Adobe InDesign CS6 VBScript Scripting Guide In Design Guide: VB

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ADOBE® INDESIGN® CS6

ADOBE INDESIGN CS6
SCRIPTING GUIDE: VBSCRIPT

 2012 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Adobe® InDesign® CS6 Scripting Guide: VBScript
Document Update Status
(for entire document; see each chapter for chapter-specific update status)
CS6

Updated

Throughout document, changed CS5 to CS6 and version 7.0 to 8.0.

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Contents
1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How to Use the Scripts in this Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About the Structure of the Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2

Scripting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Script Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Getting the Current Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Script Versioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12
13
13
13

Using the DoScript Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sending parameters to DoScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Returning values from DoScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Controlling Undo with DoScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Working with Script Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Running Scripts at Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3

Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Basic Document Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a new document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opening a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing a document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19
19
20
20
21

Basic Page Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining page size and document length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining bleed and slug areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting page margins and columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the appearance of the pasteboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guides and grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing measurement units and ruler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Defining and applying document presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting up master spreads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding XMP metadata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a document template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating watermarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22
22
22
23
25
26
28
29
31
33
33
39

Adjusting Page Sizes and Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resizing and reframing pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Transforming pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40
40
41
41

3

4

Master page overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Making an Adaptive Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making a flexible layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding guides for a guide-based layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting constraints for an object-based layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating alternative layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43
43
44
45
45

Collecting and Dropping Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Printing a Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing using page ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting print preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing with printer presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46
47
47
50

Exporting a Document as PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting PDF export options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting to grayscale PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting a range of pages to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting individual pages to PDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting PDF with interactive features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting as a PDF form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

50
50
51
52
53
53
54
54

Exporting Pages as EPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting all pages to EPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting a range of pages to EPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting as EPS with file naming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

56
56
57
57

Exporting to EPub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Exporting the current document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Setting EPub export options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

4

Working with Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Understanding the Layer Object Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Scripting Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Referring to layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Duplicating layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Merging layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Assigning page items to layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting layer properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

62
62
62
64
64
64
64
65
65

Text and Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Entering and Importing Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a text frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stories and text frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inserting special characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

68
68
69
69
70
70

Placing Text and Setting Text-Import Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Exporting Text and Setting Text-Export Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

5

Understanding Text Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with text selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving and copying text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text objects and iteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

78
80
80
83

Working with Text Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking text frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unlinking text frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing a frame from a story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Splitting all frames in a story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an anchored frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fitting text frames to content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

84
84
84
85
86
87
87

Formatting Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting text defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Applying a font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing text properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing text color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating and applying styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting a style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing paragraph and character styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

88
88
92
93
93
96
96
97
98

Finding and Changing Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
About find/change preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Finding and changing text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Finding and changing text formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Using grep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Using glyph search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Working with Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Adding Path Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Using Autocorrect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Adding Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Spanning Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Setting Text Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Working with Linked Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Creating linked stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Changing linked story options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Frequently asked questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

6

Working with Page Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Creating Page Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Page-item geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Grouping Page Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Duplicating and Moving Page Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Creating compound paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Using Pathfinder operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Converting page-item shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Arranging page items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Transforming Page Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

6

Using the transform method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Working with transformation matrices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Coordinate spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Transformation origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Resolving locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transforming points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Transforming again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Resize and Reframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Working with Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Retrieving an article list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Adding new articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Removing an article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Reordering articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Adding new members to an article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Reordering members of an article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Removing members from an article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

7

User Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Dialog Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Your First InDesign Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Adding a User Interface to “Hello World” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Creating a More Complex User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Working with ScriptUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Creating a progress bar with ScriptUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

8

Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Understanding the Event Scripting Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
About event properties and event propagation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Working with Event Listeners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Sample afterNew Event Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Sample beforePrint Event Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Sample Selection Event Listeners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Sample onIdle Event Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

9

Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Understanding the Menu Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Localization and menu names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Running a Menu Action from a Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Adding Menus and Menu Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Menus and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Working with scriptMenuActions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
A More Complex Menu-scripting Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

7

10

Working with Preflight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Exploring Preflight Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Listing preflight profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Listing preflight rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Listing preflight data objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Importing a Preflight Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Creating a Preflight Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Adding Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Processing a Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Custom Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Available Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
ADBE_BlankPages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
ADBE_BleedSlug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
ADBE_BleedTrimHazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
ADBE_Colorspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
ADBE_CrossReferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
ADBE_FontUsage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
ADBE_ImageColorManagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
ADBE_ImageResolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
ADBE_PageCount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
ADBE_PageSizeOrientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ADBE_ScaledGraphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ADBE_ScaledType . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ADBE_SmallText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ADBE_SpotColorSetup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
ADBE_StrokeRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
ADBE_TextOverrides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
ADBE_TransparencyBlending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

11

Creating Dynamic Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Importing Movies and Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Creating Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Creating Multistate Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Working with Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Basic animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
TimingSettings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Animating transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Motion presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Design options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Key frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Adding Page Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

12

XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
The Best Approach to Scripting XML in InDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Scripting XML Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

8

Setting XML preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Setting XML import preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Importing XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Creating an XML tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Loading XML tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Saving XML tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Creating an XML element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Moving an XML element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Deleting an XML element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Duplicating an XML element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Removing items from the XML structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Creating an XML comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Creating an XML processing instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Working with XML attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Working with XML stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Exporting XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Adding XML Elements to a Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Associating XML elements with page items and text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Marking up existing layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Applying styles to XML elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Working with XML tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

13

XML Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Why use XML rules? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
XML-rules programming model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
XML Rules Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Setting up a sample document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Getting started with XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Changing the XML structure using XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Duplicating XML elements with XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
XML rules and XML attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Applying multiple matching rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Finding XML elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Extracting XML elements with XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Applying formatting with XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Creating page items with XML rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Creating Tables using XML Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Scripting the XML-rules Processor Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

14

Track Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Tracking Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Navigating tracked changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Accepting and reject tracked changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Information about tracked changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Preferences for Tracking Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

1

Introduction

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

This document shows how to do the following:


Work with the Adobe® InDesign® scripting environment.



Use advanced scripting features.



Perform basic document tasks like setting up master spreads, printing, and exporting.



Work with page items (rectangles, ellipses, graphic lines, polygons, text frames, and groups).



Work with text and type in an InDesign document, including finding and changing text.



Create dialog boxes and other user-interface items.



Customize and add menus and create menu actions.



Respond to user-interface events.



Work with XML, from creating XML elements and importing XML to adding XML elements to a layout.



Apply XML rules, a new scripting feature that makes working with XML in InDesign faster and easier.

We assume that you have already read the Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create,
install, and run scripts. If you need to know how to connect with your scripting environment or view the
InDesign scripting object model from your script editor, that information can be found in the Adobe
InDesign Scripting Tutorial.

How to Use the Scripts in this Document
For the most part, the scripts shown in this document are not complete scripts. They are only fragments of
scripts, and are intended to show only the specific part of a script relevant to the point being discussed in
the text. You can copy the script lines shown in this document and paste them into your script editor, but
you should not expect them to run without further editing. Note, in addition, that scripts copied out of this
document may contain line breaks and other characters (due to the document layout) that will prevent
them from executing properly.
A zip archive of all of the scripts shown in this document is available at the InDesign scripting home page,
at: http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/scripting/index.html. After you have downloaded and
expanded the archive, move the folders corresponding to the scripting language(s) of your choice into the
Scripts Panel folder inside the Scripts folder in your InDesign folder. At that point, you can run the scripts
from the Scripts panel inside InDesign.

9

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

About the Structure of the Scripts

10

About the Structure of the Scripts
The script examples are all written using a common template that includes the functions “main,”
“mySetup,” “mySnippet,” and “myTeardown.” We did this to simplify automated testing and
publication—there is no reason for you to construct your scripts this way. Most of the time, the part of the
script you will be interested in will be inside the “mySnippet” function.

For More Information
For more information on InDesign scripting, you also can visit the InDesign Scripting User to User forum, at
http://www.adobeforums.com. In the forum, script writers can ask questions, post answers, and share their
newest scripts. The forum contains hundreds of sample scripts.

2

Scripting Features

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Updated

“Script Versioning” on page 12 and its three subsections have been updated, corrected, and clarified.

This chapter covers scripting techniques related to InDesign’s scripting environment. Almost every other
object in the InDesign scripting model controls a feature that can change a document or the application
defaults. By contrast, the features in this chapter control how scripts operate.
This document discusses the following:


The ScriptPreferences object and its properties.



Getting a reference to the executing script.



Running scripts in prior versions of the scripting object model.



Using the DoScript method to run scripts.



Working with script labels.



Running scripts at InDesign start-up.

We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to write, install, and
run InDesign scripts in the scripting language of your choice.

Script Preferences
The ScriptPreferences object provides objects and properties related to the way InDesign runs scripts.
The following table provides more detail on each property of the ScriptPreferences object:
Property

Description

EnableRedraw

Turns screen redraw on or off while a script is running from the Scripts panel.

ScriptsFolder

The path to the scripts folder.

ScriptsList

A list of the available scripts. This property is an array of arrays, in the
following form:
[[fileName, filePath], ...]

Where fileName is the name of the script file and filePath is the full path to
the script. You can use this feature to check for the existence of a script in the
installed set of scripts.

11

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Getting the Current Script

Property

Description

UserInteractionLevel

This property controls the alerts and dialogs InDesign presents to the user.
When you set this property to
idUserInteractionLevels.idNeverInteract, InDesign does not display
any alerts or dialogs. Set it to
idUserInteractionLevels.idInteractWithAlerts to enable alerts but
disable dialogs. Set it to idUserInteractionLevels.idInteractWithAll
to restore the normal display of alerts and dialogs. The ability to turn off alert
displays is very useful when you are opening documents via script; often,
InDesign displays an alert for missing fonts or linked graphics files. To avoid
this alert, set the user-interaction level to
idUserInteractionLevels.idNeverInteract before opening the
document, then restore user interaction (set the property to
idUserInteractionLevels.idInteractWithAll) before completing
script execution.

Version

The version of the scripting environment in use. For more information, see
“Script Versioning” on page 12. Note this property is not the same as the
version of the application.

12

Getting the Current Script
You can get a reference to the current script using the ActiveScript property of the application object.
You can use this property to help you locate files and folders relative to the script, as shown in the
following example (from the ActiveScript tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myActiveScript = myInDesign.ActiveScript
MsgBox ("The current script is: " & myActiveScript)
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
myParentFolder = myFileSystemObject.GetFile(myActiveScript).ParentFolder
MsgBox ("The folder containing the active script is: " & myParentFolder)

When you debug scripts using a script editor, the ActiveScript property returns an error. Only scripts run
from the Scripts palette appear in the ActiveScript property.

Script Versioning
InDesign can run scripts using earlier versions of the InDesign scripting object model. To run an older
script in a newer version of InDesign, you must consider the following:


Targeting — Scripts must be targeted to the version of InDesign in which they are being run (i.e., the
current version). The mechanics of targeting are language specific as described in “Targeting” on
page 13.



Compilation — This involves mapping the names in the script to the underlying script IDs, which are
what InDesign understands. The mechanics of compilation are language specific as described in
“Compilation” on page 13.



Interpretation — This involves matching the IDs to the appropriate request handler within InDesign
so that InDesign correctly interprets a script written for an earlier version of the scripting object model.
To do this, either explicitly set the application’s script preferences to the old object model within the

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Script Versioning

13

script (as shown in “Interpretation” on page 13) or run the script from a folder in the Scripts panel
folder as follows:
Folder

For InDesign version of scripts

Version 8.0 Scripts

CS6

Version 7.0 Scripts

CS5 and CS5.5

Version 6.0 Scripts

CS4

Version 5.0 Scripts

CS3

Version 2.0 Scripts

CS2

Targeting
A script must always target the version of InDesign under which it is running (the current version), either
explicitly or implicitly. Targeting is implicit when the script is launched from the Scripts panel.
Otherwise, explicit targeting for Visual Basic applications and VBScripts is done using the CreateObject
method:
Rem
Set
Rem
Set
Rem
Set

Target InDesign CS6 Roman:
myApp = CreateObject("InDesign.Application.CS6")
Target InDesign CS6 J:
myApp = CreateObject("InDesign.Application.CS6_J")
Target the last version of InDesign that was launched:
myApp = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")

Compilation
Compilation of Visual Basic applications may be versioned by referencing an earlier version of the type
library. To generate an earlier version of the type library, use the PublishTerminology method, which is
exposed on the Application object. The type library is generated into a folder (named with the version of
the DOM) that is in the Scripting Support folder in your application’s preferences folder. For example, to
generate the CS5 dictionary into the C:\Documents and Settings\\Application
Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version 8.0\\Scripting Support\7.0 folder:
Set myApp = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Publish the InDesign CS5 type library (version 7.0 DOM)
myApp.PublishTerminology(7.0)

VBScripts are not precompiled. For compilation, InDesign generates and references the appropriate type
library automatically, based on the version of the DOM set for interpretation.

Interpretation
The InDesign application object contains a ScriptPreferences object, which allows a script to get/set
the version of the scripting object model to use for interpreting scripts. The version defaults to the current
version of the application and persists.
For example, to change the version of the scripting object model to CS5 (7.0):

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Using the DoScript Method

14

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Set to 7.0 DOM
myInDesign.ScriptPreferences.Version = 7.0

Using the DoScript Method
The DoScript method gives a script a way to execute another script. The script can be a string of valid
scripting code or a file on disk. The script can be in the same scripting language as the current script or
another scripting language. The available languages vary by platform: on Mac OS®, you can run
AppleScript or JavaScript; on Windows®, VBScript or JavaScript.
The DoScript method has many possible uses:


Running a script in another language that provides a feature missing in your main scripting language.
For example, VBScript lacks the ability to display a file or folder browser, which JavaScript has.
AppleScript can be very slow to compute trigonometric functions (sine and cosine), but JavaScript
performs these calculations rapidly. JavaScript does not have a way to query Microsoft® Excel for the
contents of a specific spreadsheet cell, but both AppleScript and VBScript have this capability. In all
these examples, the DoScript method can execute a snippet of scripting code in another language,
to overcome a limitation of the language used for the body of the script.



Creating a script “on the fly.” Your script can create a script (as a string) during its execution, which it
can then execute using the DoScript method. This is a great way to create a custom dialog or panel
based on the contents of the selection or the attributes of objects the script creates.



Embedding scripts in objects. Scripts can use the DoScript method to run scripts that were saved as
strings in the label property of objects. Using this technique, an object can contain a script that
controls its layout properties or updates its content according to certain parameters. Scripts also can
be embedded in XML elements as an attribute of the element or as the contents of an element. See
“Running Scripts at Startup” on page 17.

Sending parameters to DoScript
To send a parameter to a script executed by DoScript, use the following form (from the
DoScriptParameters tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myJavaScript = "alert(""First argument: "" + arguments[0] + ""\rSecond argument: "" +
arguments[1]);"
myInDesign.DoScript myJavaScript, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript, Array("Hello from
DoScript", "Your message here.")
myVBScript = "msgbox arguments(1), vbOKOnly, ""First argument: "" & arguments(0)"
myInDesign.DoScript myVBScript, idScriptLanguage.idVisualBasic, Array("Hello from
DoScript", "Your message here.")

Returning values from DoScript
The following script fragment shows how to return a value from a script executed by DoScript. This
example uses a JavaScript that is executed as a string, but the same method works for script files. This
example returns a single value, but you can return multiple values by returning an array (for the complete
script, refer to the DoScriptReturnValues script).

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Controlling Undo with DoScript

15

Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myDestinationPage = myDocument.Pages.Add(idLocationOptions.idAfter, myPage)
myPageIndex = myDestinationPage.Name
myID = myTextFrame.Id
myJavaScript = "var myDestinationPage = arguments[1];" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript & "myID = arguments[0];" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript & "var myX = arguments[2];" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript & "var myY = arguments[3];" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript & "var myPageItem =
app.documents.item(0).pages.item(0).pageItems.itemByID(myID);" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript &
"myPageItem.duplicate(app.documents.item(0).pages.item(myDestinationPage));" & vbCr
Rem Create an array for the parameters we want to pass to the JavaScript.
myArguments = Array(myID, myPageIndex, 0, 0)
Set myDuplicate = myInDesign.DoScript(myJavaScript, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript,
myArguments)
Rem myDuplicate now contains a reference to the duplicated text frame.
Rem Change the text in the duplicated text frame.
myDuplicate.contents = "Duplicated text frame."

Another way to get values from another script is to use the ScriptArgs (short for “script arguments”)
object of the application. The following script fragment shows how to do this (for the complete script, see
DoScriptScriptArgs):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myJavaScript = "app.scriptArgs.setValue(""ScriptArgumentA"", ""This is the first
script argument value."");" & vbCr
myJavaScript = myJavaScript & "app.scriptArgs.setValue(""ScriptArgumentB"", ""This is
the second script argument value."");" & vbCr
myInDesign.DoScript myJavaScript, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript
myScriptArgumentA = myInDesign.ScriptArgs.GetValue("ScriptArgumentA")
myScriptArgumentB = myInDesign.ScriptArgs.GetValue("ScriptArgumentB")
MsgBox "ScriptArgumentA: " & myScriptArgumentA & vbCr & "ScriptArgumentB: " &
myScriptArgumentB
myVBScript = "Set myInDesign = CreateObject(""InDesign.Application"")" & vbCr
myVBScript = myVBScript & "myInDesign.ScriptArgs.SetValue ""ScriptArgumentA"", ""This
is the first script argument value.""" & vbCr
myVBScript = myVBScript & "myInDesign.ScriptArgs.SetValue ""ScriptArgumentB"", ""This
is the second script argument value."""
myInDesign.DoScript myVBScript, idScriptLanguage.idVisualBasic
myScriptArgumentA = myInDesign.ScriptArgs.GetValue("ScriptArgumentA")
myScriptArgumentB = myInDesign.ScriptArgs.GetValue("ScriptArgumentB")
MsgBox "ScriptArgumentA: " & myScriptArgumentA & vbCr & "ScriptArgumentB: " &
myScriptArgumentB

Controlling Undo with DoScript
InDesign gives you the ability to undo almost every action, but this comes at a price: for almost every
action you make, InDesign writes to disk. For normal work you using the tools presented by the user
interface, this does not present any problem. For scripts, which can perform thousands of actions in the
time a human being can blink, the constant disk access can be a serious drag on performance.
The DoScript method offers a way around this performance bottleneck by providing two parameters that
control the way that scripts are executed relative to InDesign’s Undo behavior. These parameters are
shown in the following examples:

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Working with Script Labels

16

Rem Given a script "myVBScript" and an array of parameters "myParameters"...
myInDesign.DoScript myVBScript, idScriptLanguage.idVisualBasic, myParameters,
idUndoModes.idFastEntireScript, "Script Action"
Rem idUndoModes can be:
Rem idUndoModes.idAutoUnto: Add no events to the Undo queue.
Rem idUndoModes.idEntireScript: Put a single event in the Undo queue.
Rem idUndoModes.idFastEntireScript: Put a single event in the Undo queue.
Rem idUndoModes.idScriptRequest: Undo each script action as a separate event.
Rem The last parameter is the text that appears in the Undo menu item.

Working with Script Labels
Many objects in InDesign scripting have a label property, including page items (rectangles, ovals, groups,
polygons, text frames, and graphic lines), table cells, documents, stories, and pages. This property can
store a very large amount of text.
The label of page items can be viewed, entered, or edited using the Script Label panel (choose Window >
Utilities > Script Label to display this panel), shown below. You also can add a label to an object using
scripting, and you can read the script label via scripting. For many objects, like stories, pages, and
paragraph styles, you cannot set or view the label using the Script Label panel.

The label property can contain any form of text data, such as tab- or comma-delimited text, HTML, or
XML. Because scripts also are text, they can be stored in the label property.
Page items can be referred to by their label, just like named items (such as paragraph styles, colors, or
layers) can be referred to by their name. The following script fragment demonstrates this special case of the
label property (for the complete script, see ScriptLabel):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
myPageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
myPageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
Rem Create 10 random page items.
For i = 1 To 10
myX1 = myGetRandom(0, myPageWidth, False)
myY1 = myGetRandom(0, myPageHeight, False)
myX2 = myGetRandom(0, myPageWidth, False)
myY2 = myGetRandom(0, myPageHeight, False)
Set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myRectangle.GeometricBounds = Array(myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2)
If myGetRandom(0, 1, True) > 0 Then
myRectangle.Label = "myScriptLabel"
End If
Next
Count = 0
For i = 1 To myPage.PageItems.Count

CHAPTER 2: Scripting Features

Running Scripts at Startup

If myPage.PageItems.Item(i).Label = "myScriptLabel" Then
Count = Count + 1
End If
Next
MsgBox ("Found " & CStr(Count) & " page items with the label.")
Rem This function gets a random number in the range myStart to myEnd.
Function myGetRandom(myStart, myEnd, myInteger)
Rem Here's how to generate a random number from a given range:
Rem Int((upperbound - lowerbound + 1) * Rnd + lowerbound)
If myInteger = True Then
myGetRandom = Int(((myEnd - myStart + 1) * Rnd) + myStart)
Else
myGetRandom = ((myEnd - myStart + 1) * Rnd) + myStart
End If
End Function

In addition, all objects that support the label property also support custom labels. A script can set a
custom label using the InsertLabel method, and extract the custom label using the ExtractLabel
method, as shown in the following script fragment (from the CustomLabel tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
myDocument.ViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myDocument.ViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
Set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myRectangle.GeometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem Insert a custom label using insertLabel. The first parameter is the
Rem name of the label, the second is the text to add to the label.
myRectangle.InsertLabel "CustomLabel", "This is some text stored in a custom label."
Rem Extract the text from the label and display it in an message box.
myString = myRectangle.ExtractLabel("CustomLabel")
MsgBox ("Custom label contained: " + myString)

Running Scripts at Startup
To run a script when InDesign starts, put the script in the Startup Scripts folder in the Scripts folder (for
more information, see “Installing Scripts” in Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial).

17

3

Documents

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Changes

•
•
•
•
•
•

Updated list of what this chapter shows you how to do.
Added section “Making an Adaptive Layout” on page 43.
Added section “Collecting and Dropping Content” on page 46.
Added subsection “Exporting to grayscale PDF” on page 52.
Added subsection “Exporting as a PDF form” on page 54.
In “Adjusting Page Sizes and Layout” on page 40, “Resizing and reframing pages” on page 41, and “Transforming pages” on
page 41, removed outdated references to features being new in CS5.

The work you do in InDesign revolves around documents—creating them, saving them, printing or
exporting them, and populating them with page items, colors, styles, and text. Almost every
document-related task can be automated using InDesign scripting.
This chapter shows you how to do the following




Perform basic document-management tasks, including:


Creating a new document.



Opening a document.



Saving a document.



Closing a document.

Perform basic page-layout operations, including:


Setting the page size and document length.



Defining bleed and slug areas.



Specifying page columns and margins.



Change the appearance of the pasteboard.



Use guides and grids.



Change measurement units and ruler origin.



Define and apply document presets.



Set up master pages (master spreads)



Set text-formatting defaults.



Add XMP metadata (information about a file).



Create a document template.



Create watermarks.

18

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Document Operations



Apply different sizes to different pages (multiple page sizes).



Apply flexible layout formats to the same pages for use in different devices or documents with
different sizes or orientation.



Print a document.



Export a document as Adobe PDF.



Export pages of a document as EPS.



Export a document as an ePub file.

19

We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script.

Basic Document Operations
Opening, closing, and saving documents are some of the most basic document tasks. This section shows
how to do them using scripting.

Creating a new document
The following script shows how to make a new document using scripting. (For the complete script, see
MakeDocument.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add

To create a document using a document preset, the Add method includes an optional parameter you can
use to specify a document preset, as shown in the following script. (For the complete script, see
MakeDocumentWithPreset.)
Rem Creates a new document using the specified document preset.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Replace "myDocumentPreset" in the following line with the name
Rem of the document preset you want to use.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add(True,
myInDesign.DocumentPresets.Item("myDocumentPreset"))

You can create a document without displaying it in a window, as shown in the following script fragment
(from the MakeDocumentWithParameters tutorial script):
Rem
Set
Rem
Rem
Set
Rem
Set

Creates a new document using the specified document preset.
myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Replace "myDocumentPreset" in the following line with the name
of the document preset you want to use.
myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add(False)
To show the window:
myWindow = myDocument.Windows.Add

Some script operations are much faster when the document window is hidden.

