScript

set myNumber to 10

set myString to "Hello, World!"

VBScript

myNumber = 10

myString = "Hello, World!"

JavaScript

var myNumber = 10;

var myString = "Hello, World!";

In AppleScript, you can assign an object reference to a variable as you create the object:

set myTextFrame to make text frame with properties(geometric bounds: (0,0,3.5, 4))

or you can ﬁll the variable with a reference to an existing object:

tell application "Adobe InDesign CS2"

set myTextFrame to first text frame of the first spread of the first document

end tell

VBScript works in a similar way. For example, to assign a variable as you create a frame (

myInDesign

in the

following line is a reference to the InDesign application object):

Set myTextFrame = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Spreads.Item(1).TextFrames.Add

or to refer to an existing frame:

Set myTextFrame = InDesign.Documents.Item(1).Spreads.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)