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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20

Opening a document
The following script shows how to open an existing document. (For the complete script, see
OpenDocument.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Open("c:\myTestDocument.indd")

You can choose to prevent the document from displaying (that is, hide it) by setting the showing window
parameter of the Open method to false (the default is true). You might want to do this to improve
performance of a script. To show a hidden document, create a new window, as shown in the following
script fragment (from the OpenDocumentInBackground tutorial script):
Rem
Rem
Set
Set
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Set

Opens an existing document in the background, then shows the document.
Youíll have to fill in your own file path.
myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myDocument = myInDesign.Open("c:\myTestDocument.indd", False)
At this point, you can do things with the document without showing
the document window. In some cases, scripts will run faster when
the document window is not visible.
When you want to show the hidden document, create a new window.
myLayoutWindow = myDocument.Windows.Add

Saving a document
In the InDesign user interface, you save a file by choosing File > Save, and you save a file to another file
name by choosing File > Save As. In InDesign scripting, the Save method can do either operation, as
shown in the following script fragment (from the SaveDocument tutorial script):
Rem If the active document has been changed since it was last saved, save it.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Modified = True Then
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Save
End If

The Save method has two optional parameters: The first (to) specifies the file to save to; the second
(stationery) can be set to true to save the document as a template, as shown in the following script
fragment (from the SaveDocumentAs tutorial script):
Rem If the active document has not been saved (ever), save it.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myDocument.Saved = False Then
Rem If you do not provide a file name,
Rem InDesign displays the Save dialog box.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Save "c:\myTestDocument.indd"
End If

You can save a document as a template, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
SaveAsTemplate tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Document Operations

21

Rem Save the active document as a template.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Saved = True Then
Rem Convert the file name to a string.
myFileName = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.FullName
Rem If the file name contains the extension ".indd",
Rem change it to ".indt".
If InStr(1, myFileName, ".indd") <> 0 Then
myFileName = Replace(myFileName, ".indd", ".indt")
End If
Else
Rem If the document has not been saved, then give it a
Rem default file name/file path.
myFileName = "c:\myTestDocument.indt"
End If
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Save myFileName, True

Closing a document
The Close method closes a document, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
CloseDocument tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Close
Rem Note that you could also use:
Rem myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Close

The Close method can take up to two optional parameters, as shown in the following script fragment
(from the CloseWithParameters tutorial script):
Rem Use idSaveOptions.idYes to save the document,idSaveOptions.idNo
Rem to close the document without saving, or idSaveOptions.idAsk to
Rem display a prompt. If you use idSaveOptions.idYes, you'll need to
Rem provide a reference to a file to save to in the second parameter Rem(SavingIn).
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem If the file has not been saved, display a prompt.
If myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Saved <> True Then
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Close idSaveOptions.idAsk
Rem Or, to save to a specific file name:
Rem myFile = "c:\myTestDocument.indd"
Rem myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Close idSaveOptions.idYes, myFile
Else
Rem If the file has already been saved, save it.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Close idSaveOptions.idYes
End If

You can close all open documents without saving them, as shown in the following script fragment (from
the CloseAll tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
For myCounter = myInDesign.Documents.Length To 1 Step -1
myInDesign.Documents.Item(myCounter).Close idSaveOptions.idNo
Next

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

22

Basic Page Layout
Each document has a default page size, assigned number of pages, bleed and slug working areas, and
columns and margins to define the area into which material is placed. Again, all these parameters are
accessible to scripting, as shown in the examples in this section.

Defining page size and document length
When you create a new document using the InDesign user interface, you can specify the default page size,
number of pages, page orientation, and whether the document uses facing pages. To create a document
using InDesign scripting, use the Documents.Add method, which does not specify these settings. After
creating a document, you can use the DocumentPreferences object to control the settings, as shown in
the following script fragment (from the DocumentPreferences tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
.PageHeight = "800pt"
.PageWidth = "600pt"
.PageOrientation = idPageOrientation.idLandscape
.PagesPerDocument = 16
End With

NOTE: The Application object also has a DocumentPreferences object. You can set the application
defaults for page height, page width, and other properties by changing the properties of this object. You
can also set individual page sizes; see “Adjusting Page Sizes and Layout”.

Defining bleed and slug areas
Within InDesign, a bleed or a slug is an area outside the page margins that can be printed or included in an
exported PDF. Typically, these areas are used for objects that extend beyond the page edges (bleed) and
job/document information (slug). The two areas can be printed and exported independently; for example,
you might want to omit slug information for the final printing of a document. The following script shows
how to set up the bleed and slug for a new document. (For the complete script, see BleedAndSlug.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem The bleed and slug properties belong to the DocumentPreferences object.
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
Rem Bleed
.DocumentBleedBottomOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedTopOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset = "3p"
Rem Slug
.SlugBottomOffset = "18p"
.SlugTopOffset = "3p"
.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset = "3p"
End With

Alternately, if all the bleed distances are equal, as in the preceding example, you can use the
DocumentBleedUniformSize property, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
UniformBleed tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

23

Rem Create a new document.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem The bleed properties belong to the documentPreferences object.
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
Rem Bleed
.DocumentBleedTopOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedUniformSize = True
End With

If all the slug distances are equal, you can use the DocumentSlugUniformSize property, as shown in the
following script fragment (from the UniformSlug tutorial script):
Rem Create a new document.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem The slug properties belong to the documentPreferences object.
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
Rem Slug:
.SlugTopOffset = "3p"
.DocumentSlugUniformSize = True
End With

In addition to setting the bleed and slug widths and heights, you can control the color used to draw the
guides defining the bleed and slug. This property is not in the DocumentPreferences object; instead, it is
in the PasteboardPreferences object, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
BleedSlugGuideColors tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myInDesign.ActiveDocument.PasteboardPreferences
Rem Any of InDesign's guides can use the UIColors constants...
.BleedGuideColor = idUIColors.idCuteTeal
.SlugGuideColor = idUIColors.idCharcoal
Rem ...or you can specify an array of RGB values
Rem(with values from 0 to 255)
Rem .BleedGuideColor = Array(0, 198, 192)
Rem .SlugGuideColor = Array(192, 192, 192)
End With

Setting page margins and columns
Each page in a document can have its own margin and column settings. With InDesign scripting, these
properties are part of the MarginPreferences object for each page. This following sample script creates a
new document, then sets the margins and columns for all pages in the master spread. (For the complete
script, see PageMargins.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDocument.Pages.Item(1).MarginPreferences
.ColumnCount = 3
Rem columnGutter can be a number or a measurement string.
.ColumnGutter = "1p"
.Top = "4p"
.Bottom = "6p"
Rem When document.documentPreferences.facingPages = true,
Rem "left" means inside "right" means outside.
.Left = "6p"
.Right = "4p"
End With

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

24

To set the page margins for an individual page, use the margin preferences for that page, as shown in the
following script fragment (from the PageMarginsForOnePage tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDocument.Pages.Item(1).MarginPreferences
.ColumnCount = 3
Rem columnGutter can be a number or a measurement string.
.ColumnGutter = "1p"
.Top = "4p"
.Bottom = "6p"
Rem When document.documentPreferences.facingPages = true,
Rem "left" means inside "right" means outside.
.Left = "6p"
.Right = "4p"
End With

InDesign does not allow you to create a page that is smaller than the sum of the relevant margins; that is,
the width of the page must be greater than the sum of the left and right page margins, and the height of
the page must be greater than the sum of the top and bottom margins. If you are creating very small
pages (for example, for individual newspaper advertisements) using the InDesign user interface, you can
easily set the correct margin sizes as you create the document, by entering new values in the document
default page Margin fields in the New Document dialog box.
From scripting, however, the solution is not as clear: when you create a document, it uses the application’s
default-margin preferences. These margins are applied to all pages of the document, including master
pages. Setting the document margin preferences affects only new pages and has no effect on existing
pages. If you try to set the page height and page width to values smaller than the sum of the
corresponding margins on any existing pages, InDesign does not change the page size.
There are two solutions. The first is to set the margins of the existing pages before you try to change the
page size, as shown in the following script fragment (from the PageMarginsForSmallPages tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.ViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myDocument.ViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
With myDocument.MarginPreferences
.Top = 0
.Left = 0
.Bottom = 0
.Right = 0
.ColumnCount = 1
.ColumnGutter = 0
End With
Rem The following assumes that your default document contains a single page.
With myDocument.Pages.Item(1).MarginPreferences
.Top = 0
.Left = 0
.Bottom = 0
.Right = 0
.ColumnCount = 1
.ColumnGutter = 0
End With
Rem The following assumes that your default master spread contains two pages.
With myDocument.MasterSpreads.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).MarginPreferences
.Top = 0
.Left = 0

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

25

.Bottom = 0
.Right = 0
.ColumnCount = 1
.ColumnGutter = 0
End With
With myDocument.MasterSpreads.Item(1).Pages.Item(2).MarginPreferences
.Top = 0
.Left = 0
.Bottom = 0
.Right = 0
.ColumnCount = 1
.ColumnGutter = 0
End With
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight = "1p"
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth = "6p"

Alternately, you can change the application’s default-margin preferences before you create the document,
as shown in the following script fragment (from the ApplicationPageMargins tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myInDesign.MarginPreferences
Rem Save the current application default margin preferences.
myY1 = .Top
myX1 = .Left
myY2 = .Bottom
myX2 = .Right
Rem Set the application default margin preferences.
.Top = 0
.Left = 0
.Bottom = 0
.Right = 0
End With
Rem Create a new example document to demonstrate the change.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight = "1p"
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth = "6p"
Rem Reset the application default margin preferences to their former state.
With myInDesign.MarginPreferences
.Top = myY1
.Left = myX1
.Bottom = myY2
.Right = myX2
End With

Changing the appearance of the pasteboard
The pasteboard is the area that surrounds InDesign pages and spreads. You can use it for temporary
storage of page items or for job-tracking information. You can change the size of the pasteboard and its
color using scripting. The PreviewBackgroundColor property sets the color of the pasteboard in Preview
mode, as shown in the following script fragment (from the PasteboardPreferences tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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26

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDocument.PasteboardPreferences
Rem You can use either a number or a measurement
Rem string to set the space above/below.
.MinimumSpaceAboveAndBelow = "12p"
Rem You can set the preview background color (which you'll only see
Rem in Preview mode) to any of the predefined UIColor constants...
.PreviewBackgroundColor = idUIColors.idGrassGreen
Rem ...or you can specify an array of RGB values (with values from 0 to 255)
Rem .PreviewBackgroundColor = Array(192, 192, 192)
End With

Guides and grids
Guides and grids make it easy to position objects on your document pages. These are very useful items to
add when you are creating templates for others to use.

Defining guides
Guides in InDesign give you an easy way to position objects on the pages of your document. The following
script fragment shows how to use guides. (For the complete script, see Guides.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myPageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
myPageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
With myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myMarginPreferences = .MarginPreferences
Rem Place guides at the margins of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myMarginPreferences.Left
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = (myPageWidth - myMarginPreferences.Right)
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myMarginPreferences.Top
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = (myPageHeight - myMarginPreferences.Bottom)
End With
Rem Place a guide at the vertical center of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = (myPageWidth / 2)
End With
Rem Place a guide at the horizontal center of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = (myPageHeight / 2)
End With
End With

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

27

Horizontal guides can be limited to a given page or extend across all pages in a spread. From InDesign
scripting, you can control this using the FitToPage property. This property is ignored by vertical guides.
You can use scripting to change the layer, color, and visibility of guides, just as you can from the user
interface, as shown in the following script fragment (from the GuideOptions tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myPageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
myPageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
With myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myMarginPreferences = .MarginPreferences
Rem Place guides at the margins of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myMarginPreferences.Left
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = (myPageWidth - myMarginPreferences.Right)
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myMarginPreferences.Top
End With
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = (myPageHeight - myMarginPreferences.Bottom)
End With
Rem Place a guide at the vertical center of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = (myPageWidth / 2)
End With
Rem Place a guide at the horizontal center of the page.
With .Guides.Add
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = (myPageHeight / 2)
End With
End With

You also can create guides using the CreateGuides method on spreads and master spreads, as shown in
the following script fragment (from the CreateGuides tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Parameters (all optional): row count, column count, row gutter,
Rem column gutter,guide color, fit margins, remove existing, layer.
Rem Note that the createGuides method does not take an RGB array
Rem for the guide color parameter.
myDocument.Spreads.Item(1).CreateGuides 4, 4, "1p", "1p", idUIColors.idGray, True,
True, myDocument.Layers.Item(0)

Setting grid preferences
To control the properties of the document and baseline grid, you set the properties of the
GridPreferences object, as shown in the following script fragment (from the DocumentAndBaselineGrid
tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

28

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Set the document measurement units to points.
myDocument.ViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myDocument.ViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
Rem Set up grid preferences.
With myDocument.GridPreferences
.BaselineStart = 56
.BaselineDivision = 14
.BaselineGridShown = True
.HorizontalGridlineDivision = 14
.HorizontalGridSubdivision = 5
.VerticalGridlineDivision = 14
.VerticalGridSubdivision = 5
.DocumentGridShown = True
End With

Snapping to guides and grids
All snap settings for a document’s grids and guides are in the properties of the GuidePreferences and
GridPreferences objects. The following script fragment shows how to set guide and grid snap
properties. (For the complete script, see GuideGridPreferences.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
With myDocument.guidePreferences
.GuidesInBack = True;
.GuidesLocked = False;
.GuidesShown = True;
.GuidesSnapTo = True;
End With
With myDocument.gridPreferences {
.DocumentGridShown = False;
.DocumentGridSnapTo = True;
//Objects "snap" to the baseline grid when
//guidePreferences.guideSnapTo is set to true.
.BaselineGridShown = True;
End With
}

Changing measurement units and ruler
Thus far, the sample scripts used measurement strings, strings that force InDesign to use a specific
measurement unit (for example, “8.5i” for 8.5 inches). They do this because you might be using a different
measurement system when you run the script.
To specify the measurement system used in a script, use the document’s ViewPreferences object, as
shown in the following script fragment (from the ViewPreferences tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

29

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
With myDocument.ViewPreferences
Rem Measurement unit choices are:
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idAgates
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idPicas
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idInches
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idInchesDecimal
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idMillimeters
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idCentimeters
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idCiceros
Rem * idMeasurementUnits.idCustom
Rem If you set the the vertical or horizontal measurement units
Rem to idMeasurementUnits.idCustom, you can also set a custom
Rem ruler increment (in points) using:
Rem .HorizontalCustomPoints = 15
Rem .VerticalCustomPoints = 15
Rem Set horizontal and vertical measurement units to points.
.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With

If you are writing a script that needs to use a specific measurement system, you can change the
measurement units at the beginning of the script, then restore the original measurement units at the end
of the script. This is shown in the following script fragment (from the ResetMeasurementUnits tutorial
script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
With myDocument.ViewPreferences
myOldXUnits = .HorizontalMeasurementUnits
myOldYUnits = .VerticalMeasurementUnits
.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With
Rem At this point, you can perform any series of script actions that
Rem depend on the measurement units you've set. At the end of the
Rem script, reset the units to their original state.
With myDocument.ViewPreferences
.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = myOldXUnits
.VerticalMeasurementUnits = myOldYUnits
End With

Defining and applying document presets
InDesign document presets enable you to store and apply common document set-up information (page
size, page margins, columns, and bleed and slug areas). When you create a new document, you can base
the document on a document preset.

Creating a preset by copying values
To create a document preset using an existing document’s settings as an example, open a document that
has the document set-up properties you want to use in the document preset, then run the following script
(from the DocumentPresetByExample tutorial script):

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Basic Page Layout

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Rem If the document preset "myDocumentPreset" does not
Rem already exist, create it.
Rem Disable normal error handling.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set myDocumentPreset = myInDesign.DocumentPresets.Item("myDocumentPreset")
Rem If the document preset did not exist, the above line
Rem generates an error. Handle the error.
If (Err.Number <> 0) Then
Set myDocumentPreset = myInDesign.DocumentPresets.Add
myDocumentPreset.Name = "myDocumentPreset"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem Restore normal error handling.
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Fill in the properties of the document preset with the corresponding
Rem properties of the active document.
With myDocumentPreset
Rem Note that the following gets the page margins
rem from the margin preferences of the document to get the margin
Rem preferences from the active page, replace "myDocument" with
Rem "myInDesign.activeWindow.activePage" in the following six lines
Rem (assuming the active window is a layout window).
.Left = myDocument.MarginPreferences.Left
.Right = myDocument.MarginPreferences.Right
.Top = myDocument.MarginPreferences.Top
.Bottom = myDocument.MarginPreferences.Bottom
.ColumnCount = myDocument.MarginPreferences.ColumnCount
.ColumnGutter = myDocument.MarginPreferences.ColumnGutter
.DocumentBleedBottomOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.DocumentBleedBottomOffset
.DocumentBleedTopOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.DocumentBleedTopOffset
.DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset
.DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset
.FacingPages = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.FacingPages
.PageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
.PageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
.PageOrientation = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageOrientation
.PagesPerDocument = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PagesPerDocument
.SlugBottomOffset = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.SlugBottomOffset
.SlugTopOffset = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.SlugTopOffset
.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset
.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset =
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset
End With
End If

Creating a document preset
To create a document preset using explicit values, run the following script (from the DocumentPreset
tutorial script):

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On Error Resume Next
Set myDocumentPreset = myInDesign.DocumentPresets.Item("myDocumentPreset")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myDocumentPreset = myInDesign.DocumentPresets.Add
myDocumentPreset.Name = "myDocumentPreset"
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Fill in the properties of the document preset.
With myDocumentPreset
.PageHeight = "9i"
.PageWidth = "7i"
.Left = "4p"
.Right = "6p"
.Top = "4p"
.Bottom = "9p"
.ColumnCount = 1
.DocumentBleedBottomOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedTopOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset = "3p"
.FacingPages = True
.PageOrientation = idPageOrientation.idPortrait
.PagesPerDocument = 1
.SlugBottomOffset = "18p"
.SlugTopOffset = "3p"
.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset = "3p"
End With

Setting up master spreads
After setting up the basic document page size, slug, and bleed, you probably will want to define the
document’s master spreads. The following script shows how to do that. (For the complete script, see
MasterSpread.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Set up the first master spread in a new document.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Set up the document.
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
.PageHeight = "11i"
.PageWidth = "8.5i"
.FacingPages = True
.PageOrientation = idPageOrientation.idPortrait
End With
Rem Set the document's ruler origin to page origin. This is very important
Rem --if you don't do this, getting objects to the correct position on the
Rem page is much more difficult.
myDocument.ViewPreferences.RulerOrigin = idRulerOrigin.idPageOrigin
With myDocument.MasterSpreads.Item(1)
Rem Set up the left page (verso).
With .Pages.Item(1)
With .MarginPreferences
.ColumnCount = 3
.ColumnGutter = "1p"
.Bottom = "6p"
Rem "left" means inside "right" means outside.
.Left = "6p"

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32

.Right = "4p"
.Top = "4p"
End With
Rem Add a simple footer with a section number and page number.
With .TextFrames.Add
.GeometricBounds = Array("61p", "4p", "62p", "45p")
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idSectionMarker
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents = idSpecialCharacters.idEmSpace
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idAutoPageNumber
.Paragraphs.Item(1).Justification = idJustification.idLeftAlign
End With
End With
Rem Set up the right page (recto).
With .Pages.Item(2)
With .MarginPreferences
.ColumnCount = 3
.ColumnGutter = "1p"
.Bottom = "6p"
Rem "left" means inside "right" means outside.
.Left = "6p"
.Right = "4p"
.Top = "4p"
End With
Rem Add a simple footer with a section number and page number.
With .TextFrames.Add
.GeometricBounds = Array("61p", "6p", "62p", "47p")
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idAutoPageNumber
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents = idSpecialCharacters.idEmSpace
.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idSectionMarker
.Paragraphs.Item(1).Justification = idJustification.idRightAlign
End With
End With
End With

To apply a master spread to a document page, use the AppliedMaster property of the document page, as
shown in the following script fragment (from the ApplyMaster tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Assumes that the active document has a master page named "B-Master"
Rem and at least two pages.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Pages.Item(2).AppliedMaster =
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.MasterSpreads.Item("B-Master")

Use the same property to apply a master spread to a master spread page, as shown in the following script
fragment (from the ApplyMasterToMaster tutorial script):
Rem Assumes that the default master spread name is "A-Master".
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Create a new master spread.
Set myBMaster = myDocument.MasterSpreads.Add
myBMaster.NamePrefix = "B"
myBMaster.BaseName = "Master"
Rem Apply master spread "A" to the first page of the new master spread.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.MasterSpreads.Item("B-Master").Pages.Item(1).AppliedMaster
= myInDesign.ActiveDocument.MasterSpreads.Item("A-Master")

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33

Adding XMP metadata
Metadata is information that describes the content, origin, or other attributes of a file. In the InDesign user
interface, you enter, edit, and view metadata using the File Info dialog (choose File > File Info). This
metadata includes the document’s creation and modification dates, author, copyright status, and other
information. All this information is stored using XMP (Adobe Extensible Metadata Platform), an open
standard for embedding metadata in a document.
To learn more about XMP, see the XMP specification at
http://partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/pdf/MetadataFramework.pdf.
You also can add XMP information to a document using InDesign scripting. All XMP properties for a
document are in the document’s metadataPreferences object. The example below fills in the standard
XMP data for a document.
This example also shows that XMP information is extensible. If you need to attach metadata to a document
and the data does not fall into a category provided by the metadata preferences object, you can create
your own metadata container (email, in this example). (For the complete script, see MetadataExample.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDocument.MetadataPreferences
.Author = "Adobe"
.CopyrightInfoURL = "http://www.adobe.com"
.CopyrightNotice = "This document is copyrighted."
.CopyrightStatus = idCopyrightStatus.idYes
.Description = "Example of xmp metadata scripting in InDesign CS"
.DocumentTitle = "XMP Example"
.JobName = "XMP_Example_2004"
.Keywords = Array("animal", "mineral", "vegetable")
Rem The metadata preferences object also includes the read-only
Rem creator, format, creationDate, modificationDate, and serverURL properties that
are
Rem automatically entered and maintained by InDesign.
Rem Create a custom XMP container, "email"
.CreateContainerItem "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/", "email"
.SetProperty "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/", "email/*[1]", "someone@adobe.com"
End With

Creating a document template
This example creates a new document, defines slug and bleed areas, adds information to the document’s
XMP metadata, sets up master pages, adds page footers, and adds job information to a table in the slug
area. (For the complete script, see DocumentTemplate.)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Set the application measurement unit defaults to points.
myInDesign.ViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myInDesign.ViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
Rem Set the application default margin preferences.
With myInDesign.MarginPreferences
Rem Save the current application default margin preferences.
myY1 = .Top
myX1 = .Left
myY2 = .Bottom
myX2 = .Right
Rem Set the application default margin preferences.
Rem Document baseline grid will be based on 14 points, and
Rem all margins are set in increments of 14 points.
.Top = 14 * 4
.Left = 14 * 4
.Bottom = 74
.Right = 14 * 5
End With
Rem Make a new document.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth = "7i"
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight = "9i"
myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageOrientation = idPageOrientation.idPortrait
Rem At this point, we can reset the application default margins
Rem to their original state.
With myInDesign.MarginPreferences
.Top = myY1
.Left = myX1
.Bottom = myY2
.Right = myX2
End With
Rem Set up the bleed and slug areas.
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
Rem Bleed
.DocumentBleedBottomOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedTopOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset = "3p"
Rem Slug
.SlugBottomOffset = "18p"
.SlugTopOffset = "3p"
.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset = "3p"
.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset = "3p"
End With
Rem Create a color.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Rem If the color does not already exist, InDesign will generate an error.
Set myColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("PageNumberRed")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myColor = myDocument.Colors.Add
myColor.Name = "PageNumberRed"
myColor.colorModel = idColorModel.idProcess
myColor.ColorValue = Array(20, 100, 80, 10)
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Next, set up some default styles.

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Rem Create up a character style for the page numbers.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Rem If the character style does not already exist, InDesign generates an error.
Set myCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("page_number")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Add
myCharacterStyle.Name = "page_number"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("page_number").FillColor =
myDocument.Colors.Item("PageNumberRed")
Rem Create up a pair of paragraph styles for the page footer text.
Rem These styles have only basic formatting.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Rem If the paragraph style does not already exist, InDesign generates an error.
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("footer_left")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myParagraphStyle.Name = "footer_left"
myParagraphStyle.PointSize = 11
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 14
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Rem If the paragraph style does not already exist, InDesign generates an error.
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("footer_right")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myParagraphStyle.Name = "footer_right"
myParagraphStyle.BasedOn = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("footer_left")
myParagraphStyle.Justification = idJustification.idRightAlign
myParagraphStyle.PointSize = 11
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 14
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Create a layer for guides.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
myLayer.Name = "GuideLayer"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Create a layer for the footer items.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Footer")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then

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Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
myLayer.Name = "Footer"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Create a layer for the slug items.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Slug")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
myLayer.Name = "Slug"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Create a layer for the body text.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("BodyText")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
myLayer.Name = "BodyText"
Err.Clear
End If
Rem restore normal error handling
On Error GoTo 0
With myDocument.ViewPreferences
.RulerOrigin = idRulerOrigin.idPageOrigin
.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With
Rem Document baseline grid and document grid
With myDocument.GridPreferences
.BaselineStart = 56
.BaselineDivision = 14
.BaselineGridShown = False
.HorizontalGridlineDivision = 14
.HorizontalGridSubdivision = 5
.VerticalGridlineDivision = 14
.VerticalGridSubdivision = 5
.DocumentGridShown = False
End With
Rem Document XMP information.
With myDocument.MetadataPreferences
.Author = "Olav Martin Kvern"
.CopyrightInfoURL = "http:rem www.adobe.com"
.CopyrightNotice = "This document is not copyrighted."
.CopyrightStatus = idCopyrightStatus.idNo
.Description = "Example 7 x 9 book layout"
.DocumentTitle = "Example"
.JobName = "7 x 9 book layout template"
.Keywords = Array("7 x 9", "book", "template")
.CreateContainerItem "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/", "email"
.SetProperty "http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/", "email/*[1]", "okvern@adobe.com"
End With
Rem Set up the master spread.
With myDocument.MasterSpreads.Item(1)
With .Pages.Item(1)

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Rem Left and right are reversed for left-hand pages (becoming "inside" and
"outside"-Rem this is also true in the InDesign user interface).
myTopMargin = .MarginPreferences.Top
myBottomMargin = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight .MarginPreferences.Bottom
myRightMargin = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth .MarginPreferences.Left
myLeftMargin = .MarginPreferences.Right
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myLeftMargin
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myRightMargin
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myTopMargin
.FitToPage = False
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myBottomMargin
.FitToPage = False
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myBottomMargin + 14
.FitToPage = False
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
.Location = myBottomMargin + 28
.FitToPage = False
End With
Set myLeftFooter = .TextFrames.Add
myLeftFooter.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Footer")
myLeftFooter.GeometricBounds = Array(myBottomMargin + 14,
.MarginPreferences.Right, myBottomMargin + 28, myRightMargin)
myLeftFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idSectionMarker
myLeftFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idEmSpace
myLeftFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idAutoPageNumber
myLeftFooter.ParentStory.Characters.Item(1).AppliedCharacterStyle =
myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("page_number")
myLeftFooter.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).ApplyStyle
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("footer_left"), False
Rem Slug information.
myDate = Date
With myDocument.MetadataPreferences

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38

myString = "Author:" & vbTab & .Author & vbTab & "Description:" & vbTab &
.Description & vbCrLf & _
"Creation Date:" & vbTab & myDate & vbTab & "Email Contact" & vbTab &
.GetProperty("http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/", "email/*[1]")
End With
Set myLeftSlug = .TextFrames.Add
myLeftSlug.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Slug")
myLeftSlug.GeometricBounds = Array(myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight +
36, .MarginPreferences.Right, myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight + 144,
myRightMargin)
myLeftSlug.Contents = myString
myLeftSlug.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).ConvertToTable
Rem Body text master text frame.
Set myLeftFrame = .TextFrames.Add
myLeftFrame.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("BodyText")
myLeftFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(.MarginPreferences.Top,
.MarginPreferences.Right, myBottomMargin, myRightMargin)
End With
With .Pages.Item(2)
myTopMargin = .MarginPreferences.Top
myBottomMargin = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight .MarginPreferences.Bottom
myRightMargin = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth .MarginPreferences.Right
myLeftMargin = .MarginPreferences.Left
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myLeftMargin
End With
With .Guides.Add
.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("GuideLayer")
.Orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
.Location = myRightMargin
End With
Set myRightFooter = .TextFrames.Add
myRightFooter.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Footer")
myRightFooter.GeometricBounds = Array(myBottomMargin + 14,
.MarginPreferences.Left, myBottomMargin + 28, myRightMargin)
myRightFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idAutoPageNumber
myRightFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idEmSpace
myRightFooter.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idSectionMarker
myRightFooter.ParentStory.Characters.Item(-1).AppliedCharacterStyle =
myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("page_number")
myRightFooter.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).ApplyStyle
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("footer_right"), False
Rem Slug information.
Set myRightSlug = .TextFrames.Add
myRightSlug.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Slug")
myRightSlug.GeometricBounds = Array(myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight +
36, myLeftMargin, myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight + 144, myRightMargin)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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39

myRightSlug.Contents = myString
myRightSlug.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).ConvertToTable
Rem Body text master text frame.
Set myRightFrame = .TextFrames.Add
myRightFrame.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("BodyText")
myRightFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(.MarginPreferences.Top,
.MarginPreferences.Left, myBottomMargin, myRightMargin)
myRightFrame.PreviousTextFrame = myLeftFrame
End With
End With
Rem Add section marker text--this text will appear in the footer.
myDocument.Sections.Item(1).Marker = "Section 1"
Rem When you link the master page text frames, one of the frames
Rem sometimes becomes selected. Deselect it.
myInDesign.Select idNothingEnum.idNothing

Creating watermarks
You can apply watermarks to documents in InDesign or InDesign Server using scripting. Currently, no user
interface component exists in InDesign for managing watermarks.
A document’s watermark preferences can be set in two ways using scripting:


Application-level watermark preferences, if any are set, are applied to the document watermark
preferences for each new document created by InDesign. This setting has no effect on existing
documents.



Document-level watermark preferences apply only to that document. Setting or changing a
document’s watermark preferences replaces any previous watermark settings for the document.

Both the document and application watermark preference settings persist after the document or
application is closed until a script changes them.
The same group of watermark preferences exist for both the document and the application objects.

Setting watermark preferences
The following script fragment shows how to set watermarks at the application level. A watermark will be
applied to all documents created after this code finishes. (For the complete script for setting application
preferences, see ApplicationWatermark.)
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkVisibility = true
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkDoPrint = true
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkDrawInBack = true
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkText = "Confidential"
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkFontFamily = "Arial"
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkFontStyle = "Bold"
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkFontPointSize = 72
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkFontColor = idUIColors.idRed
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkOpacity = 60
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkRotation = -45
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkHorizontalPosition =
idWatermarkHorizontalPositionEnum.idWatermarkHCenter
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkHorizontalOffset = 0
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkVerticalPosition =
idWatermarkVerticalPositionEnum.idWatermarkVCenter
myInDesign.watermarkPreferences.watermarkVerticalOffset = 0

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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40

The same preferences can be applied to a document object by referring to a document, rather than to the
application. (For the complete script for setting document preferences, see DocumentWatermark.)
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkVisibility = true
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkDoPrint = true
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkDrawInBack = true
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkText = "Confidential"
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkFontFamily = "Arial"
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkFontStyle = "Bold"
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkFontPointSize = 72
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkFontColor =
idUIColors.idRed
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkOpacity = 60
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkRotation = -45
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkHorizontalPosition =
idWatermarkHorizontalPositionEnum.idWatermarkHCenter
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkHorizontalOffset = 0
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkVerticalPosition =
idWatermarkVerticalPositionEnum.idWatermarkVCenter
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkPreferences.watermarkVerticalOffset = 0

Disabling watermarks
After turning off the application setting for watermarks, InDesign no longer turns on the watermark
settings for new documents by default. However, you can still set watermarks for individual documents.
The following script fragment shows how to turn off application-level watermarks.
Rem Given a reference to the InDesign application object "myInDesign"...
myInDesign.WatermarkVisibility = False

You can turn off watermarks in an individual document at any time, as shown in the following script
fragment.
Rem Given a reference to the InDesign application object "myInDesign"...
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).WatermarkVisibility = False

Adjusting Page Sizes and Layout
InDesign allows different page sizes within a single InDesign document. For information on setting the
default page size, see “Defining page size and document length”.
You can also apply geometric transformations to individual pages.

Selecting pages
Before changing a page’s size or applying a transformation to the page, you must select the page. In the
InDesign user interface, you do this using the Page Tool on the Tools Panel. You can also select a page
using scripting. The following script shows how. (For the complete script, see PageSelect.)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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41

Rem Given a document with four pages (1, 2, 3, 4)...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPages = myDocument.Pages
Rem Select page 2 and 3.
myPages.Item(2).Select()
myPages.Item(3).select(idSelectionOptions.idAddTo)
Rem Select last page.
Call myDocument.Select(myPages.Item(-1), idSelectionOptions.idAddTo)

Resizing and reframing pages
You can resize or reframe page items on a page by scripting. You can also apply the resize and reframe
operations to pages to change their sizes.
NOTE: Your minimum page size is determined by the page’s margins. See “Setting page margins and
columns” for more information.
The following script shows how to change a page’s size using the resize method. (For the complete script,
see PageResize.)
Rem Given a document with four pages (1, 2, 3, 4)...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPages = myDocument.Pages
Rem Resize page to two times bigger
Call myPages.Item(2).Resize(idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates, _
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, _
idResizeMethods.idMultiplyingCurrentDimensionsBy, _
Array(2, 2))
Rem Resize page to 400 points width and 600 points height.
Call myPages.item(3).Resize(idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates, _
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, _
idResizeMethods.idReplacingCurrentDimensionsWith, _
Array(400, 600))

Reframing changes the bounding box of a page, so reframing can be used to change a page’s size by
making the bounding box larger or smaller. The following script shows how to change a page’s size using
the reframe method. (For the complete script, see PageReframe.)
Rem Given a document with four pages (1, 2, 3, 4)...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPages = myDocument.Pages
Rem Make the page one inch wider and one inch higher.
Set myPage = myPages.Item(2)
myBounds = myPage.Bounds
myY1 = myBounds(0)
myX1 = myBounds(1)
myY2 = myBounds(2)+72
myX2 = myBounds(3)+72
Call myPage.Reframe(idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates, _
Array(Array(myX1, myY1), _
Array(myX2, myY2)))

Transforming pages
Operations that change the geometry of objects are called transformations. The transform method can
rotate, scale, shear, and move (translate) page items on a page and can also be used on pages. For
technical details about transformation architecture, refer to “Transforming Page Items”.

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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42

To transform a page:
1. Create a transformation matrix.
2. Apply the transformation matrix to the page using the transform method.
The following script shows how to transform a page with scripting. (For the complete script, see
PageTransform.)
Rem Given a document with four pages (1, 2, 3, 4)...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPages = myDocument.Pages
Rem Rotate a page around its center point.
Set myRotateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , 27)
myTransform myPages.Item(1), myRotateMatrix
Rem Scale a page around its center point.
Set myScaleMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(0.8, 0.8)
myTransform myPages.Item(2), myScaleMatrix
Rem Shear a page around its center point.
Set myShearMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , 30)
myTransform myPages.Item(3), myShearMatrix
Function myTransform(myPage, myTransformationMatrix)
myPage.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates, _
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, _
myTransformationMatrix
End Function

Master page overlay
Because pages can have multiple sizes, it is possible for a page and its master page to be different sizes. In
addition to tracking which master is applied, pages also maintain a matrix that determines how the master
page draws on the page. This is called the Master Page Overlay. When you select a page using the Page
Tool on the Tools Panel, you can see how the master page is positioned by checking the Show Master Page
Overlay checkbox on the control panel. You can move the overlay around with the mouse. InDesign
achieves this by applying a transform to the master overlay matrix. Although the user interface allows only
translation (moving x and y), you can do more by scripting. The following script shows how to transform a
master page overlay. (For the complete script, see MasterPageTransform.)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Making an Adaptive Layout

43

Rem Given a document with four pages (1, 2, 3, 4)...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPages = myDocument.Pages
Rem Rotate master page overlay around its top-left corner.
Set myRotateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , 27)
myPages.Item(1).MasterPageTransform = myRotateMatrix
Rem Scale master page overlay around its top-left corner.
Set myScaleMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(0.5, 0.5)
myPages.Item(2).MasterPageTransform = myScaleMatrix
Rem Shear master page overlay around its top-left corner.
Set myShearMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , 30)
myPages.Item(3).MasterPageTransform = myShearMatrix
Rem Translate master page overlay 1 inch right and 2 inches down.
Set myTranslateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , , 72, 144)
myPages.Item(4).MasterPageTransform = myTranslateMatrix

Making an Adaptive Layout
Using InDesign’s layout adaptation workflow, you create your primary layout the same way that you would
create it for a document that will be printed, but then you can quickly adapt that layout to another
orientation, to another dimension or aspect ratio, or to a completely different device class. This workflow
mainly involves two features: Liquid Layout makes the layout flexible, and Create Alternate Layout creates
alternative layouts for different orientations and device classes.

Making a flexible layout
Using layout rules, a designer can create one InDesign file with one set of physical pages that can display
their content suitably on different devices with different sizes and orientations. You can optionally control
the pages’ appearance for each size and orientation. The following example script shows how to do this.
(For the complete script, see LiquidLayout.)
Set doc = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage = doc.Pages.item(1)
REM Set layout policy to LayoutRuleOptions.OBJECT_BASED
myPage.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idOBJECTBASED
REM Create a text frame on the first page.
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds=myGetBounds(doc, myPage)
myTextFrame.Contents="This is object-based LayoutRule sample doc."
REM Create a rectangle
Set myItem = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myItem.GeometricBounds=Array(20,20,70,70)
myItem.VerticalLayoutConstraints = _
Array(idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension)
myItem.HorizontalLayoutConstraints = _
Array(idDimensionsConstraints.idFixedDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idflexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension)
Set doc2 = myInDesign.Documents.Add()

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Making an Adaptive Layout

Set myPage2 = doc2.Pages.item(1)
REM Set layout rule to LayoutRuleOptions.SCALE
myPage2.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idSCALE
REM Create a text frame on the first page.
Set myTextFrame2 = myPage2.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame2.GeometricBounds=myGetBounds(doc2, myPage2)
myTextFrame2.Contents="This is scale LayoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem2 = myPage2.Rectangles.Add
myItem2.GeometricBounds=Array(20,20,70,70)
Set doc3 = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage3 = doc3.Pages.item(1)
REM Set layout rule to LayoutRuleOptions.RECENTER
myPage3.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idRECENTER
REM Create a text frame on the first page.
Set myTextFrame3 = myPage3.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame3.GeometricBounds=myGetBounds(doc3, myPage3)
myTextFrame3.Contents="This is recenter LayoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem3 = myPage3.Rectangles.Add
myItem3.GeometricBounds=Array(20,20,70,70)
Set doc4 = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage4 = doc4.Pages.item(1)
REM Set layout rule to LayoutRuleOptions.GUIDE_BASED
myPage4.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idGUIDEBASED
REM Create a text frame on the first page.
Set myTextFrame4 = myPage4.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame4.GeometricBounds=myGetBounds(doc4, myPage4)
myTextFrame4.Contents="This is guide-based LayoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem4 = myPage4.Rectangles.Add
myItem4.GeometricBounds=Array(20,20,70,70)
with doc4
With .Guides.Add
.GuideType=idGuideTypeOptions.idLIQUID
.Location=20
.Orientation=idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
End With
End With
Set doc5 = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPage5 = doc5.Pages.item(1)
REM Set layout rule to LayoutRuleOptions.USE_MASTER
myPage5.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idUSEMASTER
REM Create a text frame on the first page.
Set myTextFrame5 = myPage5.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame5.GeometricBounds=myGetBounds(doc5, myPage5)
myTextFrame5.Contents="This is master page LayoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem5 = myPage5.Rectangles.Add
myItem5.GeometricBounds=Array(20,20,70,70)

Adding guides for a guide-based layout
The following example script shows how to add guide slices for guide-based layout rules. (For the
complete script, see AddGuides.)

44

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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45

Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Create a text frame on the current page.
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Set layout policy
Rem Use guide slicing to resize objects on the page as it resizes.
myPage.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idGUIDEBASED
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
myTextFrame.Contents = "This is guide-based LayoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myItem.GeometricBounds = Array(20, 20, 70, 70)
With myDocument
Set myGuide = .Guides.Add
myGuide.GuideType = idGuideTypeOptions.idLIQUID
myGuide.Location = 20
myGuide.orientation = idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
End With

Setting constraints for an object-based layout
The following example script shows how to set constraints for object-based layout rules. (For the complete
script, see SetConstraints.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Create a text frame on the current page.
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Set layout rule
Rem Use guide slicing to resize objects on the page as it resizes.
myPage.LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idOBJECTBASED
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
myTextFrame.Contents = "This is object-based layoutRule sample doc."
Set myItem = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myItem.GeometricBounds = Array(20, 20, 70, 70)
myItem.VerticalLayoutConstraints = _
Array(idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension)
myItem.HorizontalLayoutConstraints = _
Array(idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension, _
idDimensionsConstraints.idFlexibleDimension)

Creating alternative layouts
Create Alternate Layout takes a range of existing pages with content and automatically creates linked
copies of the content on a set of new pages within the same document. Use this when you need to create
unique layouts for different orientations and device classes. (For the complete script, see
CreateAlternateLayout.)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Collecting and Dropping Content

46

Set myDoc = myInDesign.Documents.Add
With myDoc.DocumentPreferences
.facingPages=false
.pagesPerDocument=1
.pageWidth=1024
.pageHeight=768
End With
REM Reposition and resize objects on the page as it resizes.
myDoc.Pages.item(1).LayoutRule = idLayoutRuleOptions.idOBJECTBASED
With myDoc
Set myItem = .Pages.Item(1).Rectangles.Add
myItem.GeometricBounds=Array(50,50,100,100)
End With
REM create alternate layout
myDoc.CreateAlternateLayout myDoc.Spreads, "new layout", _
myDoc.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight, _
myDoc.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth, _
true, true, _
idLayoutRuleOptions.idPRESERVEEXISTING

Collecting and Dropping Content
With Content Dropper, you can copy the content from a file designed for printing and paste it into another
document.
The following script shows how to collect content in a document using scripting. (For the complete script,
see ContentCollectorAndPlacer.)
REM Invoke load with full parameters
contentPlacer.load myPage.Rectangles, true, true, true, true

The following script shows how to place collected content into another document. (For the complete
script, see ContentCollectorAndPlacer.)
REM Invoke Page.contentPlace with full parameters
myPage1.ContentPlace myPage.Rectangles, _
true, _
true, _
true, _
Array(0, 0, 40, 40), _
myDocument1.ActiveLayer, _
true

Printing a Document
The following script prints the active document using the current print preferences. (For the complete
script, see PrintDocument.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem The PrintOut method has two optional parameters:
Rem PrintDialog--if true, display the Print dialog box
Rem Using--the printer preset to use. The following line
Rem prints the document using the default settings and
Rem without displaying the Print dialog box.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.PrintOut False

CHAPTER 3: Documents

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47

Printing using page ranges
To specify a page range to print, set the PageRange property of the document’s print preferences
object before printing, as shown in the following script fragment (from the PrintPageRange tutorial script):
Rem Prints a page range from the active document.
Rem The page range can be either idPageRange.idAllPages or a page range string.
Rem A page number entered in the page range must correspond to a page
Rem name in the document (i.e., not the page index). If the page name is
Rem not found, InDesign will display an error message.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.PrintPreferences.PageRange = "1-3, 6, 9"
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.PrintOut False

Setting print preferences
The print preferences object contains properties corresponding to the options in the panels of the Print
dialog. The following script shows how to set print preferences using scripting. (For the complete script,
see PrintPreferences.)
Rem PrintPreferences.vbs
Rem An InDesign CS6 VBScript
Rem Sets the print preferences of the active document.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myInDesign.ActiveDocument.PrintPreferences
Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the General panel
Rem of the Print dialog box.
Rem ActivePrinterPreset is ignored in this example--we'll set our own
Rem print preferences.
Rem printer can be either a string (the name of the printer) or
Rem idPrinter.idPostscriptFile.
.Printer = idPrinter.idPostscriptFile
Rem If the printer property is the name of a printer, then the ppd property
Rem is locked (and will return an error if you try to set it).
On Error Resume Next
Rem ppd = "AGFA-SelectSet5000SF"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
Rem If the printer property is set to Printer.postscript file, the copies
Rem property is unavailable. Attempting to set it will generate an error.
Rem.Copies = 1
Rem If the printer property is set to Printer.postscript file, or if the
Rem selected printer does not support collation, then the collating
Rem property is unavailable. Attempting to set it will generate an error.
Rem collating = false
.ReverseOrder = False
Rem pageRange can be either PageRange.allPages or a page range string.
.PageRange = idPageRange.idAllPages
.PrintSpreads = False
.PrintMasterPages = False
Rem If the printer property is set to Printer.postScript file, then
Rem the printFile property contains the file path to the output file.
Rem printFile = "/c/test.ps"
.Sequence = idSequences.idAll
Rem If trapping is set to either idTrapping.idApplicationBuiltIn
Rem or idTrapping.idAdobeInRIP,
Rem then setting the following properties will produce an error.
If (.ColorOutput = idColorOutputModes.idInRIPSeparations) Or _

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Printing a Document

(.ColorOutput = idColorOutputModes.idSeparations) Then
If .Trapping = idTrapping.idOff Then
.PrintBlankPages = False
.PrintGuidesGrids = False
.PrintNonprinting = False
End If
End If
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the Setup panel
Rem of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------.PaperSize = idPaperSizes.idCustom
Rem Page width and height are ignored if paperSize is not PaperSizes.custom.
Rem .PaperHeight = 1200
Rem .PaperWidth = 1200
.PrintPageOrientation = idPrintPageOrientation.idPortrait
.PagePosition = idPagePositions.idCentered
.PaperGap = 0
.PaperOffset = 0
.PaperTransverse = False
.ScaleHeight = 100
.ScaleWidth = 100
.ScaleMode = idScaleModes.idScaleWidthHeight
.ScaleProportional = True
Rem If trapping is set to either idTrapping.idApplicationBuiltIn or
Rem idTrapping.idAdobeInRIP,then setting the following properties will
Rem produce an error.
If (.ColorOutput = idColorOutputModes.idInRIPSeparations) Or _
(.ColorOutput = idColorOutputModes.idSeparations) Then
If .Trapping = idTrapping.idOff Then
.TextAsBlack = False
.Thumbnails = False
Rem The following properties is not needed because thumbnails
Rem is set to false.
Rem thumbnailsPerPage = 4
.Tile = False
Rem The following properties are not needed
Rem because tile is set to false.
Rem .TilingOverlap = 12
Rem .TilingType = TilingTypes.auto
End If
End If
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the Marks and Bleed
Rem panel of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Set the following property to true to print all printer's marks.
Rem allPrinterMarks = true
.UseDocumentBleedToPrint = False
Rem If useDocumentBleedToPrint = false then setting any of
Rem the bleed properties will result in an error.
Rem Get the bleed amounts from the document's bleed and add a bit.
.BleedBottom = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedBottomOffset + 3
.BleedTop = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.
DocumentPreferences.DocumentBleedTopOffset + 3
.BleedInside = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset + 3
.BleedOutside = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset + 3

48

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Rem If any bleed area is greater than zero, then print the bleed marks.
If ((.BleedBottom = 0) And (.BleedTop = 0) And (.BleedInside = 0) _
And (.BleedOutside = 0)) Then
.BleedMarks = True
Else
.BleedMarks = False
End If
.ColorBars = True
.CropMarks = True
.IncludeSlugToPrint = False
.MarkLineWeight = idMarkLineWeight.idP125pt
.MarkOffset = 6
Rem .MarkType = MarkTypes.default
.PageInformationMarks = True
.RegistrationMarks = True
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the
Rem Output panel of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------.Negative = True
.ColorOutput = idColorOutputModes.idSeparations
Rem Note the lowercase "i" in "Builtin"
.Trapping = idTrapping.idApplicationBuiltin
.Screening = "175 lpi/2400 dpi"
.Flip = idFlip.idNone
Rem The following options are only applicable if trapping is set to
Rem idTrapping.idAdobeInRIP.
If .Trapping = idTrapping.idAdobeInRIP Then
.PrintBlack = True
.PrintCyan = True
.PrintMagenta = True
.PrintYellow = True
End If
Rem Only change the ink angle and frequency when you want to override the
Rem screening set by the screening specified by the screening property.
Rem .BlackAngle = 45
Rem .BlackFrequency = 175
Rem .CyanAngle = 15
Rem .CyanFrequency = 175
Rem .MagentaAngle = 75
Rem .MagentaFreqency = 175
Rem .YellowAngle = 0
Rem .YellowFrequency = 175
Rem The following properties are not needed (because colorOutput
Rem is set to separations).
Rem .CompositeAngle = 45
Rem .CompositeFrequency = 175
Rem .SimulateOverprint = false
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the Graphics
Rem panel of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------.SendImageData = idImageDataTypes.idAllImageData
.FontDownloading = idFontDownloading.idComplete
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.DownloadPPDFonts = True
.DataFormat = idDataFormat.idBinary
.PostScriptLevel = idPostScriptLevels.idLevel3
If Err.Number <> 0 Then

49

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50

Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the Color
Rem Management panel of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem If the UseColorManagement property of myInDesign.ColorSettings is false,
Rem attempting to set the following properties will return an error.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.SourceSpace = SourceSpaces.useDocument
.Intent = RenderingIntent.useColorSettings
.CRD = ColorRenderingDictionary.useDocument
.Profile = Profile.postscriptCMS
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------Rem Properties corresponding to the controls in the
Rem Advanced panel of the Print dialog box.
Rem----------------------------------------------------------------------.OPIImageReplacement = False
.OmitBitmaps = False
.OmitEPS = False
.OmitPDF = False
Rem The following line assumes that you have a flattener
Rem preset named "high quality flattener".
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.FlattenerPresetName = "high quality flattener"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.IgnoreSpreadOverrides = False
End With

Printing with printer presets
To print a document using a printer preset, include the printer preset in the print command.

Exporting a Document as PDF
InDesign scripting offers full control over the creation of PDF files from your page-layout documents.

Exporting to PDF
The following script exports the current document as PDF, using the current PDF export options. (For the
complete script, see ExportPDF.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, "c:\myTestDocument.pdf",
False

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Exporting a Document as PDF

The following script fragment shows how to export to PDF using a PDF export preset. (For the complete
script, see ExportPDFWithPreset.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, "c:\myTestDocument.pdf",
False, myInDesign.PDFExportPresets.Item("[Press]")

Setting PDF export options
The following script sets the PDF export options before exporting. (For the complete script, see
ExportPDFWithOptions.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myInDesign.PDFExportPreferences
Rem Basic PDF output options.
.PageRange = idPageRange.idAllPages
.AcrobatCompatibility = idAcrobatCompatibility.idAcrobat6
.ExportGuidesAndGrids = False
.ExportLayers = False
.ExportNonprintingObjects = False
.ExportReaderSpreads = False
.GenerateThumbnails = False
On Error Resume Next
.IgnoreSpreadOverrides = False
.IncludeICCProfiles = True
On Error GoTo 0
.IncludeBookmarks = True
.IncludeHyperlinks = True
.IncludeSlugWithPDF = False
.IncludeStructure = False
.InteractiveElementsOption = idInteractiveElementsOptions.idDoNotInclude
Rem Setting subsetFontsBelow to zero disallows font subsetting
Rem set subsetFontsBelow to some other value to use font subsetting.
.SubsetFontsBelow = 0
Rem Bitmap compression/sampling/quality options
Rem (note the additional "s" in "compression").
.ColorBitmapCompression = idBitmapCompression.idZip
.ColorBitmapQuality = idCompressionQuality.idEightBit
.ColorBitmapSampling = idSampling.idNone
Rem ThresholdToCompressColor is not needed in this example.
Rem ColorBitmapSamplingDPI is not needed when
Rem ColorBitmapSampling is set to none.
.GrayscaleBitmapCompression = idBitmapCompression.idZip
.GrayscaleBitmapQuality = idCompressionQuality.idEightBit
.GrayscaleBitmapSampling = idSampling.idNone
Rem ThresholdToCompressGray is not needed in this
Rem example.
Rem GrayscaleBitmapSamplingDPI is not needed when
Rem GrayscaleBitmapSampling is set to none.
.MonochromeBitmapCompression = idBitmapCompression.idZip
.MonochromeBitmapSampling = idSampling.idNone
Rem ThresholdToCompressMonochrome is not needed in this example.
Rem MonochromeBitmapSamplingDPI is not needed when
Rem MonochromeBitmapSampling is set to none.
Rem Other compression options.
.CompressionType = idPDFCompressionType.idCompressNone
.CompressTextAndLineArt = True
.CropImagesToFrames = True
.OptimizePDF = True

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52

Rem Printers marks and prepress options.
Rem Get the bleed amounts from the document's bleed.
.BleedBottom = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedBottomOffset
.BleedTop = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedTopOffset
.BleedInside = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedInsideOrLeftOffset
.BleedOutside = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.DocumentPreferences.
DocumentBleedOutsideOrRightOffset
Rem If any bleed area is greater than zero, then export the bleed marks.
If ((.BleedBottom = 0) And (.BleedTop = 0) And (.BleedInside = 0) And
(.BleedOutside = 0)) Then
.BleedMarks = True
Else
.BleedMarks = False
End If
.ColorBars = True
Rem ColorTileSize and GrayTileSize are only used when
Rem the export format is set to JPEG2000.
Rem .ColorTileSize = 256
Rem .GrayTileSize = 256
.CropMarks = True
.OmitBitmaps = False
.OmitEPS = False
.OmitPDF = False
.PageInformationMarks = True
.PageMarksOffset = 12
.PDFColorSpace = idPDFColorSpace.idUnchangedColorSpace
.PDFMarkType = idMarkTypes.idDefault
.PrinterMarkWeight = idPDFMarkWeight.idP125pt
.RegistrationMarks = True
On Error Resume Next
.SimulateOverprint = False
On Error GoTo 0
.UseDocumentBleedWithPDF = True
Rem Set viewPDF to true to open the PDF in Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
.ViewPDF = False
End With
Rem Now export the document. You'll have to fill in your own file path.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, "c:\myTestDocument.pdf",
False

Exporting to grayscale PDF
An InDesign document that contains colors can be exported to a color PDF or to a grayscale PDF. You can
modify the script in the preceding “Setting PDF export options” on page 51 section to export in grayscale
by changing the idPDFColorSpace option from idUnchangedColorSpace to gray. For example:
With app.pdfExportPreferences
.PDFColorSpace = idPDFColorSpace.idGRAY
End With

(For a different script that creates a small document containing color and exports it to PDF in grayscale, see
GreyscalePDFforIDS.)

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Exporting a Document as PDF

53

Exporting a range of pages to PDF
The following script shows how to export a specified page range as PDF. (For the complete script, see
ExportPageRangeAsPDF.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Enter the names of the pages you want to export in the following line.
Rem Note that the page name is not necessarily the index of the page in the
Rem document (e.g., the first page of a document whose page numbering starts
Rem with page 21 will be "21", not 1).
myInDesign.PDFExportPreferences.PageRange = "1-3, 6, 9"
Rem Fill in your own file path.
myFile = "c:\myTestFile.pdf"
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, myFile, False

Exporting individual pages to PDF
The following script exports each page from a document as an individual PDF file. (For the complete script,
see ExportEachPageAsPDF.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Rem VBScript doesn't have a native "get folder" statement, so we'll use
Rem InDesign's JavaScript to display a folder browser.
myJavaScript = "myFolder = Folder.selectDialog(""Choose a Folder"");
myFolderName = myFolder.fsName;"
Rem Run the string "myJavaScript" as a JavaScript
myFolderName = myInDesign.DoScript(myJavaScript,
idScriptLanguage.idJavascript)
If myFileSystemObject.FolderExists(myFolderName) Then
myExportPages myInDesign, myDocument, myFolderName
End If
End If
Function myExportPages(myInDesign, myDocument, myFolderName)
myDocumentName = myDocument.Name
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
With myDialog
.Name = "ExportPages"
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .DialogRows.Add
With .StaticTexts.Add
.StaticLabel = "Base Name:"
End With
Set myBaseNameField = .TextEditboxes.Add
myBaseNameField.EditContents = myDocumentName
myBaseNameField.MinWidth = 160
End With
End With
End With
myResult = myDialog.Show
If myResult = True Then
myBaseName = myBaseNameField.EditContents
Rem Remove the dialog box from memory.
myDialog.Destroy
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Pages.Count

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Exporting a Document as PDF

54

myPageName = myDocument.Pages.Item(myCounter).Name
myInDesign.PDFExportPreferences.PageRange = myPageName
Rem Generate a file path from the folder name,
Rem the base document name, and the page name.
Rem Replace the colons in the page name (e.g., "Sec1:1") wtih
Rem underscores.
myPageName = Replace(myPageName, ":", "_")
myFilePath = myFolderName & "\" & myBaseName & "_" &
myPageName & ".pdf"
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, myFilePath, False
Next
Else
myDialog.Destroy
End If
End Function

Exporting PDF with interactive features
The following script exports a document with interactive features as a PDF. (For the complete script, see
ExportInteractivePDF.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument," add page transitions...
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Spreads.Count
myDocument.Spreads.Item(myCounter).PageTransitionType =
idPageTransitionTypeOptions.idWipeTransition
myDocument.Spreads.Item(myCounter).PageTransitionDirection =
idPageTransitionDirectionOptions.idDown
myDocument.Spreads.Item(myCounter).PageTransitionDuration =
idPageTransitionDurationOptions.idMedium
Next
myInDesign.InteractivePDFExportPreferences.FlipPages = True
myInDesign.InteractivePDFExportPreferences.FlipPagesSpeed = 5
myInDesign.InteractivePDFExportPreferences.OpenInFullScreen = True
myInDesign.InteractivePDFExportPreferences.InteractivePDFInteractiveElementsOption =
idInteractivePDFInteractiveElementsOptions.idIncludeAllMedia
Rem Export the document to PDF.
Rem You'll have to fill in your own file path.
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idInteractivePDF, "C:\InteractivePDF.pdf", False

Exporting as a PDF form
To create a PDF that contains form fields, you can either save the InDesign document as PDF, then open it
in Acrobat and apply form fields, or apply text fields, radio buttons, signature fields, and so on directly in
InDesign and export the document to PDF as a form with no additional Acrobat editing required.
The following script applies form elements to an InDesign document and exports the document as a PDF
form. (For the complete script, see ExportInteractivePDFForm.)

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55

Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
REM Create a textframe as firstname label
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 15, 20, 35)
myTextFrame.Contents = "FirstName: "
REM Create a textbox as firstname input box
Set myTextBox = myPage.TextBoxes.Add
myTextBox.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 40, 20, 75)
REM Create another textframe as lastname label
Set myTextFrame1 = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame1.GeometricBounds = Array(30, 15, 25, 35)
myTextFrame1.Contents = "LastName: "
REM Create another textbox as lastname input box
Set myTextBox = myPage.TextBoxes.Add
myTextBox.GeometricBounds = Array(30, 40, 25, 75)
REM Create a TextFrame to introduce the following checkbox
Set myTextFrame2 = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame2.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 80, 20, 95)
myTextFrame2.Contents = "Hobby: "
REM Create some CheckBoxes
Set myCheckBox = myPage.CheckBoxes.Add
myCheckBox.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 100, 20, 105)
myCheckBox.Name = "Football "
Set myTextFrame3 = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame3.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 107, 20, 125)
myTextFrame3.Contents = "Football "
Set myCheckBox1 = myPage.CheckBoxes.Add
myCheckBox1.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 130, 20, 135)
myCheckBox1.Name = "Basketball "
Set myTextFrame4 = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame4.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 137, 20, 160)
myTextFrame4.Contents = "Basketball "
Set myCheckBox2 = myPage.CheckBoxes.Add
myCheckBox2.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 165, 20, 170)
myCheckBox2.Name = "Pingpong "
Set myTextFrame5 = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame5.GeometricBounds = Array(15, 172, 20, 193)
myTextFrame5.Contents = "Pingpong "
REM Create a button for submit
Set submitButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
submitButton.GeometricBounds = Array(45, 15, 35, 35)
submitButton.Name = "Submit"
REM Fill contents to the button
Set myRightArrow1 = submitButton.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myRightArrow1.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Green")
myRightArrow1.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(15, 35),Array(35,40),Array(15,
45))
REM Add the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverState1 = submitButton.States.Add
REM Add a shadow to the polygon in the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverArrow1 = myRolloverState1.Polygons.Add
myRolloverArrow1.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Green")
myRolloverArrow1.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(15, 35),Array(35,40),Array(15,
45))
Set myFillTransparencySettings1 = myRolloverArrow1.FillTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings1.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop
myFillTransparencySettings1.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings1.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings1.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings1.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6

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56

REM Add a shadow to the polygon in the Click state.
Set myClickState1 = submitButton.States.Add
Set myClickArrow1 = myClickState1.Polygons.Add
myClickArrow1.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Blue")
myClickArrow1.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(15,
35),Array(35,40),Array(15,45))
REM Set the behavior for the button.
Set SubmitForm = submitButton.SubmitFormBehaviors.Add
SubmitForm.BehaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp
REM Create a button for print
Set printButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
printButton.GeometricBounds = Array(45, 40, 35, 60)
REM Fill contents to the button
Set myRightArrow2 = printButton.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myRightArrow2.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myRightArrow2.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(40, 35),Array(60,40),Array(40,
45))
REM Add the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverState2 = printButton.States.Add
REM Add a shadow to the polygon in the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverArrow2 = myRolloverState2.Polygons.Add
myRolloverArrow2.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myRolloverArrow2.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(40, 35),Array(60,40),Array(40,
45))
Set myFillTransparencySettings2 = myRolloverArrow2.FillTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings2.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop
myFillTransparencySettings2.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings2.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings2.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings2.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6
REM Add a shadow to the polygon in the Click state.
Set myClickState2 = printButton.States.Add
Set myClickArrow2 = myClickState2.Polygons.Add
myClickArrow2.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Blue")
myClickArrow2.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(40,
35),Array(60,40),Array(40,45))
REM Set the behavior for the button.
Set PrintForm = printButton.PrintFormBehaviors.Add
PrintForm.BehaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp
REM Export the document to PDF.
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idInteractivePDF, "C:\SubmitForm.pdf", False

Exporting Pages as EPS
When you export a document as EPS, InDesign saves each page of the file as a separate EPS graphic (an
EPS, by definition, can contain only a single page). If you export more than a single page, InDesign
appends the index of the page to the filename. The index of the page in the document is not necessarily
the name of the page (as defined by the section options for the section containing the page).

Exporting all pages to EPS
The following script exports the pages of the active document to one or more EPS files. (For the complete
script, see ExportAsEPS.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myFile = "c:\myTestFile.eps"
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idEPSType, myFile, False

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Exporting Pages as EPS

57

Exporting a range of pages to EPS
To control which pages are exported as EPS, set the page range property of the EPS export preferences to
a page-range string containing the page or pages you want to export, before exporting. (For the complete
script, see ExportPageRangeAsEPS.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Enter the name of the page you want to export in the following line.
Rem Note that the page name is not necessarily the index of the page in the
Rem document (e.g., the first page of a document whose page numbering starts
Rem with page 21 will be "21", not 1).
myInDesign.EPSExportPreferences.PageRange = "1-3, 6, 9"
Rem Fill in your own file path.
myFile = "c:\myTestFile.eps"
myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Export idExportFormat.idEPSType, myFile, False

Exporting as EPS with file naming
The following script exports each page as an EPS, but it offers more control over file naming than the
earlier example. (For the complete script, see ExportEachPageAsEPS.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Rem VBScript doesn't have a native "get folder" statement, so we'll use
Rem InDesign's JavaScript to display a folder browser.
myJavaScript = "myFolder = Folder.selectDialog(""Choose a Folder"");
myFolderName = myFolder.fsName;"
Rem Run the string "myJavaScript" as a JavaScript
myFolderName = myInDesign.DoScript(myJavaScript,
idScriptLanguage.idJavascript)
If myFileSystemObject.FolderExists(myFolderName) Then
myExportEPSPages myInDesign, myDocument, myFolderName
End If
End If
Function myExportEPSPages(myInDesign, myDocument, myFolderName)
myDocumentName = myDocument.Name
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
With myDialog
.Name = "ExportPages"
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .DialogRows.Add
With .StaticTexts.Add
.StaticLabel = "Base Name:"
End With
Set myBaseNameField = .TextEditboxes.Add
myBaseNameField.EditContents = myDocumentName
myBaseNameField.MinWidth = 160
End With
End With
End With
myResult = myDialog.Show
If myResult = True Then
myBaseName = myBaseNameField.EditContents
Rem Remove the dialog box from memory.
myDialog.Destroy
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Pages.Count

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58

myPageName = myDocument.Pages.Item(myCounter).Name
myInDesign.EPSExportPreferences.PageRange = myPageName
Rem Generate a file path from the folder name, the base document
Rem name, and the page name.
Rem Replace the colons in the page name (e.g., "Sec1:1") with
Rem underscores.
myPageName = Replace(myPageName, ":", "_")
myFilePath = myFolderName & "\" & myBaseName & "_" & _
myPageName & ".eps"
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idEPSType, myFilePath, False
Next
Else
myDialog.Destroy
End If
End Function

Exporting to EPub
InDesign scripting offers full control over the creation of EPub files from your page-layout documents.

Exporting the current document
The following script exports the current document as EPub, using default options. (For the complete script,
see ExportEPub.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idEPUB, "C:\test\ExportEPub.epub", False

To give the user more control over the the creation of EPub files, specify true for the third parameter. This
opens the EPub export options dialog.

Setting EPub export options
The following script sets the EPub export options before exporting. (For the complete script, see
ExportEPubWithOptions.)
Rem Sets EPub export options, then exports the active document as EPub.
With myDocument.EPubExportPreferences
Rem Apply image alignment to anchored object settings.
.ApplyImageAlignmentToAnchoredObjectSettings = False
Rem The unit of space.
.SpaceUnit = idSpaceUnitType.idCssEm
Rem The unit of margin.
.MarginUnit = idSpaceUnitType.idCssEm
Rem Bottom margin of the epub.
.BottomMargin = 5
Rem Left margin of the epub.
.LeftMargin = 5
Rem Right margin of the epub.
.RightMargin = 5
Rem Top margin of the epub.
.TopMargin = 5
Rem If true, break InDesign document into smaller pieces when generating epub.

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Exporting to EPub

.BreakDocument = False
Rem The bullet export option.
.BulletExportOption = idBulletListExportOption.idAsText
.CSSExportOption = idStyleSheetExportOption.idEmbeddedCSS
.CustomImageSizeOption = idImageSizeOption.idSizeRelativeToPageWidth
.EmbedFont = True
.EpubCover = idEpubCover.idFirstPage
Rem This will take effect only when EpubCover is set to idExternalImage.
Rem .CoverImageFile = "C:\conver.jpg"
.EpubPublisher = "Adobe Devtech"
Rem The export order.
.ExportOrder = idExportOrder.idLayoutOrder
Rem If true, output foornoteimmediately after its paragraph.
.FootnoteFollowParagraph = False
Rem If true, export epub in XHTML format. Otherwise, in DTBook format.
.Format = True
.GIFOptionsInterlaced = True
.GIFOptionsPalette = idGIFOptionsPalette.idWindowsPalette
Rem The epub unique identifier, like ISBN.
.Id = "123"
Rem Ignore object level image conversion settings.
.IgnoreObjectConversionSettings = True
Rem Alignment applied to images.
.ImageAlignment = idImageAlignmentType.idAlignCenter
Rem The file format to use for converted images.
Rem Valid only when copy optimized images and/or copy formatted images is true.
.ImageConversion = idImageConversion.idAutomatic
.ImageExportResolution = idImageResolution.idPpi150
Rem Image page break settings to be used with objects.
.ImagePageBreak = idImagePageBreakType.idPageBreakAfter
Rem Space After applied to images.
.ImageSpaceAfter = 2
Rem Space Before applied to images.
.ImageSpaceBefore = 2
Rem If true, include CSS definition.
.IncludeCSSDefinition = True
Rem If true, output document metadata into epub.
.IncludeDocumentMetadata = True
.JPEGOptionsFormat = idJPEGOptionsFormat.idBaselineEncoding
.JPEGOptionsQuality = idJPEGOptionsQuality.idHigh
Rem The PNG compression level.
.Level = 5
.NumberedListExportOption = idNumberedListExportOption.idAsText
Rem If true, format image based on layout appearence.

59

CHAPTER 3: Documents

Exporting to EPub

.PreserveLayoutAppearence = True
Rem If true, output local style override.
.PreserveLocalOverride = True
.StripSoftReturn = True
Rem If true, image page break settings will be used in objects.
.UseImagePageBreak = True
Rem Use InDesign TOC style to generate epub TOC.
.UseTocStyle = True
.ViewDocumentAfterExport = False
End With
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idEPUB, "C:\test\ExportEPubWithOptions.epub", False

60

4

Working with Layers

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

InDesign’s layers are the key to controlling the stacking order of objects in your layout. You can think of
layers as transparent planes stacked on top of each other. You also can use layers as an organizational tool,
putting one type of content on a given layer or set of layers.
A document can contain one or more layers, and each document includes at least one layer. Layers are
document wide, not bound to specific pages or spreads.
This chapter covers scripting techniques related to layers in an InDesign layout and discusses common
operations involving layers.

Understanding the Layer Object Model
The following figure shows the layer object model. Note the following about the diagram:


It focuses on the location of a layer and its contents in the context of the object hierarchy of a
document; it does not attempt to show all the other ways a script might work with the content of a
layer (e.g., you can get a reference to a text-frame object from a story, text object, page, or spread, in
addition to finding it inside a layer object).



It uses the JavaScript form of the object names; however, the object hierarchy is the same in all
scripting languages.



The basic properties of a layer are shown in the column at the left of the figure; the objects that may
be contained by the layer object, at the right.

It is important to note the distinction between the page-items collection and the AllPageItems
collection. The former is a collection containing only the top-level page items in a layer. If a page item is
inside a group, for example, it will not appear in the PageItems collection. In contrast, the AllPageItems
collection is a flattened collection of all page items assigned to the layer, regardless of their location in the
object hierarchy. A page item inside a group on the layer would appear in the AllPageItems collection.
Similarly, the AllGraphics property contains all graphics stored in page items assigned to the layer,
regardless of their location in the object hierarchy.

61

CHAPTER 4: Working with Layers

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62

Scripting Layers
In InDesign’s user interface, you add, delete, rearrange, duplicate, and merge layers using the Layers panel.
You also can change the layer to which a selected page item is assigned by dragging and dropping the
layer proxy in the Layers panel. (For more on assigning objects to a layer, see the InDesign online help.)
This section shows how to accomplish these tasks using InDesign scripting.

Creating layers
The following script fragment shows how to create a new layer. (For the complete script, see AddLayer.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add()

When you create a new layer, the layer appears above all other layers in the document.

Referring to layers
InDesign scripting offers several ways to refer to a layer object. This section describes the most common
ways to refer to layers.

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63

Getting the active layer
The active layer is the layer on which new objects are created. You can get the active layer using scripting,
as shown in the following script fragment. (For the complete script, see ActiveLayer.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myLayer = myDocument.ActiveLayer

Referring to layers by layer index
You can get a reference to a layer using the index of the layer in the layers collection of a document. The
script fragment below uses the layer index to iterate through layers. (For the complete script, see
HideOtherLayers.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myTargetLayer = myDocument.ActiveLayer
For myCounter = 1 to myDocument.Layers.Count
Rem If the layer is not the target layer, hide it.
If myDocument.Layers.Item(myCounter).Name <> myTargetLayer.Name Then
myDocument.Layers.Item(myCounter).Visible = False
End If
Next

Note that you can use negative numbers to refer to the layers in the layers collection of a document. Layer
-1 refers to the last (bottom) layer in the collection.

Referring to layers by layer name
You also can get a reference to a layer using the name of the layer, as shown in the following script
fragment. (For the complete script, see LayerName.)
Rem Given a reference to the InDesign Application object "myInDesign"...
Set myLayer = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Layers.Item("Text Layer")

Using relative references
Given a layer, you can refer to the layer above using the PreviousItem method, or refer to the layer below
using the NextItem method, as shown in the following script fragment. (For the complete script, see
RelativeLayerReferences.) Both methods take a reference layer as a parameter.
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item(5)
myDocument.activeLayer = myLayer
Set myNextLayer = myDocument.Layers.NextItem(myLayer)
Set myPreviousLayer = myDocument.Layers.PreviousItem(myLayer)
myString = "The layer below the target layer is " & myNextLayer.name & VBCr
myString = myString & "The layer above the target layer is " & myPreviousLayer.name
MsgBox(myString)

The PreviousItem and NextItem methods return an invalid layer reference if the specified (next or
previous) layer does not exist, rather than generating an error.

CHAPTER 4: Working with Layers

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64

Referring to ranges of layers
To refer to a series of layers, you can use the ItemByRange method. The following script fragment shows
how to get a reference to a range of layers, then set a property on all layers in the range. (For the complete
script, see HideLayersAbove.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item(5)
myDocument.ActiveLayer = myLayer
Rem Now hide all of the layers above the current layer.
Set myLayers = myDocument.Layers.ItemByRange(1, myTargetLayer.Index - 1)
Rem Iterate through the range of layers.
For myCounter = 1 To myLayers.Count
myLayers.Item(myCounter).Visible = False
Next

Deleting layers
Use the Delete method to delete a layer from a specific document, as shown in the following script
fragment. (For the complete script, see DeleteLayer.) You cannot delete the last remaining layer in a
document.
Rem Given a document "myDocument" containing a layer named "Delete This Layer"...
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Delete This Layer")
myLayer.Delete()

Moving layers
Use the move method to change the stacking order of layers in a document, as shown in the following
script fragment. (For the complete script, see MoveLayer.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument" containing at least two layers...
Set myLayerA = myDocument.Layers.Item(1)
Set myLayerB = myDocument.Layers.ITem(2)
myLayerA.Move idLocationOptions.idAfter,myLayerB

Duplicating layers
Use the duplicate method to create a copy of a layer, as shown in the following script fragment. (For the
complete script, see DuplicateLayer.)
Rem Given a layer "myLayer"...
Set myNewLayer = myLayer.Duplicate()

Merging layers
The following script fragment shows how to merge two or more layers, including the page items assigned
to them, into a single layer. (For the complete script, see MergeLayers.)
Rem Given the layers "myLayer1" and "myLayer2"...
myLayer1.Merge(myLayer2)

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65

Assigning page items to layers
You can assign a page item to a layer by either referring to the layer when you create the page item (the
add method of all page items can take a layer as a parameter) or setting the ItemLayer property of an
existing page item. The following script fragment shows how to assign a page item to a layer using both
techniques. (For the complete script, see AssignPageItemsToLayers.)
Rem Given a reference to a page "myPage," and a document "myDocument,"
Rem create a text frame on a layer named "TextFrames"
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add(myDocument.Layers.Item("TextFrames"))
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem Create a rectangle on the current target layer.
Set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myRectangle.geometricBounds = Array(72, 144, 144, 216)
Rem Move the rectangle to a specific layer.
myRectangle.ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Rectangles")
Rem Create a series of ovals.
For myCounter = 72 To 172 Step 10
Set myOval = myPage.Ovals.Add
myOval.geometricBounds = Array(216, myCounter, 226, myCounter + 10)
Next
Rem Move all of the ovals on the page to a specific layer.
For myCounter = 1 To myPage.Ovals.Count
myPage.Ovals.Item(myCounter).ItemLayer = myDocument.Layers.Item("Ovals")
Next

Setting layer properties
Layer properties control the layer name, color, visibility, and other attributes of a layer. This section shows
how to work with layer properties.

Setting basic layer properties
Basic layer properties include the name of the layer, the highlight color of the layer, the visibility of the
layer, and whether text objects on the layer ignore text-wrap settings. The following script fragment shows
how to set these basic properties of a layer. (For the complete script, see BasicLayerProperties.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
myLayer.Name = "myLayer"
myLayer.LayerColor = idUIColors.idCHARCOAL
myLayer.IgnoreWrap = False
myLayer.Visible = True

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66

Working with layer guides
Guides can be assigned to a specific layer, just like page items. You can choose to show or hide the guides
for a layer, and you can lock or unlock the guides on a layer. The following script fragment shows how to
work with the guides on a layer. (For the complete script, see LayerGuides.)
Rem
Rem
Set
Rem
For

Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" containing at least one guide...
Create a new layer.
myLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add
Move all of the guides on the page to the new layer.
myCounter = 1 to myPaqe.Guides.Count
myPage.Guides.Item(myCounter).ItemLayer = myLayer
Next
myLayer.LockGuides = True
myLayer.ShowGuides = True

Controlling layer printing and visibility
You can control the printing and visibility of objects on a layer, as shown in the following script fragment.
(For the complete script, see LayerControl.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument" containing layers named "Background,"
Rem "Language A,", "Language B," and "Language C," export the "Background"
Rem layer and each "Language" layer to PDF as separate PDF files...
Set myFileSystemObject = New FileSystemObject
Set myFolder = myFileSystemObject.GetSpecialFolder(TemporaryFolder)
myPath = myFolder.ParentFolder.ParentFolder.Path & "\Desktop\"
For myCounter = 1 To 3
Select Case myCounter
Case 1:
myVersion = "Language A"
Case 2:
myVersion = "Language B"
Case 3:
myVersion = "Language C"
End Select
For myLanguageCounter = 1 To myDocument.Layers.Count
If myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).name = myVersion Or
myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).name = "Background" Then
myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).Visible = True
myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).Printable = True
Else
myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).Visible = False
myDocument.Layers.Item(myLanguageCounter).Printable = False
End If
Next
myFilePath = myPath & myVersion & ".pdf"
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idPDFType, myFilePath
Next

CHAPTER 4: Working with Layers

Scripting Layers

Locking layers
Layers can be locked, which means the page items on the layers cannot be edited. The following script
fragment shows how to lock and unlock layers. (For the complete script, see LockLayersBelow.)
Rem Given a document "myDocument"...
Set myTargetLayer = myDocument.ActiveLayer
Set myLayers = myDocument.Layers.ItemByRange(myDocument.Layers.Count,
myTargetLayer.Index + 1)
For myCounter = 1 To myLayers.Count
myLayers.Item(myCounter).Locked = True
Next

67

5

Text and Type

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Updated

Added section “Fitting text frames to content” on page 87.

Entering, editing, and formatting text are the tasks that make up the bulk of the time spent working on
most InDesign documents. Because of this, automating text and type operations can result in large
productivity gains.
This chapter shows how to script the most common operations involving text and type. The sample scripts
in this chapter are presented in order of complexity, starting with very simple scripts and building toward
more complex operations.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script. We also assume that you have some knowledge of working with text in InDesign and
understand basic typesetting terms.

Entering and Importing Text
This section covers the process of getting text into your InDesign documents. Just as you can type text into
text frames and place text files using the InDesign user interface, you can create text frames, insert text
into a story, or place text files on pages using scripting.

Creating a text frame
The following script creates a text frame, sets the bounds (size) of the frame, then enters text in the frame
(for the complete script, see the MakeTextFrame tutorial script):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
Rem Set the bounds of the text frame.
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 288, 288)
Rem Enter text in the text frame.
myTextFrame.Contents = "This is some example text."

The following script shows how to create a text frame that is the size of the area defined by the page
margins. myGetBounds is a useful function that you can add to your own scripts, and it appears in many
other examples in this chapter. (For the complete script, see MakeTextFrameWithinMargins.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Create a text frame on the current page.
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
Rem Set the bounds of the text frame.
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
Rem Enter text in the text frame.
myTextFrame.Contents = "This is some example text."

The following script fragment shows the myGetBounds function.
68

CHAPTER 5: Text and Type

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69

Function myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
myPageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
myPageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
If myPage.Side = idPageSideOptions.idLeftHand Then
myX2 = myPage.MarginPreferences.Left
myX1 = myPage.MarginPreferences.Right
Else
myX1 = myPage.MarginPreferences.Left
myX2 = myPage.MarginPreferences.Right
End If
myY1 = myPage.marginPreferences.Top
myX2 = myPageWidth - myX2
myY2 = myPageHeight - myPage.MarginPreferences.Bottom
myGetBounds = Array(myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2)
End Function

Adding text
To add text to a story, use the contents property of the insertion point at the location where you want to
insert the text. The following sample script uses this technique to add text at the end of a story (for the
complete script, see AddText):
set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Add text at the end of the text in the text frame.
Rem To do this, we'll use the last insertion point in the story.
Rem (vbCr is a return character, "&" concatenates two strings.)
myNewText = "This is a new paragraph of example text."
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = vbCr & myNewText

Stories and text frames
All text in an InDesign layout is part of a story, and every story can contain one or more text frames.
Creating a text frame creates a story, and stories can contain multiple text frames.
In the preceding script, we added text at the end of the parent story rather than at the end of the text
frame. This is because the end of the text frame might not be the end of the story; that depends on the
length and formatting of the text. By adding the text to the end of the parent story, we can guarantee that
the text is added, regardless of the composition of the text in the text frame.
You always can get a reference to the story using the ParentTextFrame property of a text frame. It can be
useful to work with the text of a story instead of the text of a text frame; the following script demonstrates
the difference. The alerts shows that the text frame does not contain the overset text, but the story does
(for the complete script, see StoryAndTextFrame).
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Now add text beyond the end of the text frame.
myTextFrame.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = vbCr & "This is some overset text"
myString = myTextFrame.Contents
MsgBox ("The last paragraph in this alert should be ""This is some overset text"". Is
it?" & vbCr & myString)
myString = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Contents
MsgBox ("The last paragraph in this alert should be ""This is some overset text"". Is
it?" & vbCr & myString)

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For more on understanding the relationships between text objects in an InDesign document, see
“Understanding Text Objects” on page 78.

Replacing text
The following script replaces a word with a phrase by changing the contents of the appropriate object (for
the complete script, see ReplaceWord):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Replace the third word with the phrase
Rem "a little bit of".
myTextFrame.ParentStory.Words.Item(3).contents = "a little bit of"

The following script replaces the text in a paragraph (for the complete script, see ReplaceText):
Rem Replace the text in the second paragraph without replacing
Rem the return character at the end of the paragraph. To do this,
Rem we'll use the ItemByRange method.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myStartCharacter = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(2).Characters.Item(1)
Set myEndCharacter = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(2).Characters.Item(-2)
myTextFrame.Texts.ItemByRange(myStartCharacter, myEndCharacter).Item(1).Contents =
"This text replaces the text in paragraph 2."

In the preceding script, we used the ItemByRange method to get a reference to the text of the paragraph
(excluding the return character at the end of the paragraph), as a single text object. We excluded the
return character because deleting the return might change the paragraph style applied to the paragraph.
To use the ItemByRange method, we used the texts collection of the story, but we supplied two
characters—the starting and ending characters of the paragraph—as parameters. If we used
myTextFrame.ParentStory.Characters.ItemByRange, InDesign would return a collection of
Character objects. We wanted one Text object, so we could replace the contents in one action.

Inserting special characters
Because most VBScript editors support Unicode, you can simply enter Unicode characters in text strings
that you send to InDesign. The following script shows several ways to enter special characters. (We
omitted the myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68”
or in the SpecialCharacters tutorial script.)

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Entering special characters directly.
myTextFrame.contents = "Registered trademark: Æ" & vbCr & "Copyright: ©" & vbCr &
"Trademark: ?" & vbCr & ""
Rem Entering special characters by their Unicode glyph ID
Rem value ("&H" indicates a hexadecimal number):
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = "Not equal to: " &
ChrW(&H2260) & vbCr & "Square root: " & ChrW(&H221A) & vbCr & "Paragraph: " & ChrW(&HB6)
& vbCr
Rem Entering InDesign special characters by their enumerations:
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = "Page number marker:"
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idAutoPageNumber
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = vbCr
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = "Section symbol:"
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idSectionSymbol
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = vbCr
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = "En dash:"
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents =
idSpecialCharacters.idEnDash
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).contents = vbCr

The easiest way to find the Unicode ID for a character is to use InDesign’s Glyphs palette: move the cursor
over a character in the palette, and InDesign displays its Unicode value. To learn more about Unicode, visit
http://www.unicode.org.

Placing Text and Setting Text-Import Preferences
In addition to entering text strings, you can place text files created using word processors and text editors.
The following script shows how to place a text file on a document page (for the complete script, see
PlaceTextFile):
Set
Set
myX
myY
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Set
Rem
Rem
Rem

myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
= myPage.MarginPreferences.Left
= myPage.MarginPreferences.Top
Autoflow a text file on the current page.
Parameters for Page.place():
File as File object,
[PlacePoint as Array [x, y]]
[DestinationLayer as Layer object]
[ShowingOptions as Boolean = False]
[Autoflowing as Boolean = False]
You'll have to fill in your own file path.
myTextFrame = myPage.Place("c:\test.txt", Array(myX, myY), , False, True)
Note that if the PlacePoint parameter is inside a file, only the vertical (y)
coordinate will be honored--the text frame will expand horizontally
to fit the column.

The following script shows how to place a text file in an existing text frame. (We omitted the myGetBounds
function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the
PlaceTextFileInFrame tutorial script.)

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Place a text file in the text frame.
Rem Parameters for TextFrame.place():
Rem File as string,
Rem [ShowingOptions as Boolean = False]
Rem You'll have to fill in your own file path.
myTextFrame.Place "c:\test.txt"

The following script shows how to insert a text file at a specific location in text. (We omitted the
myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the
InsertTextFile tutorial script.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Create a text frame.
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
myTextFrame.Contents = "Inserted text file follows:" & vbCr
Rem Place a text file at the end of the text.
Rem Parameters for InsertionPoint.place():
Rem File as string (file path),
Rem [ShowingOptions as Boolean = False]
Rem You'll have to fill in your own file path.
myTextFrame.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Place "c:\test.txt"

To specify the import options for the specific type of text file you are placing, use the corresponding
import-preferences object. The following script shows how to set text-import preferences (for the
complete script, see TextImportPreferences). The comments in the script show the possible values for each
property.
With myInDesign.TextImportPreferences
Rem Options for characterSet: idTextImportCharacterSet
.CharacterSet = idTextImportCharacterSet.idUTF8
.ConvertSpacesIntoTabs = True
.SpacesIntoTabsCount = 3
Rem Dictionary can take many values, such as French, Italian.
.Dictionary = "English: USA"
Rem platform options: idImportPlatform
.Platform = idImportPlatform.idPC
.StripReturnsBetweenLines = True
.StripReturnsBetweenParagraphs = True
.UseTypographersQuotes = True
End With

The following script shows how to set tagged text import preferences (for the complete script, see
TaggedTextImportPreferences):
With myInDesign.TaggedTextImportPreferences
.RemoveTextFormatting = False
Rem .styleConflict property can be:
Rem idStyleConflict.idPublicationDefinition
Rem idStyleConflict.idTagFileDefinition
.StyleConflict = idStyleConflict.idPublicationDefinition
.UseTypographersQuotes = True
End With

The following script shows how to set Word and RTF import preferences (for the complete script, see
WordRTFImportPreferences):

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With myInDesign.WordRTFImportPreferences
Rem convertPageBreaks property can be:
Rem idConvertPageBreaks.idColumnBreak
Rem idConvertPageBreaks.idNone
Rem idConvertPageBreaks.idPageBreak
.ConvertPageBreaks = idConvertPageBreaks.idNone
Rem convertTablesTo property can be:
Rem idConvertTablesOptions.idUnformattedTabbedText
Rem idConvertTablesOptions.idUnformattedTable
.ConvertTablesTo = idConvertTablesOptions.idUnformattedTable
.ImportEndnotes = True
.ImportFootnotes = True
.ImportIndex = True
.ImportTOC = True
.ImportUnusedStyles = False
.PreserveGraphics = False
.PreserveLocalOverrides = False
.PreserveTrackChanges = False
.RemoveFormatting = False
Rem resolveCharacterStyleClash and resolveParagraphStyleClash properties can be:
Rem idResolveStyleClash.idResolveClashAutoRename
Rem idResolveStyleClash.iduseExisting
Rem idResolveStyleClash.iduseNew
.ResolveCharacterStyleClash = idResolveStyleClash.idResolveClashUseExisting
.ResolveParagraphStyleClash = idResolveStyleClash.idResolveClashUseExisting
.UseTypographersQuotes = True
End With

The following script shows how to set Excel import preferences (for the complete script, see
ExcelImportPreferences):
With myInDesign.ExcelImportPreferences
Rem alignmentStyle property can be:
Rem AlignmentStyleOptions.centerAlign
Rem AlignmentStyleOptions.leftAlign
Rem AlignmentStyleOptions.rightAlign
Rem AlignmentStyleOptions.spreadsheet
.AlignmentStyle = idAlignmentStyleOptions.idSpreadsheet
.DecimalPlaces = 4
.PreserveGraphics = False
Rem Enter the range you want to import as "start cell:end cell".
.RangeName = "A1:B16"
.SheetIndex = 1
.SheetName = "pathpoints"
.ShowHiddenCells = False
Rem tableFormatting property can be:
Rem idTableFormattingOptions.idExcelFormattedTable
Rem idTableFormattingOptions.idExcelUnformattedTabbedText
Rem idTableFormattingOptions.idExcelUnformattedTable
.TableFormatting = idTableFormattingOptions.idExcelFormattedTable
.UseTypographersQuotes = True
.ViewName = ""
End With

Exporting Text and Setting Text-Export Preferences
The following script shows how to export text from an InDesign document. Note that you must use text or
story objects to export into text file formats; you cannot export all text in a document in one operation.

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(We omitted the myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on
page 68,” or see the ExportTextFile tutorial script.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Text export method parameters:
Rem Format as idExportFormat
Rem To As File
Rem [ShowingOptions As Boolean = False]
Rem
Rem Format parameter can be:
Rem idExportFormat.idInCopy
Rem idExportFormat.idInCopyCS2Story
Rem idExportFormat.idRTF
Rem idExportFormat.idTaggedText
Rem idExportFormat.idTextType
Rem
Rem Export the story as text. You'll have to fill in a valid file path on your system.
myTextFrame.ParentStory.Export idExportFormat.idTextType, "C:\test.txt"

The following example shows how to export a specific range of text. (We omitted the myGetBounds
function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the ExportTextRange
tutorial script.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
Set myStartCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).Characters.Item(1)
Set myEndCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).Characters.Item(-1)
Set myText = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Texts.ItemByRange(myStartCharacter,
myEndCharacter).Item(1)
Rem Text export method parameters:
Rem Format as idExportFormat
Rem To As File
Rem [ShowingOptions As Boolean = False]
Rem
Rem Format parameter can be:
Rem idExportFormat.idInCopy
Rem idExportFormat.idInCopyCS2Story
Rem idExportFormat.idRTF
Rem idExportFormat.idTaggedText
Rem idExportFormat.idTextType
Rem
Rem Export the text range. You'll have to fill in a valid file path on your system.
myText.Export idExportFormat.idTextType, "C:\test.txt"

To specify the export options for the specific type of text file you’re exporting, use the corresponding
export preferences object. The following script sets text-export preferences (for the complete script, see
TextExportPreferences):
With myInDesign.TextExportPreferences
Rem Options for characterSet: idTextExportCharacterSet
.CharacterSet = idTextExportCharacterSet.idUTF8
Rem platform options: idImportPlatform
.Platform = idImportPlatform.idPC
End With

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The following script sets tagged text export preferences (for the complete script, see
TaggedTextExportPreferences):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myInDesign.TaggedTextExportPreferences
Rem Options for characterSet:
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idAnsi
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idASCII
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idGB18030
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idKSC5601
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idShiftJIS
Rem idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idUnicode
.CharacterSet = idTagTextExportCharacterSet.idUnicode
Rem tagForm options:
Rem idTagTextForm.idAbbreviated
Rem idTagTextForm.idVerbose
.TagForm = idTagTextForm.idVerbose
End With

You cannot export all text in a document in one step. Instead, you need to either combine the text in the
document into a single story and then export that story, or combine the text files by reading and writing
files via scripting. The following script demonstrates the former approach. (We omitted the myGetBounds
function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the ExportAllText
tutorial script.) For any format other than text only, the latter method can become quite complex.
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
If myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Stories.Count <> 0 Then
myExportAllText myInDesign, myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Name
End If
End If

Here is the ExportAllText function referred to in the preceding fragment:

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Function myExportAllText(myInDesign, myDocumentName)
mySeparatorString = "----------------------------------------" & vbCr
Rem If you want to add a separator line between stories,
Rem set myAddSeparator to true.
myAddSeparator = True
Set myNewDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(myDocumentName)
Set myTextFrame = myNewDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = myGetBounds(myNewDocument,
myNewDocument.Pages.Item(1))
Set myNewStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Stories.Count
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(myCounter)
myStory.texts.item(1).duplicate idLocationOptions.idAfter,
myNewStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1)
Rem If the text did not end with a return, enter a return
Rem to keep the stories from running together.
If myCounter <> myDocument.Stories.Count Then
If myNewStory.Characters.Item(-1).Contents <> vbCr Then
myNewStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = vbCr
End If
If myAddSeparator = True Then
myNewStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = mySeparatorString
End If
End If
Next
myNewStory.Export idExportFormat.idTaggedText, "c:\test.txt"
myNewDocument.Close idSaveOptions.idNo
End Function

Do not assume that you are limited to exporting text using existing export filters. Because VBScript can
write text files to disk, you can have your script traverse the text in a document and export it in any order
you like, using whatever text mark-up scheme you prefer. Here is a very simple example that shows how to
export InDesign text as HTML. (We omitted the myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in
“Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the ExportHTML tutorial script.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Use the myStyleToTagMapping dictionary to set
Rem up your paragraph style to tag mapping.
Set myStyleToTagMapping = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
Rem For each style to tag mapping, add a new item to the dictionary.
myStyleToTagMapping.Add "body_text", "p"
myStyleToTagMapping.Add "heading1", "h1"
myStyleToTagMapping.Add "heading2", "h2"
myStyleToTagMapping.Add "heading3", "h3"
Rem End of style to tag mapping.
If myDocument.Stories.Count <> 0 Then
Rem Open a new text file.
Set myDialog = CreateObject("UserAccounts.CommonDialog")
myDialog.Filter = "HTML Files|*.html|All Files|*.*"
myDialog.FilterIndex = 1
myDialog.InitialDir = "C:\"
myResult = myDialog.ShowOpen
Rem If the user clicked the Cancel button, the result is null.
If myResult = True Then
myTextFileName = myDialog.FileName
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myTextFile = myFileSystemObject.CreateTextFile(myTextFileName)
For myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Stories.Count
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(myCounter)

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For myParagraphCounter = 1 To myStory.Paragraphs.Count
Set myParagraph = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myParagraphCounter)
If myParagraph.Tables.Count = 0 Then
If myParagraph.TextStyleRanges.Count = 1 Then
Rem If the paragraph is a simple paragraph--no tables,
Rem no local formatting--then simply export the text
Rem of the pararaph with the appropriate tag.
myTag = myStyleToTagMapping.Item(myParagraph.
AppliedParagraphStyle.Name)
Rem If the tag comes back empty, map it to the basic paragraph tag.
If myTag = "" Then
myTag = "p"
End If
myStartTag = "<" & myTag & ">"
myEndTag = ""
Rem If the paragraph is not the last paragraph in the story,
Rem omit the return character.
If myParagraph.Characters.Item(-1).Contents = vbCr Then
myString = myParagraph.Texts.ItemByRange(myParagraph.
Characters.Item(1), myParagraph.Characters.Item(-2)).
Item(1).Contents
Else
myString = myParagraph.Contents
End If
Rem Write the paragraphs' text to the text file.
myTextFile.WriteLine myStartTag & myString & myEndTag
Else
Rem Handle text style range export by iterating
Rem through the text style ranges in the paragraph..
For myRangeCounter = 1 To myParagraph.TextStyleRanges.Length
myTextStyleRange = myParagraph.TextStyleRanges.Item
(myRangeCounter)
If myTextStyleRange.Characters.Item(-1) = vbCr Then
myString = myTextStyleRange.Texts.ItemByRange
(myTextStyleRange.Characters.Item(1),
myTextStyleRange.Characters.Item(-2)).Item(1).Contents
Else
myString = myTextStyleRange.Contents
End If
Select Case myTextStyleRange.FontStyle
Case "Bold":
myString = "" & myString & ""
Case "Italic":
myString = "" & myString & ""
End Select
myTextFile.write myString
Next
myTextFile.write vbCr
End If
Else
Rem Handle table export (assumes that there is
Rem only one table per paragraph,
Rem and that the table is in the paragraph by itself).
Set myTable = myParagraph.Tables.Item(1)
myTextFile.write ""
For myRowCounter = 1 To myTable.Rows.Count
myTextFile.write ""
For myColumnCounter = 1 To myTable.Columns.Count
If myRowCounter = 1 Then
myString = ""
Else
myString = ""
End If
myTextFile.write myString
Next
myTextFile.WriteLine ""
Next
myTextFile.WriteLine "
" & myTable.Rows.Item(myRowCounter).

CHAPTER 5: Text and Type

Understanding Text Objects

Cells.Item(myColumnCounter).Texts.Item(1).Contents &
"
" & myTable.Rows.Item(myRowCounter).
Cells.Item(myColumnCounter).Texts.Item(1).Contents &
"
"
End If
Next
Rem Close the text file.
myTextFile.Close
Next
End If
End If

Here is the myFindTag function referred to in the above script:
function myFindTag (myStyleName, myStyleToTagMapping){
var myTag = "";
var myDone = false;
var myCounter = 0;
do{
if(myStyleToTagMapping[myCounter][0] == myStyleName){
myTag = myStyleToTagMapping[myCounter][1];
break;
}
myCounter ++;
} while((myDone == false)||(myCounter < myStyleToTagMapping.length))
return myTag;
}

Understanding Text Objects
The following diagram shows a view of InDesign’s text object model. As you can see, there are two main
types of text object: layout objects (text frames) and text-stream objects (for example, stories, insertion
points, characters, and words):

78

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79

document

story

spread, page, layer

insertion points

text containers

characters

text frame

words

insertion points

lines

characters

paragraphs

words

text columns

lines

text style ranges

paragraphs

texts

text columns

notes

text style ranges
texts
notes

There are many ways to get a reference to a given text object. The following diagram shows a few ways to
refer to the first character in the first text frame of the first page of a new document:
document
pages.item(0)
textFrames.item(0)
characters.item(0)
textFrames.item(0)
paragraphs.item(0)
characters.item(0)
stories.item(0)
characters.item(0)
stories.item(0)
paragraphs.item(0)
characters.item(0)

For any text stream object, the parent of the object is the story containing the object. To get a reference to
the text frame (or text frames) containing the text object, use the ParentTextFrames property.

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For a text frame, the parent of the text frame usually is the page or spread containing the text frame. If the
text frame is inside a group or was pasted inside another page item, the parent of the text frame is the
containing page item. If the text frame was converted to an anchored frame, the parent of the text frame
is the character containing the anchored frame.

Working with text selections
Text-related scripts often act on a text selection. The following script demonstrates a way to determine
whether the current selection is a text selection. Unlike many of the other sample scripts, this script does
not actually do anything; it simply presents a selection-filtering routine that you can use in your own
scripts (for the complete script, see TextSelection).
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
Rem If the selection contains more than one item, the selection
Rem is not text selected with the Type tool.
If myInDesign.Selection.Count = 1 Then
Select Case TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1))
Case "InsertionPoint", "Character", "Word", "TextStyleRange",
"Line", "Paragraph", "TextColumn", "Text"
MsgBox "The selection is a text object."
Rem A real script would now act on the text object
Rem or pass it on to a function.
Case "TextFrame"
Rem In addition to checking for the above text objects, we can
Rem also continue if the selection is a text frame selected with
Rem the Selection tool or the Direct Selection tool.
Rem If the selection is a text frame, you get a reference to the
Rem text in the text frame and then pass it along to a function.
Rem Set myText = myInDesign.Selection.Item(1).Texts.Item(1)
MsgBox "The selected object is a text frame."
Case Else
MsgBox "The selected object is not a text object.
Select some text and try again."
End Select
Else
MsgBox "Please select some text and try again."
End If
Else
MsgBox "No documents are open. Please open a document,
select some text, and try again."
End If

Moving and copying text
You can move a text object to another location in text using the move method. To copy the text, use the
duplicate method (whose arguments are identical to the move method). The following script fragment
shows how it works (for the complete script, see MoveText):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Set the bounds live area of the page.
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myX1 = myBounds(1)
myY1 = myBounds(0)
myX2 = myBounds(3)
myY2 = myBounds(2)
myWidth = myX2 - myX1
myHeight = myY2 - myY1
Rem Create a series of text frames.
Set myTextFrameA = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameA.geometricBounds = Array(myY1, myX1, myY1 + (myHeight / 2), myX1 + (myWidth
/ 2))
myTextFrameA.Contents = "Before." & vbCr
Set myTextFrameB = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameB.geometricBounds = Array(myY1, myX1 + (myWidth / 2), myY1 + (myHeight / 2),
myX2)
myTextFrameB.Contents = "After." & vbCr
Set myTextFrameC = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameC.geometricBounds = Array(myY1 + (myHeight / 2), myX1, myY2, myX1 + (myWidth
/ 2))
myTextFrameC.Contents = "Between words." & vbCr
Set myTextFrameD = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameD.geometricBounds = Array(myY1 + (myHeight / 2), myX1 + (myWidth / 2), myY2,
myX2)
myTextFrameD.Contents = "Text to move:" & vbCr & "WordA" & vbCr & "WordB" & vbCr &
"WordC" & vbCr
Rem Move WordC between the words in TextFrameC.
myTextFrameD.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(-1).Words.Item(1).Move
idLocationOptions.idBefore, myTextFrameC.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).Words.Item(2)
Rem Move WordB after the word in TextFrameB.
myTextFrameD.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(-2).Words.Item(1).Move
idLocationOptions.idAfter, myTextFrameB.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).Words.Item(1)
Rem Move WordA to before the word in TextFrameA.
myTextFrameD.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(-3).Words.Item(1).Move
idLocationOptions.idBefore, myTextFrameA.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).Words.Item(1)
Rem Note that moving text removes it from its original location.

When you want to transfer formatted text from one document to another, you also can use the move
method. Using the move or duplicate method is better than using copy and paste; to use copy and paste,
you must make the document visible and select the text you want to copy. Using move or duplicate is
much faster and more robust. The following script shows how to move text from one document to another
using move and duplicate. (We omitted the myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in
“Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the MoveTextBetweenDocuments tutorial script.)

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Rem Create the source document
Set mySourceDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set mySourcePage = mySourceDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set mySourceTextFrame = mySourcePage.TextFrames.Add
mySourceTextFrame.geometricBounds = myGetBounds(mySourceDocument, mySourcePage)
mySourceTextFrame.Contents = "This is the source text." & vbCr & "This text is not the
source text."
Set mySourceParagraph = mySourceTextFrame.ParentStory.Paragraphs.Item(1)
mySourceParagraph.PointSize = 24
Rem Create the target document.
Set myTargetDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myTargetPage = myTargetDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTargetTextFrame = myTargetPage.TextFrames.Add
myTargetTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myTargetDocument, myTargetPage)
myTargetTextFrame.Contents = "This is the target text. Insert the source text before
this paragraph." & vbCr
Rem Move the text from the source document to the target document.
Rem This deletes the text from the source document.
mySourceParagraph.Move idLocationOptions.idBefore,
myTargetTextFrame.InsertionPoints.Item(1)
Rem To duplicate (rather than move) the text, use the following:
Rem mySourceParagraph.Duplicate idLocationOptions.idBefore,
myTargetTextFrame.InsertionPoints.Item(1)

When you need to copy and paste text, you can use the copy method of the application. You will need to
select the text before you copy. Again, you should use copy and paste only as a last resort; other
approaches are faster, less fragile, and do not depend on the document being visible. (We omitted the
myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the
CopyPasteText tutorial script.)
Set myDocumentA = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPageA = myDocumentA.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrameA = myPageA.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameA.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocumentA, myPageA)
myTextFrameA.Contents = "Example text." & vbCr
Set myDocumentB = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myPageB = myDocumentB.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrameB = myPageB.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameB.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocumentB, myPageB)
Rem Make document A the active document.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument = myDocumentA
Rem Select the text.
myInDesign.Select myTextFrameA.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1)
myInDesign.Copy
Rem Make document B the active document.
myInDesign.ActiveDocument = myDocumentB
Rem Select the insertion point at which you want to paste the text.
myInDesign.Select myTextFrameB.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(1)
myInDesign.Paste

One way to copy unformatted text from one text object to another is to get the contents property of a
text object, then use that string to set the contents property of another text object. The following script
shows how to do this (for the complete script, see CopyUnformattedText):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrameA = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameA.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 288)
myTextFrameA.Contents = "This is a formatted string."
myTextFrameA.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).FontStyle = "Bold"
Set myTextFrameB = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameB.geometricBounds = Array(228, 72, 300, 288)
myTextFrameB.Contents = "This is the destination text frame. Text pasted here will
retain its formatting."
myTextFrameB.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).FontStyle = "Italic"
Rem Copy from one frame to another using a simple copy.
myInDesign.Select myTextFrameA.Texts.Item(1)
myInDesign.Copy
myInDesign.Select myTextFrameB.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1)
myInDesign.Paste
Rem Create another text frame on the active page.
Set myTextFrameC = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameC.geometricBounds = Array(312, 72, 444, 288)
myTextFrameC.Contents = "Text copied here will take on the formatting of the existing
text."
myTextFrameC.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).FontStyle = "Italic"
Rem Copy the unformatted string from text frame A to the end of text frame C (note
Rem that this doesn't really copy the text it replicates the text string from one
Rem text frame in another text frame):
myTextFrameC.ParentStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents =
myTextFrameA.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).Contents

Text objects and iteration
When your script moves, deletes, or adds text while iterating through a series of text objects, you can
easily end up with invalid text references. The following script demonstrates this problem. (We omitted the
myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,” or see the
TextIterationWrong tutorial script.)
Set
Set
Rem
For

myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
The following for loop cause an error.
myParagraphCounter = 1 to myStory.Paragraphs.Count
If myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myParagraphCounter).Words.Item(1).contents = "Delete"
Then
myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myParagraphCounter).Delete
Else
myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myParagraphCounter).PointSize = 24
End If
Next

In the preceding example, some of the paragraphs are left unformatted. How does this happen? The loop
in the script iterates through the paragraphs from the first paragraph in the story to the last. As it does so,
it deletes paragraphs that begin with the word “Delete.” When the script deletes the second paragraph,
the third paragraph moves up to take its place. When the loop counter reaches 3, the script processes the
paragraph that had been the fourth paragraph in the story; the original third paragraph is now the second
paragraph and is skipped.
To avoid this problem, iterate backward through the text objects, as shown in the following script. (We
omitted the myGetBounds function from this listing; you can find it in “Creating a text frame” on page 68,”
or see the TextIterationRight tutorial script.)

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Set
Set
Rem
Rem
For

myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
The following for loop will format all of the paragraphs by iterating
backwards through the paragraphs in the story.
myCounter = myStory.Paragraphs.Count To 1 Step -1
If myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myCounter).Words.Item(1).contents = "Delete" Then
myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myCounter).Delete
Else
myStory.Paragraphs.Item(myCounter).PointSize = 24
End If
Next

Working with Text Frames
In the previous sections of this chapter, we concentrated on working with text stream objects; in this
section, we focus on text frames, the page-layout items that contain text in an InDesign document.

Linking text frames
The nextTextFrame and previousTextFrame properties of a text frame are the keys to linking (or
“threading”) text frames in InDesign scripting. These properties correspond to the in port and out port on
InDesign text frames, as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, see
LinkTextFrames):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrameA = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameA.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Set myTextFrameB = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameB.geometricBounds = Array(228, 72, 300, 144)
Rem Add a page.
Set myNewPage = myDocument.Pages.Add
Rem Create another text frame on the new page.
Set myTextFrameC = myNewPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrameC.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem Link TextFrameA to TextFrameB using the nextTextFrame property.
myTextFrameA.NextTextFrame = myTextFrameB
Rem Link TextFrameC to TextFrameB using the previousTextFrame property.
myTextFrameC.PreviousTextFrame = myTextFrameB
Rem Fill the text frames with placeholder text.
myTextFrameA.Contents = idTextFrameContents.idPlaceholderText

Unlinking text frames
The following example script shows how to unlink text frames (for the complete script, see
UnlinkTextFrames):
Rem Given two linked text frames on page 1...
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrameA = myPage.TextFrames.Item(-1)
Rem Unlink text frame A.
myTextFrameA.NextTextFrame = Nothing

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Removing a frame from a story
In InDesign, deleting a frame from a story does not delete the text in the frame, unless the frame is the only
frame in the story. The following script fragment shows how to delete a frame and the text it contains from
a story without disturbing the other frames in the story (for the complete script, see BreakFrame):
ReDim myObjectList(0)
Rem Script does nothing if no documents are open or if no objects are selected.
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
If myInDesign.Selection.Count <> 0 Then
Rem Process the objects in the selection to create a list of
Rem qualifying objects (text frames).
For myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Selection.Count
Select Case TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter))
Case "TextFrame":
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) =
myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter)
Case "InsertionPoint", "Character", "Word", "TextStyleRange", "Line",
"Paragraph", "TextColumn", "Text":
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) =
myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter).ParentTextFrames.Item(1)
End Select
Next
Rem If the object list is not empty, pass it on to the function
Rem that does the real work.
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
myBreakFrames myObjectList
End If
End If
End If

Here is the myBreakFrames function referred to in the preceding script.

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Function myBreakFrames(myObjectList)
For myCounter = UBound(myObjectList) To 0 Step -1
myBreakOutFrame myObjectList(myCounter)
Next
End Function
Function myBreakFrame(myTextFrame)
myProcessFrame = vbYes
If (TypeName(myTextFrame.NextTextFrame) <> "Nothing") Or
(TypeName(myTextFrame.PreviousTextFrame) <> "Nothing") Then
If myTextFrame.ParentStory.Tables.Count <> 0 Then
myProcessFrame = MsgBox("This story contains tables. If the text frame you
are trying to remove from the story contains a table, the results might not be
what you expect. Do you want to continue?", vbYesNo)
End If
If myProcessFrame = vbYes Then
Set myNewFrame = myTextFrame.Duplicate
If myTextFrame.Contents <> "" Then
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).Delete
End If
myTextFrame.Delete
End If
End If
End Function

Splitting all frames in a story
The following script fragment shows how to split all frames in a story into separate, independent stories,
each containing one unlinked text frame (for the complete script, see SplitStory):
Rem Get the first item in the selection.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
Rem If the text frame is the only text frame in the story, do nothing.
If myStory.TextContainers.Count > 1 Then
Rem Splitting the story is a two-step process: first, duplicate
Rem the text frames, second, delete the original text frames.
mySplitStory myStory
myRemoveFrames myStory
End If

Here is the mySplitStory function referred to in the preceding script:
Function mySplitStory(myStory)
Rem Duplicate each text frame in the story.
For myCounter = myStory.TextContainers.Count To 1 Step -1
Set myTextFrame = myStory.TextContainers.Item(myCounter)
myTextFrame.Duplicate
Next
End Function
Function myRemoveFrames(myStory)
Rem Remove each text frame in the story.
RemIterate backwards to avoid invalid references.
For myCounter = myStory.TextContainers.Count To 1 Step -1
myStory.TextContainers.Item(myCounter).Delete
Next
End Function

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Creating an anchored frame
To create an anchored frame (also known as an inline frame), you can create a text frame (or rectangle,
oval, polygon, or graphic line) at a specific location in text (usually an insertion point). The following script
fragment shows an example (for the complete script, see AnchoredFrame):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myInsertionPoint = myTextFrame.Paragraphs.Item(1).InsertionPoints.Item(1)
Set myInlineFrame = myInsertionPoint.TextFrames.Add
Rem Recompose the text to make sure that getting the
Rem geometric bounds of the inline graphic will work.
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).Recompose
Rem Get the geometric bounds of the inline frame.
myBounds = myInlineFrame.GeometricBounds
Rem Set the width and height of the inline frame. In this example, we'll
Rem make the frame 24 points tall by 72 points wide.
myArray = Array(myBounds(0), myBounds(1), myBounds(0) + 24, myBounds(1) + 72)
myInlineFrame.GeometricBounds = myArray
myInlineFrame.Contents = "This is an inline frame."
Set myInsertionPoint = myTextFrame.Paragraphs.Item(2).InsertionPoints.Item(1)
Set myAnchoredFrame = myInsertionPoint.TextFrames.Add
Rem Recompose the text to make sure that getting the
Rem geometric bounds of the inline graphic will work.
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).Recompose
Rem Get the geometric bounds of the inline frame.
myBounds = myAnchoredFrame.GeometricBounds
Rem Set the width and height of the inline frame. In this example, we'll
Rem make the frame 24 points tall by 72 points wide.
myArray = Array(myBounds(0), myBounds(1), myBounds(0) + 24, myBounds(1) + 72)
myAnchoredFrame.GeometricBounds = myArray
myAnchoredFrame.Contents = "This is an anchored frame."
With myAnchoredFrame.AnchoredObjectSettings
.AnchoredPosition = idAnchorPosition.idAnchored
.AnchorPoint = idAnchorPoint.idTopLeftAnchor
.HorizontalReferencePoint = idAnchoredRelativeTo.idAnchorLocation
.HorizontalAlignment = idHorizontalAlignment.idLeftAlign
.AnchorXoffset = 72
.VerticalReferencePoint = idVerticallyRelativeTo.idLineBaseline
.AnchorYoffset = 24
.AnchorSpaceAbove = 24
End With

Fitting text frames to content
The following example script shows how to set rules on a text frame to determine how it grows when the
user inputs text (for the complete script, see PersistedTextFrameFill):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.item(1).TextFrames.item(4)
REM Now add text at the end of the text frame.
myTextFrame.InsertionPoints.item(-1).Contents = vbCr&"This is some overset text"
MsgBox("The last paragraph in this alert should be ""This is some overset text"". Is
it?" & _
vbCr&myTextFrame.Contents)
MsgBox("The last paragraph in this alert should be ""This is some overset text"". Is
it?" & _
vbCr&myTextFrame.ParentStory.Contents)
Set myTextFrame2 = myDocument.Pages.item(1).TextFrames.item(3)
REM Set auto size dimension of the text frame
with myTextFrame2.TextFramePreferences
.AutoSizingDimension=idAutoSizingDimension.idHEIGHTANDWIDTHPROPORTIONALLY
End With
REM Now add text at the end of the text frame.
myTextFrame2.InsertionPoints.item(-1).Contents = vbCr&"This is some overset text"
Set myTextFrame3 = myDocument.Pages.item(1).TextFrames.item(2)
REM Set auto size dimension of the text frame
REM useMinimumHeightForAutoSizing and useNoLineBreaksForAutoSizing
with myTextFrame3.TextFramePreferences
.AutoSizingDimension=idAutoSizingDimension.idHEIGHTONLY
.UseMinimumHeightForAutoSizing=true
.UseNoLineBreaksForAutoSizing=true
End With
REM Now add text at the end of the text frame.
myTextFrame3.InsertionPoints.item(-1).Contents = vbCr&"This is some overset text"
Set myTextFrame4 = myDocument.Pages.item(1).TextFrames.item(1)
REM Set auto size dimension of the text frame and autoSizingReferencePoint
with myTextFrame4.TextFramePreferences
.AutoSizingDimension=idAutoSizingDimension.idWIDTHONLY
.AutoSizingReferencePoint=idAutoSizingReferencePoint.idTOPLEFTPOSITION
End With
REM Now add text at the end of the text frame.
myTextFrame4.InsertionPoints.item(-1).Contents = vbCr&"This is some overset text"

Formatting Text
In the previous sections of this chapter, we added text to a document, linked text frames, and worked with
stories and text objects. In this section, we apply formatting to text. All the typesetting capabilities of
InDesign are available to scripting.

Setting text defaults
You can set text defaults for both the application and each document. Text defaults for the application
determine the text defaults in all new documents; text defaults for a document set the formatting of all
new text objects in that document. (For the complete script, see TextDefaults.)

CHAPTER 5: Text and Type

With myInDesign.TextDefaults
.AlignToBaseline = True
Rem Because the font might not be available, it's usually best
Rem to trap errors using "On Error Resume Next" error handling.
Rem Fill in the name of a font on your system.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item("Minion Pro")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Because the font style might not be available, it's usually best
Rem to trap errors using "On Error Resume Next" error handling.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.FontStyle = "Regular"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
Rem Because the language might not be available, it's usually best
Rem to trap errors using "On Error Resume Next" error handling.
Err.Clear
On Error Resume Next
.AppliedLanguage = "English: USA"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.AutoLeading = 100
.BalanceRaggedLines = False
.BaselineShift = 0
.Capitalization = idCapitalization.idNormal
.Composer = "Adobe Paragraph Composer"
.DesiredGlyphScaling = 100
.DesiredLetterSpacing = 0
.DesiredWordSpacing = 100
.DropCapCharacters = 0
If .DropCapCharacters <> 0 Then
.DropCapLines = 3
On Error Resume Next
.DropCapStyle = myInDesign.CharacterStyles.Item("myDropCap")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
End If
On Error Resume Next
.FillColor = myInDesign.Colors.Item("Black")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.FillTint = 100
.FirstLineIndent = 14
.GridAlignFirstLineOnly = False
.HorizontalScale = 100
.HyphenateAfterFirst = 3
.HyphenateBeforeLast = 4

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89

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.HyphenateCapitalizedWords = False
.HyphenateLadderLimit = 1
.HyphenateWordsLongerThan = 5
.Hyphenation = True
.HyphenationZone = 36
.HyphenWeight = 9
.Justification = idJustification.idLeftAlign
.KeepAllLinesTogether = False
.KeepLinesTogether = True
.KeepFirstLines = 2
.KeepLastLines = 2
.KeepWithNext = 0
.KerningMethod = "Optical"
.Leading = 14
.LeftIndent = 0
.Ligatures = True
.MaximumGlyphScaling = 100
.MaximumLetterSpacing = 0
.MaximumWordSpacing = 160
.MinimumGlyphScaling = 100
.MinimumLetterSpacing = 0
.MinimumWordSpacing = 80
.NoBreak = False
.OTFContextualAlternate = True
.OTFDiscretionaryLigature = True
.OTFFigureStyle = idOTFFigureStyle.idProportionalOldstyle
.OTFFraction = True
.OTFHistorical = True
.OTFOrdinal = False
.OTFSlashedZero = True
.OTFSwash = False
.OTFTitling = False
.OverprintFill = False
.OverprintStroke = False
.PointSize = 11
.Position = idPosition.idNormal
.RightIndent = 0
.RuleAbove = False
If .RuleAbove = True Then
On Error Resume Next
.RuleAboveColor = myInDesign.Colors.Item("Black")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
On Error Resume Next
.RuleAboveGapColor = myInDesign.Swatches.Item("None")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.RuleAboveGapOverprint = False
.RuleAboveGapTint = 100
.RuleAboveLeftIndent = 0
.RuleAboveLineWeight = 0.25
.RuleAboveOffset = 14
.RuleAboveOverprint = False
.RuleAboveRightIndent = 0
.RuleAboveTint = 100
On Error Resume Next

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.RuleAboveType = myInDesign.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.RuleAboveWidth = idRuleWidth.idColumnWidth
End If
.RuleBelow = False
If .RuleBelow = True Then
On Error Resume Next
.RuleBelowColor = myInDesign.Colors.Item("Black")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
On Error Resume Next
.RuleBelowGapColor = myInDesign.Swatches.Item("None")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.RuleBelowGapOverPrint = False
.RuleBelowGapTint = 100
.RuleBelowLeftIndent = 0
.RuleBelowLineWeight = 0.25
.RuleBelowOffset = 0
.RuleBelowOverPrint = False
.RuleBelowRightIndent = 0
.RuleBelowTint = 100
On Error Resume Next
.RuleBelowType = myInDesign.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.RuleBelowWidth = idRuleWidth.idColumnWidth
End If
.SingleWordJustification = idSingleWordJustification.idLeftAlign
.Skew = 0
.SpaceAfter = 0
.SpaceBefore = 0
.StartParagraph = idStartParagraph.idAnywhere
.StrikeThru = False
If .StrikeThru = True Then
On Error Resume Next
.StrikeThroughColor = myInDesign.Colors.Item("Black")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
On Error Resume Next
.StrikeThroughGapColor = myInDesign.Swatches.Item("None")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.StrikeThroughGapOverprint = False
.StrikeThroughGapTint = 100
.StrikeThroughOffset = 3
.StrikeThroughOverprint = False

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91

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92

.StrikeThroughTint = 100
On Error Resume Next
.StrikeThroughType = myInDesign.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.StrikeThroughWeight = 0.25
End If
On Error Resume Next
.StrokeColor = myInDesign.Swatches.Item("None")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.StrokeTint = 100
.StrokeWeight = 0
.Tracking = 0
.Underline = False
If .Underline = True Then
On Error Resume Next
.UnderlineColor = myInDesign.Colors.Item("Black")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
On Error Resume Next
.UnderlineGapColor = myInDesign.Swatches.Item("None")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.UnderlineGapOverprint = False
.UnderlineGapTint = 100
.UnderlineOffset = 3
.UnderlineOverprint = False
.UnderlineTint = 100
On Error Resume Next
.UnderlineType = myInDesign.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
.UnderlineWeight = 0.25
End If
.VerticalScale = 100
End With

Working with fonts
The fonts collection of the InDesign application object contains all fonts accessible to InDesign. The fonts
collection of a document, by contrast, contains only those fonts used in the document. The fonts
collection of a document also contains any missing fonts—fonts used in the document that are not
accessible to InDesign. The following script shows the difference between application fonts and document
fonts. (We omitted the myGetBounds function here; for the complete script, see FontCollections.)

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myApplicationFonts = myInDesign.Fonts
myString = "Document Fonts:" & vbCr
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Fonts.Count
myString = myString & myDocument.Fonts.Item(myCounter).Name & vbCr
Next
myString = myString & vbCr & "Application Fonts:" & vbCr
For myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Fonts.Count
myString = myString & myInDesign.Fonts.Item(myCounter) & vbCr
Next
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Set myStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
myStory.Contents = myString

NOTE: Font names typically are of the form familyNamefontStyle, where familyName is the name
of the font family,  is a tab character, and fontStyle is the name of the font style. For example:
"Adobe Caslon ProSemibold Italic"

Applying a font
To apply a local font change to a range of text, use the appliedFont property, as shown in the following
script fragment (from the ApplyFont tutorial script):
Rem Given a font name "myFontName" and a text object "myText"...
myText.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item(myFontName)

You also can apply a font by specifying the font family name and font style, as shown in the following script
fragment:
myText.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item("Adobe Caslon Pro")
myText.FontStyle = "Semibold Italic"

Changing text properties
Text objects in InDesign have literally dozens of properties corresponding to their formatting attributes.
Even one insertion point features properties that affect the formatting of text—up to and including
properties of the paragraph containing the insertion point. The SetTextProperties tutorial script shows
how to set every property of a text object. A fragment of the script is shown below:
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myTextObject = myStory.Characters.Item(1)
myFontName = "Minion Pro" & vbTab & "Regular"
With myTextObject
.AlignToBaseline = False
.AppliedCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("[None]")
On Error Resume Next
.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item(myFontName)
.FontStyle = "Regular"
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Err.Clear
End If
On Error Goto 0
.AppliedLanguage = myInDesign.LanguagesWithVendors.Item("English: USA")
.AppliedNumberingList = myDocument.NumberingLists.Item("[Default]")

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Formatting Text

.AppliedParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("[No Paragraph Style]")
.AutoLeading = 120
.BalanceRaggedLines = idBalanceLinesStyle.idNoBalancing
.BaselineShift = 0
.BulletsAlignment = idListAlignment.idLeftAlign
.BulletsAndNumberingListType = idListType.idNoList
.BulletsCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("[None]")
.BulletsTextAfter = "^t"
.Capitalization = idCapitalization.idNormal
.Composer = "Adobe Paragraph Composer"
.DesiredGlyphScaling = 100
.DesiredLetterSpacing = 0
.DesiredWordSpacing = 100
.DropCapCharacters = 0
.DropCapLines = 0
.DropCapStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("[None]")
.DropcapDetail = 0
.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Black")
.FillTint = -1
.FirstLineIndent = 0
.GradientFillAngle = 0
.GradientFillLength = -1
.GradientFillStart = Array(0, 0)
.GradientStrokeAngle = 0
.GradientStrokeLength = -1
.GradientStrokeStart = Array(0, 0)
.GridAlignFirstLineOnly = False
.HorizontalScale = 100
.HyphenWeight = 5
.HyphenateAcrossColumns = True
.HyphenateAfterFirst = 2
.HyphenateBeforeLast = 2
.HyphenateCapitalizedWords = True
.HyphenateLadderLimit = 3
.HyphenateLastWord = True
.HyphenateWordsLongerThan = 5
.Hyphenation = True
.HyphenationZone = 3
.IgnoreEdgeAlignment = False
.Justification = idJustification.idLeftAlign
.KeepAllLinesTogether = False
.KeepFirstLines = 2
.KeepLastLines = 2
.KeepLinesTogether = False
.KeepRuleAboveInFrame = False
.KeepWithNext = 0
.KerningMethod = "Optical"
.LastLineIndent = 0
.Leading = 12
.LeftIndent = 0
.Ligatures = True
.MaximumGlyphScaling = 100
.MaximumLetterSpacing = 0
.MaximumWordSpacing = 133
.MinimumGlyphScaling = 100
.MinimumLetterSpacing = 0
.MinimumWordSpacing = 80
.NoBreak = False
.NumberingAlignment = idListAlignment.idLeftAlign
.NumberingApplyRestartPolicy = True

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.NumberingCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("[None]")
.NumberingContinue = True
.NumberingExpression = "^#.^t"
.NumberingFormat = "1, 2, 3, 4..."
.NumberingLevel = 1
.NumberingStartAt = 1
.OTFContextualAlternate = True
.OTFDiscretionaryLigature = False
.OTFFigureStyle = idOTFFigureStyle.idProportionalLining
.OTFFraction = False
.OTFHistorical = False
.OTFLocale = True
.OTFMark = True
.OTFOrdinal = False
.OTFSlashedZero = False
.OTFStylisticSets = 0
.OTFSwash = False
.OTFTitling = False
.OverprintFill = False
.OverprintStroke = False
.PointSize = 12
.Position = idPosition.idNormal
.PositionalForm = idPositionalForms.idNone
.RightIndent = 0
.RuleAbove = False
.RuleAboveColor = "Text Color"
.RuleAboveGapColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
.RuleAboveGapOverprint = False
.RuleAboveGapTint = -1
.RuleAboveLeftIndent = 0
.RuleAboveLineWeight = 1
.RuleAboveOffset = 0
.RuleAboveOverprint = False
.RuleAboveRightIndent = 0
.RuleAboveTint = -1
.RuleAboveType = myDocument.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
.RuleAboveWidth = idRuleWidth.idColumnWidth
.RuleBelow = False
.RuleBelowColor = "Text Color"
.RuleBelowGapColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
.RuleBelowGapOverprint = False
.RuleBelowGapTint = -1
.RuleBelowLeftIndent = 0
.RuleBelowLineWeight = 1
.RuleBelowOffset = 0
.RuleBelowOverprint = False
.RuleBelowRightIndent = 0
.RuleBelowTint = -1
.RuleBelowType = myDocument.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
.RuleBelowWidth = idRuleWidth.idColumnWidth
.SingleWordJustification = idSingleWordJustification.idLeftAlign
.Skew = 0
.SpaceAfter = 0
.SpaceBefore = 0
.StartParagraph = idStartParagraph.idAnywhere
.StrikeThroughColor = "Text Color"
.StrikeThroughGapColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
.StrikeThroughGapOverprint = False
.StrikeThroughGapTint = -1
.StrikeThroughOffset = -9999

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.StrikeThroughOverprint = False
.StrikeThroughTint = -1
.StrikeThroughType = myDocument.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
.StrikeThroughWeight = -9999
.StrikeThru = False
.StrokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
.StrokeTint = -1
.StrokeWeight = 1
.Tracking = 0
.Underline = False
.UnderlineColor = "Text Color"
.UnderlineGapColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
.UnderlineGapOverprint = False
.UnderlineGapTint = -1
.UnderlineOffset = -9999
.UnderlineOverprint = False
.UnderlineTint = -1
.UnderlineType = myDocument.StrokeStyles.Item("Solid")
.UnderlineWeight = -9999
.VerticalScale = 100
End With

Changing text color
You can apply colors to the fill and stroke of text characters, as shown in the following script fragment
(from the TextColors tutorial script):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Rem Apply a color to the fill of the text.
Set myText = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(1)
myText.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("DGC1_446a")
Rem Use the itemByRange method to apply the color to the stroke of the text.
myText.StrokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
Set myText = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(2)
myText.FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
myText.StrokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446a")
myText.StrokeWeight = 3

Creating and applying styles
While you can use scripting to apply local formatting—as in some of the examples earlier in this
chapter—you probably will want to use character and paragraph styles to format your text. Using styles
creates a link between the formatted text and the style, which makes it easier to redefine the style, collect
the text formatted with a given style, or find and/or change the text. Paragraph and character styles are
the keys to text formatting productivity and should be a central part of any script that applies text
formatting.
The following example script fragment shows how to create and apply paragraph and character styles (for
the complete script, see CreateStyles):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Create a color for use by one of the paragraph styles we'll create.
Set myColor = myAddColor(myDocument, "Red", idColorModel.idProcess,
Array(0, 100, 100, 0))
Rem Create a character style named "myCharacterStyle" if
Rem no style by that name already exists.
Set myCharacterStyle = myAddStyle(myDocument, "myCharacterStyle", 1)
Rem At this point, the variable myCharacterStyle contains a reference to a character
Rem style object, which you can now use to specify formatting.
myCharacterStyle.FillColor = myColor
Rem Create a paragraph style named "myParagraphStyle" if
Rem no style by that name already exists.
Set myParagraphStyle = myAddStyle(myDocument, "myParagraphStyle", 2)
Rem At this point, the variable myParagraphStyle contains a reference to a paragraph
Rem style object, which you can now use to specify formatting.
myTextFrame.ParentStory.Texts.Item(1).ApplyParagraphStyle myParagraphStyle, True
Set myStartCharacter = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Characters.Item(14)
Set myEndCharacter = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Characters.Item(55)
Set myText = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Texts.ItemByRange(myStartCharacter,
myEndCharacter)
myText.Item(1).ApplyCharacterStyle myCharacterStyle, True

Why use the applyParagraphStyle method instead of setting the appliedParagraphStyle property of
the text object? The applyParagraphStyle method gives the ability to override existing formatting;
setting the property to a style retains local formatting.
Why check for the existence of a style when creating a new document? It always is possible that the style
exists as an application default style. If it does, trying to create a new style with the same name results in an
error.
Nested styles apply character-style formatting to a paragraph according to a pattern. The following script
fragment shows how to create a paragraph style containing nested styles (for the complete script, see
NestedStyles):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("myParagraphStyle")
Rem At this point, the variable myParagraphStyle contains a reference to a paragraph
Rem style object, which you can now use to specify formatting.
Set myNestedStyle = myParagraphStyle.NestedStyles.Add
myNestedStyle.AppliedCharacterStyle =
myDocument.CharacterStyles.Item("myCharacterStyle")
myNestedStyle.Delimiter = "."
myNestedStyle.Inclusive = True
myNestedStyle.Repetition = 1
Rem Note that the story object does not have the ApplyParagraphStyle method.)
Set myText = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1).ParentStory.Texts.Item(1)
myText.ApplyParagraphStyle myParagraphStyle, True

Deleting a style
When you delete a style using the user interface, you can choose the way you want to format any text
tagged with that style. InDesign scripting works the same way, as shown in the following script fragment
(from the RemoveStyle tutorial script):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myParagraphStyleA = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("myParagraphStyleA")
Rem Delete the paragraph style myParagraphStyleA and replace with myParagraphStyleB.
myParagraphStyleA.Delete myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("myParagraphStyleB")

Importing paragraph and character styles
You can import character and paragraph styles from other InDesign documents, as shown in the following
script fragment (from the ImportTextStyles tutorial script):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myNewDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Import the styles from the saved document.
Rem ImportStyles parameters:
Rem Format as idImportFormat enumeration. Options for text styles are:
Rem idImportFormat.idParagraphStylesFormat
Rem idImportFormat.idCharacterStylesFormat
Rem idImportFormat.idTextStylesFormat
Rem From as string (file path)
Rem GlobalStrategy as idGlobalClashResolutionStrategy enumeration. Options are:
Rem idGlobalClashResolutionStrategy.idDoNotLoadTheStyle
Rem idGlobalClashResolutionStrategy.idLoadAllWithOverwrite
Rem idGlobalClashResolutionStrategy.idLoadAllWithRename
myNewDocument.ImportStyles idImportFormat.idTextStylesFormat, "c:\styles.indd",
idGlobalClashResolutionStrategy.idLoadAllWithOverwrite

Finding and Changing Text
The find/change feature is one of the most powerful InDesign tools for working with text. It is fully
supported by scripting, and scripts can use find/change to go far beyond what can be done using the
InDesign user interface. InDesign has three ways of searching for text:


You can find text and/or text formatting and change it to other text and/or text formatting. This type
of find/change operation uses the findTextPreferences and changeTextPreferences objects to
specify parameters for the findText and changeText methods.



You can find text using regular expressions, or “grep.” This type of find/change operation uses the
findGrepPreferences and changeGrepPreferences objects to specify parameters for the findGrep
and changeGrep methods.



You can find specific glyphs (and their formatting) and replace them with other glyphs and formatting.
This type of find/change operation uses the findGlyphPreferences and changeGlyphPreferences
objects to specify parameters for the findGlyph and changeGlyph methods.

All the find/change methods take one optional parameter, ReverseOrder, which specifies the order in
which the results of the search are returned. If you are processing the results of a find or change operation
in a way that adds or removes text from a story, you might face the problem of invalid text references, as
discussed earlier in this chapter. In this case, you can either construct your loops to iterate backward
through the collection of returned text objects, or you can have the search operation return the results in
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About find/change preferences
Before you search for text, you probably will want to clear find and change preferences, to make sure the
settings from previous searches have no effect on your search. You also need to set some find/change
preferences to specify the text, formatting, regular expression, or glyph you want to find and/or change. A
typical find/change operation involves the following steps:
1. Clear the find/change preferences. Depending on the type of find/change operation, this can take one
of the following three forms:


Rem Find/Change text preferences
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing



Rem Find/Change grep preferences
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing



Rem Find/Change glyph preferences
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myInDesign.FindGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

2. Set up search parameters.
3. Execute the find/change operation.
4. Clear find/change preferences again.

Finding and changing text
The following script fragment shows how to find a specified string of text. While the following script
fragment searches the entire document, you also can search stories, text frames, paragraphs, text columns,
or any other text object. The findText method and its parameters are the same for all text objects. (For
the complete script, see FindText.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Clear the find/change text preferences.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Search the document for the string "text".
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences.FindWhat = "text"
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.CaseSensitive = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeFootnotes = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeMasterPages = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.WholeWord = False
Set myFoundItems = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).FindText
MsgBox ("Found " & CStr(myFoundItems.Count) & " instances of the search string.")
Rem Clear the find/change text preferences after the search.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

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The following script fragment shows how to find a specified string of text and replace it with a different
string (for the complete script, see ChangeText):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Clear the find/change text preferences.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Search the document for the string "copy" and replace with "text".
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences.FindWhat = "copy"
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences.ChangeTo = "text"
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.CaseSensitive = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeFootnotes = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeMasterPages = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.WholeWord = False
Set myFoundItems = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).ChangeText
MsgBox ("Changed " & CStr(myFoundItems.Count) & " instances of the search string.")
Rem Clear the find/change text preferences.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

Finding and changing text formatting
To find and change text formatting, you set other properties of the findTextPreferences and
changeTextPreferences objects, as shown in the script fragment below (from the
FindChangeFormatting tutorial script):
Rem Clear the find/change preferences.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.CaseSensitive = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeFootnotes = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeMasterPages = false
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.WholeWord = false
Rem Search the document for the 24 point text and change it to 10 point text.
myInDesign.findTextPreferences.pointSize = 24
myInDesign.changeTextPreferences.pointSize = 10
myInDesign.documents.item(1).changeText
Rem Clear the find/change preferences after the search.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

Using grep
InDesign supports regular expression find/change through the findGrep and changeGrep methods.
Regular-expression find/change also can find text with a specified format or replace the formatting of the
text with formatting specified in the properties of the changeGrepPreferences object. The following
script fragment shows how to use these methods and the related preferences objects (for the complete
script, see FindGrep):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Clear the find/change grep preferences.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeFootnotes = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeMasterPages = False
Rem Regular expression for finding an email address.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences.FindWhat = "(?i)[A-Z]*?@[A-Z]*?[.]..."
Rem Apply the change to 24-point text only.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences.PointSize = 24
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences.Underline = True
myDocument.ChangeGrep
Rem Clear the find/change grep preferences after the search.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

NOTE: The findChangeGrepOptions object lacks two properties of the findChangeTextOptions object:
wholeWord and caseSensitive. This is because you can set these options using the regular expression
string itself. Use (?i) to turn case sensitivity on and (?-i) to turn case sensitivity off. Use \> to match the
beginning of a word and \< to match the end of a word, or use \b to match a word boundary.
One handy use for grep find/change is to convert text mark-up (i.e., some form of tagging plain text with
formatting instructions) into InDesign formatted text. PageMaker paragraph tags (which are not the same
as PageMaker tagged-text format files) are an example of a simplified text mark-up scheme. In a text file
marked up using this scheme, paragraph style names appear at the start of a paragraph, as shown below:
This is a heading.
This is body text.

We can create a script that uses grep find in conjunction with text find/change operations to apply
formatting to the text and remove the mark-up tags, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
ReadPMTags tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Access the active document.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
myReadPMTags myInDesign, myStory

Here is the myReadPMTags function referred to in the above script.
Function myReadPMTags(myInDesign, myStory)
Set myDocument = myStory.Parent
Rem Reset the findGrepPreferences to ensure that previous settings
Rem do not affect the search.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Find the tags.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences.findWhat = "(?i)^<\s*\w+\s*>"
Set myFoundItems = myStory.findGrep
If myFoundItems.Count <> 0 Then
Set myFoundTags = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
For myCounter = 1 To myFoundItems.Count
If Not (myFoundTags.Exists(myFoundItems.Item(myCounter).Contents)) Then
myFoundTags.Add myFoundItems.Item(myCounter).Contents,
myFoundItems.Item(myCounter).Contents

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End If
Next
Rem At this point, we have a list of tags to search for.
For Each myFoundTag In myFoundTags
myString = myFoundTag
Rem Find the tag using findWhat.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences.findWhat = myString
Rem Extract the style name from the tag.
myStyleName = Mid(myString, 2, Len(myString) - 2)
Rem Create the style if it does not already exist.
Set myStyle = myAddStyle(myDocument, myStyleName)
Rem Apply the style to each instance of the tag.
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences.AppliedParagraphStyle = myStyle
myStory.ChangeText
Rem Reset the changeTextPreferences.
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Set the changeTo to an empty string.
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences.ChangeTo = ""
Rem Search to remove the tags.
myStory.ChangeText
Rem Reset the find/change preferences again.
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Next
End If
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGrepPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
End Function

Using glyph search
You can find and change individual characters in a specific font using the findGlyph and changeGlyph
methods and the associated findGlyphPreferences and changeGlyphPreferences objects. The
following scripts fragment shows how to find and change a glyph in an example document (for the
complete script, see FindChangeGlyph):

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Rem Clear the find/change glyph preferences.
myInDesign.FindGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeFootnotes = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind = False
myInDesign.FindChangeGrepOptions.IncludeMasterPages = False
Rem You must provide a font that is used in the document for the
Rem AppliedFont property of the FindGlyphPreferences object.
myInDesign.FindGlyphPreferences.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item("Minion Pro" &
vbTab & "Regular")
Rem Provide the glyph ID, not the glyph Unicode value.
myInDesign.FindGlyphPreferences.GlyphID = 374
Rem The appliedFont of the changeGlyphPreferences object can be
Rem any font available to the application.
myInDesign.changeGlyphPreferences.AppliedFont = myInDesign.Fonts.Item("Times New
Roman" & vbTab & "Bold")
myInDesign.changeGlyphPreferences.GlyphID = 85
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).ChangeGlyph
Rem Clear the find/change glyph preferences after the search.
myInDesign.FindGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeGlyphPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing

Working with Tables
Tables can be created from existing text using the convertTextToTable method, or an empty table can
be created at any insertion point in a story. The following script fragment shows three different ways to
create a table (for the complete script, see MakeTable):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
Rem Set the bounds of the text frame.
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
Rem Fill the text frame with placeholder text.
myString = "Table 1" & vbCr
myString = myString & "Column 1" & vbTab & "Column 2" & vbTab & "Column 3" & vbCr & "1a"
& vbTab & "1b" & vbTab & "1c" & vbCr & "2a" & vbTab & "2b" & vbTab & "2c" & vbCr & "3a" &
vbTab & "3b" & vbTab & "3c" & vbCr
myString = myString & "Table 2" & vbCr
myString = myString & "Column 1,Column 2,Column 3;1a,1b,1c;2a,2b,2c;3a,3b,3c" & vbCr
myString = myString & "Table 3" & vbCr
myTextFrame.Contents = myString
Set myStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
Set myStartCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(7).Characters.Item(1)
Set myEndCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(7).Characters.Item(-2)
Set myText = myStory.Texts.ItemByRange(myStartCharacter, myEndCharacter).Item(1)
Rem The convertToTable method takes three parameters:
Rem [ColumnSeparator as string]
Rem [RowSeparator as string]
Rem [NumberOfColumns as integer] (only used if the ColumnSeparator
Rem and RowSeparator values are the same)

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Rem In the last paragraph in the story, columns are separated by commas
Rem and rows are separated by semicolons, so we provide those characters
Rem to the method as parameters.
Set myTable = myText.ConvertToTable(",", ";")
Set myStartCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(2).Characters.Item(1)
Set myEndCharacter = myStory.Paragraphs.Item(5).Characters.Item(-2)
Set myText = myStory.Texts.ItemByRange(myStartCharacter, myEndCharacter).Item(1)
Rem In the second through the fifth paragraphs, colums are separated by
Rem tabs and rows are separated by returns. These are the default delimiter
Rem parameters, so we don't need to provide them to the method.
Set myTable = myText.ConvertToTable
Rem You can also explicitly add a table--you don't have to convert text to a table.
Set myTable = myStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Tables.Add
myTable.ColumnCount = 3
myTable.BodyRowCount = 3

The following script fragment shows how to merge table cells. (For the complete script, see
MergeTableCells.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myTable = myStory.Tables.Item(1)
Rem Merge all of the cells in the first column.
myTable.Cells.Item(1).Merge myTable.Columns.Item(1).Cells.Item(-1)
Rem Convert column 2 into 2 cells (rather than 4).
myTable.Columns.Item(2).Cells.Item(-1).Merge myTable.Columns.Item(2).Cells.Item(-2)
myTable.Columns.Item(2).Cells.Item(1).Merge myTable.Columns.Item(2).Cells.Item(2)
Rem Merge the last two cells in row 1.
myTable.Rows.Item(1).Cells.Item(-1).Merge myTable.Rows.Item(1).Cells.Item(-1)
Rem Merge the last two cells in row 3.
myTable.Rows.Item(3).Cells.Item(-2).Merge myTable.Rows.Item(3).Cells.Item(-1)

The following script fragment shows how to split table cells. (For the complete script, see SplitTableCells.)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myTable = myStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Tables.Add
myTable.ColumnCount = 1
myTable.BodyRowCount = 1
myArray = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myWidth = myArray(3) - myArray(1)
myTable.Columns.Item(1).Width = myWidth
myTable.Cells.Item(1).Split idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
myTable.Columns.Item(1).Split idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
myTable.Cells.Item(1).Split idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
myTable.Rows.Item(-1).Split idHorizontalOrVertical.idHorizontal
myTable.Cells.Item(-1).Split idHorizontalOrVertical.idVertical
For myRowCounter = 1 To myTable.Rows.Count
Set myRow = myTable.Rows.Item(myRowCounter)
For myCellCounter = 1 To myRow.Cells.Count
myString = "Row: " & myRowCounter & " Cell: " & myCellCounter
myRow.Cells.Item(myCellCounter).contents = myString
Next
Next

The following script fragment shows how to create header and footer rows in a table (for the complete
script, see HeaderAndFooterRows):

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Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Create a text frame on page 1.
Set myTable = myDocument.Stories.Item(1).Tables.Item(1)
Rem Convert the first row to a header row.
myTable.Rows.Item(1).RowType = idRowTypes.idHeaderRow
Rem Convert the last row to a footer row.
myTable.Rows.Item(-1).RowType = idRowTypes.idFooterRow

The following script fragment shows how to apply formatting to a table (for the complete script, see
TableFormatting):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myTable = myStory.Tables.Item(1)
Rem Convert the first row to a header row.
myTable.Rows.Item(1).RowType = idRowTypes.idHeaderRow
Rem Use a reference to a swatch, rather than to a color.
myTable.Rows.Item(1).FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
myTable.Rows.Item(1).FillTint = 40
myTable.Rows.Item(2).FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446a")
myTable.Rows.Item(2).FillTint = 40
myTable.Rows.Item(3).FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446a")
myTable.Rows.Item(3).FillTint = 20
myTable.Rows.Item(4).FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446a")
myTable.Rows.Item(4).FillTint = 40
Rem Iterate through the cells to apply the cell stroke formatting.
For myCounter = 1 To myTable.Cells.Count
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).TopEdgeStrokeColor =
myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).TopEdgeStrokeWeight = 1
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).BottomEdgeStrokeColor =
myDocument.Swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).BottomEdgeStrokeWeight = 1
Rem When you set a cell stroke to a swatch, make certain that
Remyou also set the stroke weight.
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).LeftEdgeStrokeColor =
myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).LeftEdgeStrokeWeight = 0
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).RightEdgeStrokeColor =
myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myTable.Cells.Item(myCounter).RightEdgeStrokeWeight = 0
Next

The following script fragment shows how to add alternating row formatting to a table (for the complete
script, see AlternatingRows):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myTable = myDocument.stories.Item(1).tables.Item(1)
Rem Apply alternating fills to the table.
myTable.alternatingFills = idAlternatingFillsTypes.idAlternatingRows
myTable.startRowFillColor = myDocument.swatches.Item("DGC1_446a")
myTable.startRowFillTint = 60
myTable.endRowFillColor = myDocument.swatches.Item("DGC1_446b")
myTable.endRowFillTint = 50

The following script fragment shows how to process the selection when text or table cells are selected. In
this example, the script displays an alert for each selection condition, but a real production script would
then do something with the selected item(s). (For the complete script, see TableSelection.)

CHAPTER 5: Text and Type

Adding Path Text

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count <> 0 Then
If myInDesign.Selection.Count <> 0 Then
Select Case TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1))
Rem When a row, a column, or a range of cells is selected,
Rem the type returned is "Cell"
Case "Cell"
MsgBox ("A cell is selected.")
Case "Table"
MsgBox ("A table is selected.")
Case "InsertionPoint", "Character", "Word", "TextStyleRange",
"Line", "Paragraph", "TextColumn", "Text"
If TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1).Parent) = "Cell" Then
MsgBox ("The selection is inside a table cell.")
End If
Case "Rectangle", "Oval", "Polygon", "GraphicLine"
If TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1).Parent.Parent) = "Cell" Then
MsgBox ("The selection is inside a table cell.")
End If
Case "Image", "PDF", "EPS"
If TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1).Parent.Parent.Parent) =
"Cell" Then
MsgBox ("The selection is inside a table cell.")
End If
Case Else
MsgBox ("The selection is not inside a table.")
End Select
End If
End If

Adding Path Text
You can add path text to any rectangle, oval, polygon, graphic line, or text frame. The following script
fragment shows how to add path text to a page item (for the complete script, see PathText):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Rem Create a rectangle on the first page.
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 288, 288)
Set myTextPath = myTextFrame.TextPaths.Add
myTextPath.Contents = "This is path text."

To link text paths to another text path or text frame, use the nextTextFrame and previousTextFrame
properties, just as you would for a text frame (see “Working with Text Frames” on page 84).

Using Autocorrect
The autocorrect feature can correct text as you type. The following script shows how to use it (for the
complete script, see Autocorrect):

106

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ReDim myNewWordPairList(0)
Rem Add a word pair to the autocorrect list. Each
Rem AutoCorrectTable is linked to a specific language.
Set myAutoCorrectTable = myInDesign.AutoCorrectTables.Item("English: USA")
Rem To safely add a word pair to the auto correct table, get the current
Rem word pair list, then add the new word pair to that array, and then
Rem set the autocorrect word pair list to the array.
myWordPairList = myAutoCorrectTable.AutoCorrectWordPairList
ReDim myNewWordPairList(UBound(myWordPairList)+1)
For myCounter = 0 To UBound(myWordPairList)
myNewWordPairList(myCounter) = myWordPairList(myCounter)
Next
Rem Add a new word pair to the array.
myNewWordPairList(UBound(myNewWordPairList)) = (Array("paragarph", "paragraph"))
Rem Update the word pair list.
myAutoCorrectTable.AutoCorrectWordPairList = myNewWordPairList
Rem To clear all autocorrect word pairs in the current dictionary:
Rem myAutoCorrectTable.autoCorrectWordPairList = array(())
Rem Turn autocorrect on if it's not on already.
If myInDesign.AutoCorrectPreferences.AutoCorrect = False Then
myInDesign.AutoCorrectPreferences.AutoCorrect = True
End If
myInDesign.AutoCorrectPreferences.AutoCorrectCapitalizationErrors = True

Adding Footnotes
The following script fragment shows how to add footnotes to a story (for the complete script, including
the myGetRandom function, see Footnotes):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
With myDocument.FootnoteOptions
.SeparatorText = vbTab
.MarkerPositioning = idFootnoteMarkerPositioning.idSuperscriptMarker
End With
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)
Rem Add four footnotes at random locations in the story.
For myCounter = 1 To 4
myRandomNumber = CLng(myGetRandom(1, myTextFrame.ParentStory.Words.Count))
Set myWord = myTextFrame.ParentStory.Words.Item(myRandomNumber)
Set myFootnote = myWord.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Footnotes.Add
Rem Note: when you create a footnote, it contains text--the footnote marker
Rem and the separator text (if any). If you try to set the text of the footnote
Rem by setting the footnote contents, you will delete the marker. Instead, append
Rem the footnote text, as shown below.
myFootnote.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = "This is a footnote."
Next

Spanning Columns
A paragraph layout can span multiple columns or split into subcolumns with the Span Columns attribute
or Split Column attribute applied. The following script fragment shows how to set the Span Columns and
Split Column style for a paragraph (for the complete script, see SpanColumns):

CHAPTER 5: Text and Type

Setting Text Preferences

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.ActiveDocument
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myTextFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Item(1)
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.TextColumnCount = 3
Set myStory = myTextFrame.ParentStory
Rem Split Column
With myStory.Paragraphs.Item(1)
.SpanColumnType = idSpanColumnTypeOptions.idSplitColumns
.SpanSplitColumnCount = 2
.SplitColumnOutsideGutter = 0
.SplitColumnInsideGutter = 1
End With
Rem Span Columns
mySpanIndex = myStory.Paragraphs.Count \ 2 + 1
With myStory.Paragraphs.Item(mySpanIndex)
.SpanColumnType = idSpanColumnTypeOptions.idSpanColumns
.SpanSplitColumnCount = idSpanColumnCountOptions.idAll
End With

Setting Text Preferences
The following script shows how to set general text preferences (for the complete script, see
TextPreferences):
With myInDesign.TextPreferences
.AbutTextToTextWrap = True
.AddPages = idAddPageOptions.idEndOfDocument
Rem baseline shift key increment can range from .001 to 200 points.
.BaselineShiftKeyIncrement = 1
.DeleteEmptyPages = False
.EnableStylePreviewMode = False
.HighlightCustomSpacing = False
.HighlightHjViolations = True
.HighlightKeeps = True
.HighlightSubstitutedFonts = True
.HighlightSubstitutedGlyphs = True
.JustifyTextWraps = True
Rem kerning key increment value is 1/1000 of an em.
.KerningKeyIncrement = 10
Rem leading key increment value can range from .001 to 200 points.
.LeadingKeyIncrement = 1
.LimitToMasterTextFrames = False
.LinkTextFilesWhenImporting = False
.PreserveFacingPageSpreads = False
.ShowInvisibles = True
.SmallCap = 60
.SmartTextReflow = False
.SubscriptPosition = 30
.SubscriptSize = 60

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.SuperscriptPosition = 30
.SuperscriptSize = 60
.TypographersQuotes = False
.UseOpticalSize = False
.UseParagraphLeading = False
.ZOrderTextWrap = False
End With
Rem Text editing preferences are application-wide.
With myInDesign.TextEditingPreferences
.AllowDragAndDropTextInStory = True
.DragAndDropTextInLayout = True
.SingleClickConvertsFramesToTextFrames = True
.SmartCutAndPaste = True
.TripleClickSelectsLine = False
End With

Working with Linked Stories
Linked stories make it easier to manager multiple versions of the same story or text content in the same
document; it makes it easier to support emerging digital publishing workflows, where, for example, you
need to design for vertical and horizontal layouts. Linked stories behave similarly to traditional links. You
can designate a story as a parent, and then place the same story at other places in the document as child
stories. Whenever the parent story is updated, the child stories are flagged in the Links panel and can be
updated to synchronize with the parent story.

Creating linked stories
There are several ways to create a linked story. It can be created by linking existing text frames with the
parent story, or by telling the Page, Spread, Master or Document object to create the text frame at the
specified location and link it with the parent story.
To link an existing text frame with the parent story, use the following script (for the complete script, see
CreateLinkedStories).
childTextFrame1.PlaceAndLink myTextFrame.ParentStory, False

If you specify true for the second parameter, which is optional, the linked story options dialog opens;
otherwise, the default options are used.
To tell the Page object to create a linked story for the parent story, the PlaceAndLink method includes two
additional parameters that you can use to specify the layer and point at which to place the linked story, as
shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, see CreateLinkedStories).
Set newPage = myDocument.Pages.Add
newPage.PlaceAndLink myTextFrame.ParentStory, Array(originY, originX),
myDocument.ActiveLayer, False

To tell the Spread object to create linked story for the parent story, the PlaceAndLink method takes the
same parameters as the PlaceAndLink method for Page object, as shown in the following script fragment
(for the complete script, see CreateLinkedStories).
Set newSpread = myDocument.Spreads.Add
newSpread.PlaceAndLink myTextFrame.ParentStory, Array(originY, originX),
myDocument.ActiveLayer, False

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You can also call the PlaceAndLink method for the Document object. The method takes the parent story as
the only parameter. This method does not create the linked story; instead, it loads the place gun and lets
the user decide where to place the linked story.

Changing linked story options
To change the linked story options, use the following script fragment (for the complete script, see
CreateLinkedStories).
With myDocument.LinkedStoryOptions
.RemoveForcedLineBreaks = True
.UpdateWhileSaving = True
.WarnOnUpdateOfEditedStory = True
End With

Frequently asked questions
How can I tell whether a given link is a link for a linked story?
Use Link.FilePath. If it is empty, then it is a link for a linked story.

Given a link for linked story, how can I get its link source?
Use this to select the link source:
Link.EditOriginal

Then use this to find the active selection, which is the link source:
Application.Selection

6

Working with Page Items

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

This chapter covers scripting techniques related to the page items (rectangles, ellipses, graphic lines,
polygons, text frames, buttons, and groups) that can appear in an InDesign layout.
This document discusses the following:


Creating page items.



Page item geometry.



Working with paths and path points.



Creating groups.



Duplicating and moving page items.



Transforming page items.



Working with articles.

Creating Page Items
Page items in an InDesign layout are arranged in a hierarchy, and appear within a container object of some
sort. Spreads, pages, other page items, groups, and text characters are all examples of objects that can
contain page items. This hierarchy of containers in the InDesign scripting object model is the same as in
the InDesign user interface--when you create a rectangle by dragging the Rectangle tool on a page, you
are specifying that the page is the container, or parent, of the rectangle. When you paste an ellipse into a
polygon, you are specifying that the polygon is the parent of the ellipse, which, in turn, is a child object of
its parent, a page.
In general, creating a new page item is as simple as telling the object you want to contain the page item to
create the page item, as shown in the MakeRectangle script.
Rem Given a page "myPage", create a new rectangle at the default size and location
myPage.Rectangles.Add

In the above script, a new rectangle is created on the first page of a new document. The rectangle appears
at the default location (near the upper left corner of the page) and has a default size (around ten points
square). Moving the rectangle and changing its dimensions are both accomplished by filling its geometric
bounds property with new values, as shown in the MakeRectangleWithProperties script.
Rem Given a page "myPage", create a new rectangle and specify its size and location...
Set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myRectangle.GeometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)

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Page item types
It is important to note that you cannot create a “generic” page item--you have to create a page item of a
specific type (a rectangle, oval, graphic line, polygon, text frame, or button). You will also notice that
InDesign changes the type of a page item as the geometry of the page item changes. A rectangle, for
example, is always made up of a single, closed path containing four path points and having 90 degree
interior angles. Change the location of a single point, however, or add another path, and the type of the
page item changes to a polygon. Open the path and remove two of the four points, and InDesign will
change the type to a graphic line. The only things that define the type of a rectangle, ellipse, graphic line,
or polygon are:


The number of paths in the object. Any page item with more than one path is a polygon.



The number and location of points on the first path in the object.

To determine the type of a page item, use this example:
myPageItemType = TypeName(myPageItem)

The result of the above will be a string containing the type of the page item.

Getting the type of a page item
When you have a reference to a generic page item, and want to find out what type of a page item it is, use
TypeName to get the specific type.
Rem Given a generic page item "myPageItem"...
myType = TypeName(myPageItem)
MsgBox myType

Referring to page items
When you refer to page items inside a given container (a document, layer, page, spread, group, text frame,
or page item), you use the PageItems collection of the container object. This gives you a collection of the
top level page items inside the object. For example:
Rem Given a reference to InDesign "myInDesign"...
SSet myPageItems = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).PageItems

The resulting collection (myPageItems) does not include objects inside groups (though it does include the
group), objects inside other page items (thought it does contain the parent page item), or page items in
text frames. To get a reference to all of the items in a given container, including items nested inside other
page items, use the AllPageItems property.
Rem Given a reference to InDesign "myInDesign"...
Set myAllPageItems = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).AllPageItems

The resulting collection (myAllPageItems) includes all objects on the page, regardless of their position in
the hierarchy.
Another way to refer to page items is to use their label property, much as you can use the name property
of other objects (such as paragraph styles or layers). In the following examples, we will get an array of page
items whose label has been set to myLabel.
Rem Given a reference to InDesign "myInDesign"...
Set myPageItems = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).PageItems.Item("myLabel")

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113

If no page items on the page have the specified label, InDesign returns an empty array.

Page-item geometry
If you are working with page items, it is almost impossible to do anything without understanding the way
that rulers and measurements work together to specify the location and shape of an InDesign page item. If
you use the Control panel in InDesign’s user interface, you probably are already familiar with InDesign’s
geometry, but here is a quick summary:


Object are constructed relative to the coordinates shown on the rulers.



Changing the zero point location by either dragging the zero point or by changing the ruler origin
changes the coordinates on the rulers.



Page items are made up of one or more paths, which, in turn, are made up of two or more path points.
Paths can be open or closed.



Path points contain an anchor point (the location of the point itself ) and two control handles (left
direction, which controls the curve of the line segment preceding the point on the path; and right
direction, which controls the curve of the segment following the point). Each of these properties
contains an array in the form (x, y) (where x is the horizontal location of the point, and y is the vertical
location). This array holds the location, in current ruler coordinates, of the point or control handle.

All of the above means that if your scripts need to construct page items, you also need to control the
location of the zero point, and you may want to set the measurement units in use.

Working with paths and path points
For most simple page items, you do not need to worry about the paths and path points that define the
shape of the object. Rectangles, ellipses, and text frames can be created by specifying their geometric
bounds, as we did in the earlier example in this chapter.
In some cases, however, you may want to construct or change the shape of a path by specifying path point
locations, you can either set the anchor point, left direction, and right direction of each path point on the
path individually (as shown in the DrawRegularPolygon_Slow script), or you can use the EntirePath
property of the path to set all of the path point locations at once (as shown in the
DrawRegularPolygon_Fast script). The latter approach is much faster.
The items in the array you use for the EntirePath property can contain anchor points only, or a anchor
points and control handles. Here is an example array containing only anchor point locations:
Array(Array(x1, y1), Array(x2, y2), ...)

Where x and y specify the location of the anchor.
Here is an example containing fully-specified path points (i.e., arrays containing the left direction, anchor,
and right direction, in that order):
Array(Array(Array(xL1, YL1), Array(x1, y1), Array(xR1, yR1)), Array(Array(xL2, YL2),
Array(x2, y2), Array(xR2, yR2)), ...)

Where xL and yL specify the left direction, x and y specify the anchor point, and xR and yR specify the right
direction.
You can also mix the two approaches, as shown in the following example:

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Array(Array(Array(xL1, YL1), Array(x1, y1), Array(xR1, yR1)), Array(x2, y2), ...)

Note that the original path does not have to have the same number of points as you specify in the
array—InDesign will add or subtract points from the path as it applies the array to the EntirePath property.
The AddPathPoint script shows how to add path points to a path without using the EntirePath property.
Rem Given a graphic line "myGraphicLine"...
Set myPathPoint = myGraphicLine.Paths.Item(1).PathPoints.Add
Rem Move the path point to a specific location.
myPathPoint.Anchor = Array(144, 144)

The DeletePathPoint script shows how to delete a path point from a path.
Rem Given a polygon "myPolygon", remove the
Rem last path point in the first path.
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).PathPoints.Item(-1).Delete

Grouping Page Items
In the InDesign user interface, you create groups of page items by selecting them and then choosing
Group from the Object menu (or by pressing the corresponding keyboard shortcut). In InDesign scripting,
you tell the object containing the page items you want to group (usually a page or spread) to group the
page items, as shown in the Group script.
Rem Given a page "myPage" containing at least two ovals and two rectangles...
ReDim myArray(0)
Rem Add the items to the array.
myPush myArray, myPage.Rectangles.Item(1), True
myPush myArray, myPage.Rectangles.Item(2), True
myPush myArray, myPage.Ovals.Item(1), True
myPush myArray, myPage.Ovals.Item(1), True
Rem Group the items.
myPage.Groups.Add myArray

To ungroup, you tell the group itself to ungroup, as shown in the Ungroup script.
Rem Given a group "myGroup"...
Set myPageItems = myGroup.Ungroup

There is no need to ungroup a group to change the shape, formatting, or content of the page items in the
group. Instead, simply get a reference to the page item you want to change, just as you would with any
other page item.

Duplicating and Moving Page Items
In the InDesign user interface, you can move page items by selecting them and dragging them to a new
location. You can also create copies of page items by copying and pasting, by holding down Option/Alt as
you drag an object, or by choosing Duplicate, Paste In Place, or Step and Repeat from the Edit menu. In
InDesign scripting, you can use the move method to change the location of page items, and the duplicate
method to create a copy of a page item (and, optionally, move it to another location).
The move method can take one of two optional parameters: MoveTo and MoveBy. Both parameters consist
of an array of two measurement units, consisting of a horizontal value and a vertical value. MoveTo
specifies an absolute move to the location specified by the array, relative to the current location of the zero

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point. MoveBy specifies how far to move the page item relative to the current location of the page item
itself. The Move script shows the difference between these two approaches.
Rem Given a reference to a rectangle "myRectangle"...
Rem Move the rectangle to the location (12, 12).
Rem Absolute move:
myRectangle.Move Array(12, 12)
Rem Move the rectangle *by* 12 points horizontally, 12 points vertically.
Rem Relative move (note empty first parameter):
myRectangle.Move , Array(12, 12)
Rem Move the rectangle to another page (rectangle appears at (0,0).
Set myPage = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Add
myRectangle.Move myPage
Rem To move a page item to another document, use the Duplicate method.

Note that the move method truly moves the object—when you move a page item to another document, it
is deleted from the original document. To move the object to another while retaining the original, use the
duplicate method (see below).
Use the duplicate method to create a copy of a page item. By default, the duplicate method creates a
“clone” of an object in the same location as the original object. Optional parameters can be used with the
duplicate method to move the duplicated object to a new location (including other pages in the same
document, or to another document entirely).
Rem
Rem
Rem
Rem
Set
Rem
Rem
Rem
Set
Rem
Set
Set
Rem
Set
Set

Given a reference to a rectangle "myRectangle"...
Duplicate the rectangle and move the
duplicate to the location (12, 12).
Absolute move:
myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate(Array(12, 12))
Duplicate the rectangle and move the duplicate *by* 12
points horizontally, 12 points vertically.
Relative move (note empty first parameter):
myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate (, Array(12, 12))
Duplicate the rectangle to another page (rectangle appears at (0,0).
myPage = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Add
myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate(myPage)
Duplicate the rectangle to another document.
myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate(myDocument.Pages.Item(1))

You can also use copy and paste in InDesign scripting, but scripts using on these methods require that you
select objects (to copy) and rely on the current view to set the location of the pasted elements (when you
paste). This means that scripts that use copy and paste tend to be more fragile (i.e., more likely to fail) than
scripts that use duplicate and move. Whenever possible, try to write scripts that do not depend on the
current view or selection state.

Creating compound paths
InDesign can combine the paths of two or more page items into a single page item containing multiple
paths using the Object > Paths > Make Compound Path menu option. You can do this in InDesign scripting
using the MakeCompoundPath method of a page item, as shown in the following script fragment (for the
complete script, refer to the MakeCompoundPath script).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myRectangle.MakeCompoundPath myOval

When you create a compound path, regardless of the types of the objects used to create the compound
path, the type of the resulting object is polygon.

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To release a compound path and convert each path in the compound path into a separate page item, use
the ReleaseCompoundPath method of a page item, as shown in the following script fragment (for the
complete script, refer to the ReleaseCompoundPath script).
Rem Given a polygon "myPolygon" (all compound paths are type Polygon)...
Set mPageItems = myPolygon.ReleaseCompoundPath

Using Pathfinder operations
The InDesign Pathfinder features offer ways to work with relationships between page items on an
InDesign page. You can merge the paths of page items, or subtract the area of one page item from another
page item, or create a new page item from the area of intersection of two or more page items. Every page
item supports the following methods related to the Pathfinder features: AddPath, ExcludeOverlapPath,
IntersectPath, MinusBack, and SubtractPath.
All of the Pathfinder methods work the same way--you provide an array of page items to use as the basis
for the operation (just as you select a series of page items before choosing the Pathfinder operation in the
user interface).
Note that it is very likely that the type of the object will change after you apply one of the Pathfinder
operations. Which object type it will change to depends on the number and location of the points in the
path or paths resulting from the operation.
To merge two page items into a single page item, for example, you would use something like the approach
shown in the following fragment (for the complete script, refer to AddPath).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myRectangle.AddPath myOval

The ExcludeOverlapPath method creates a new path based on the non-intersecting areas of two or more
overlapping page items, as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to
ExcludeOverlapPath).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myRectangle.ExcludeOverlapPath myOval

The IntersectPath method creates a new page item from the area of intersection of two or more page
items, as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to IntersectPath).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myRectangle.IntersectPath myOval

The MinusBack method removes the area of intersection of the back-most object from the page item or
page items in front of it, as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to
MinusBack).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myRectangle.MinusBack myOval

The SubtractPath method removes the area of intersection of the frontmost object from the page item or
page items behind it, as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to
SubtractPath).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an Oval "myOval"...
myOval.SubtractPath myRectangle

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Converting page-item shapes
InDesign page items can be converted to other shapes using the options in the Object > Convert Shape
menu or the Pathfinder panel (Window > Object and Layout > Pathfinder). In InDesign scripting, page
items support the ConvertShape method, as demonstrated in the following script fragment (for the
complete script, refer to ConvertShape).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle"...
myRectangle.ConvertShape idConvertShapeOptions.idConvertToRoundedRectangle

The ConvertShape method also provides a way to open or close reverse paths, as shown in the following
script fragment (for the complete script, refer to OpenPath).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle"...
myRectangle.ConvertShape idConvertShapeOptions.idConvertToOpenPath

Arranging page items
Page items in an InDesign layout can be arranged in front of or behind each other by adjusting their
stacking order within a layer, or can be placed on different layers. The following script fragment shows how
to bring objects to the front or back of their layer, and how to control the stacking order of objects relative
to each other (for the complete script, refer to StackingOrder).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and an oval "myOval",
Rem where "myOval" is in front of "myRectangle", bring
Rem the rectangle to the front...
myRectangle.BringToFront

When you create a page item, you can specify its layer, but you can also move a page item from one layer
to another. The item layeritemLayerItemLayer property of the page item is the key to doing this, as shown
in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to ItemLayer).
Rem Given a rectangle "myRectangle" and a layer "myLayer",
Rem send the rectangle to the layer...
myRectangle.ItemLayer = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Layers.Item("myLayer")

The stacking order of layers in a document can also be changed using the Move method of the layer itself,
as shown in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to MoveLayer).
Rem Given a layer "myLayer", move the layer behind
Rem the default layer (the lowest layer in the document
Rem is Layers.Item(-1).
myLayer.Move idLocationOptions.idAfter, myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Layers.Item(-1)

Transforming Page Items
Transformations include scaling, rotation, shearing (skewing), and movement (or translation). In scripting,
you apply transformations using the transform method. This one method replaces the resize, rotate,
and shear methods used in versions of InDesign prior to InDesign CS3 (5.0).

Using the transform method
The transform method requires a transformation matrix (TransformationMatrix) object that defines
the transformation or series of transformations to apply to the object. A transformation matrix can contain
any combination of scale, rotate, shear, or translate operations.

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The order in which transformations are applied to an object is important. Applying transformations in
differing orders can produce very different results.
To transform an object, you follow two steps:
1. Create a transformation matrix.
2. Apply the transformation matrix to the object using the transform method. When you do this, you
also specify the coordinate system in which the transformation is to take place. For more on
coordinate systems, see “Coordinate spaces” on page 120. In addition, you specify the center of
transformation, or transformation origin. For more on specifying the transformation origin, see
“Transformation origin” on page 122.
The following scripting example demonstrates the basic process of transforming a page item. (For the
complete script, see TransformExamples.)
Rem Rotate a rectangle "myRectangle" around its center point.
set myRotateMatrix = myInDesign.transformationMatrices.add(, , , 27)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myRotateMatrix
Rem Scale a rectangle "myRectangle" around its center point.
set myScaleMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(.5, .5)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myScaleMatrix
Rem Shear a rectangle "myRectangle" around its center point.
set myShearMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , 30)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myShearMatrix
Rem Rotate a rectangle "myRectangle" around a specified ruler point ([72, 72]).
Set myRotateMatrix = myInDesign.transformationMatrices.add(, , , 27)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates, Array(Array(72, 72),
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor), myRotateMatrix, , True
Rem Scale a rectangle "myRectangle" around a specified ruler point ([72, 72]).
Set myScaleMatrix = myInDesign.transformationMatrices.add(.5, .5)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates, Array(Array(72, 72),
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor), myScaleMatrix, , True

For a script that “wraps” transformation routines in a series of easy-to-use functions, refer to the Transform
script.

Working with transformation matrices
A transformation matrix cannot be changed once it has been created, but a variety of methods can
interact with the transformation matrix to create a new transformation matrix based on the existing
transformation matrix. In the following examples, we show how to apply transformations to a
transformation matrix and replace the original matrix. (For the complete script, see TransformMatrix.)
Rem Scale a transformation matrix by 50% in
Rem both horizontal and vertical dimensions.
var myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.scaleMatrix(.5, .5);
var myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.scaleMatrix(.5, .5);
//Rotate a transformation matrix by 45 degrees.
myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.rotateMatrix(45);
//Shear a transformation matrix by 15 degrees.
myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.shearMatrix(15);

When you use the RotateMatrix method, you can use a sine or cosine value to transform the matrix,
rather than an angle in degrees, as shown in the RotateMatrix script.

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Rem The following statements
Rem (0.25881904510252 is the
Set myTransformationMatrix =
Set myTransformationMatrix =
Set myTransformationMatrix =
0.25881904510252);

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119

are equivalent
sine of 15 degrees; 0.96592582628907, the cosine).
myTransformationMatrix.RotateMatrix(15)
myTransformationMatrix.RotateMatrix(, 0.96592582628907);
myTransformationMatrix.RotateMatrix(, ,

When you use the shearMatrixmethod, you can provide a slope, rather than an angle in degrees, as
shown in the ShearMatrix script.
Set myRectangle = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)
Set myTransformationMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , 0)
Rem ShearMatrix can take the following parameters: byAngle, bySlope
Rem Replace the current matrix with the sheared matrix.
Set myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.ShearMatrix(45)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
Rem The following statements are equivalent.
Rem slope = rise/run--so a 45 degree slope is 1.
Set myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.shearMatrix(45)
Set myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.shearMatrix(, 1)

You can get the inverse of a transformation matrix using the InvertMatrix method, as shown in the
following example. (For the complete script, see InvertMatrix.) You can use the inverted transformation
matrix to undo the effect of the matrix.
Set myRectangle = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)
Set myTransformationMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , 30, 12, 12)
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
Set myNewRectangle = myRectangle.Duplicate
Rem Move the duplicated rectangle to the location of the original
Rem rectangle by inverting, then applying the transformation matrix.
Set myTransformationMatrix = myTransformationMatrix.InvertMatrix
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix

You can add transformation matrices using the CatenateMatrix method, as shown in the following
example. (For the complete script, see CatenateMatrix.)

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Rem Transformation matrix with counterclockwise rotation angle = 30.
Set myTransformationMatrixA = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , 30)
Rem Transformation matrix with horizontal translation = 12,
Rem vertical translation = 12.
Set myTransformationMatrixB = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , , 12, 12)
Set myRectangle = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)
Set myNewRectangle = myRectangle.Duplicate
Rem Rotate the duplicated rectangle.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrixA
Set myNewRectangle = myRectangle.Duplicate
Rem Move the duplicate (unrotated) rectangle.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrixB)
Rem Merge the two transformation matrices.
Set myTransformationMatrix =
myTransformationMatrixA.CatenateMatrix(myTransformationMatrixB)
Set myNewRectangle = myRectangle.Duplicate
Rem The duplicated rectangle will be both moved and rotated.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix

When an object is transformed, you can get the transformation matrix that was applied to it, using the
TransformValuesOf method, as shown in the following script fragment. (For the complete script, see
TransformValuesOf.)
Set myRectangle = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)
Rem Note that transformValuesOf() always returns an array containing a single
transformationMatrix.
Set myTransformArray =
myRectangle.TransformValuesOf(idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates)
Set myTransformationMatrix = myTransformArray.Item(1)
myRotationAngle = myTransformationMatrix.CounterclockwiseRotationAngle
myShearAngle = myTransformationMatrix.ClockwiseShearAngle
myXScale = myTransformationMatrix.HorizontalScaleFactor
myYScale = myTransformationMatrix.VerticalScaleFactor
myXTranslate = myTransformationMatrix.HorizontalTranslation
myYTranslate = myTransformationMatrix.VerticalTranslation
myString = "Rotation Angle: " & myRotationAngle & vbCr
myString = myString & "Shear Angle: " & myShearAngle & vbCr
myString = myString & "Horizontal Scale Factor: " & myXScale & vbCr
myString = myString & "Vertical Scale Factor: " & myYScale & vbCr
myString = myString & "Horizontal Translation: " & myXTranslate & vbCr
myString = myString & "Vertical Translation: " & myYTranslate & vbCr & vbCr
myString = myString & "Note that the Horizontal Translation and" & vbCr
myString = myString & "Vertical Translation values are the location" & vbCr
myString = myString & "of the center anchor in pasteboard coordinates."
MsgBox myString

NOTE: The values in the horizontal- and vertical-translation fields of the transformation matrix returned by
this method are the location of the upper-left anchor of the object, in pasteboard coordinates.

Coordinate spaces
In the transformation scripts we presented earlier, you might have noticed the
CoordinateSpaces.pasteboardCoordinates enumeration provided as a parameter for the transform
method. This parameter determines the system of coordinates, or coordinate space, in which the transform
operation occurs. The coordinate space can be one of the following values:

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

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idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates is the coordinate space of the entire InDesign

document. This coordinate space extends behind all spreads in a document. It does not correspond to
InDesign’s rulers or zero point, nor does it have anything to do with the pasteboard area you can see
around pages in the InDesign user interface. Transformations applied to objects have no effect on this
coordinate space (e.g., the angle of the horizontal and vertical axes do not change).




idCoordinateSpaces.idParentCoordinates is the coordinate space of the parent of the object.
Any transformations applied to the parent affect the parent coordinates; for example, rotating the
parent object changes the angle of the horizontal and vertical axes of this coordinate space. In this
case, the parent object refers to the group or page item containing the object; if the parent of the
object is a page or spread, parent coordinates are the same as spread coordinates.
idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates is the coordinate space in which the object itself was

created.


idCoordinateSpaces.idSpreadCoordinates is the coordinate space of the spread. The origin of this
space is at the center of the spread, and does not correspond to the rulers you see in the user interface.

The following script shows the differences between the coordinate spaces. (For the complete script, see
CoordinateSpaces.)
Set myRectangle =
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1).Groups.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)'
myString = "The page contains a group which has been" & vbCr
myString = myString & "rotated 45 degrees (counterclockwise)." & vbCr
myString = myString & "The rectangle inside the group was" & vbCr
myString = myString & "rotated 45 degrees counterclockwise" & vbCr
myString = myString & "before it was added to the group." & vbCr & vbcr
myString = myString & "Watch as we apply a series of scaling" & vbCr
myString = myString & "operations in different coordinate spaces." & vbCr & vbCr
myString = myString & "(You might need to move the alert aside" & vbCr
myString = myString & "to see the effect of the transformations.)" & vbCr
MsgBox myString
Rem Create a transformation matrix with horizontal scale factor = 2.
Set myTransformationMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(2)
Rem Transform the rectangle using inner coordinates.
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
Rem Select the rectangle and display an alert.
myInDesign.Select myRectangle
MsgBox "Transformed by inner coordinates."
Rem Undo the transformation.
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Undo
Rem Transform using parent coordinates.
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idParentCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
myInDesign.Select myRectangle
MsgBox "Transformed by parent coordinates."
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Undo
Rem Transform using pasteboard coordinates.
myRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
myInDesign.Select myRectangle
MsgBox "Transformed by pasteboard coordinates."
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Undo

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Transformation origin
The transformation origin is the center point of the transformation. The transformation origin can be
specified in several ways:


Bounds space:


anchor — An anchor point on the object itself.
AnchorPoint.CenterAnchor



anchor, bounds type — An anchor point specified relative to the geometric bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.GeometricPathBounds) or the visible bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.OuterStrokeBounds).
Array(idAnchorPoint.idBottomLeftAnchor,
idBoundingBoxLimits.idOuterStrokeBounds)



anchor, bounds type, coordinate system — An anchor point specified as the geometric bounds of
the object (BoundingBoxLimits.GeometricPathBounds) or the visible bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.OuterStrokeBounds) in a given coordinate space.
Array(idAnchorPoint.idBottomLeftAnchor,
idBoundingBoxLimits.idOuterStrokeBounds,
idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates)



(x,y), bounds type — A point specified relative to the geometric bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.GeometricPathBounds) or the visible bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.OuterStrokeBounds). In this case, the top-left corner of the bounding box
is (0, 0); the bottom-right corner, (1, 1). The center anchor is located at (.5, .5).
Array(Array(.5, .5), idBoundingBoxLimits.idOuterStrokeBounds)



(x, y), bounds type, coordinate space — A point specified relative to the geometric bounds of the
object (BoundingBoxLimits.GeometricPathBounds) or the visible bounds of the object
(BoundingBoxLimits.OuterStrokeBounds) in a given coordinate space. In this case, the top-left
corner of the bounding box is (0, 0); the bottom-right corner, (1, 1). The center anchor is located at
(.5, .5).
Array(Array(.5, .5), idBoundingBoxLimits.idOuterStrokeBounds,
idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates)



Ruler space:


(x, y), page index — A point, relative to the ruler origin on a specified page of a spread.
Array(Array(72, 144), 1)



(x, y), location — A point, relative to the parent page of the specified location of the object.
Location can be specified as an anchor point or a coordinate pair. It can be specified relative to the
object’s geometric or visible bounds, and it can be specified in a given coordinate space.
Array(Array(72, 144), idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor)



Transform space:


(x, y) — A point in the pasteboard coordinate space.
Array(72, 72)

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123

(x, y), coordinate system — A point in the specified coordinate space.
Array(Array(72, 72), idCoordinateSpaces.idParentCoordinates



((x, y)) — A point in the coordinate space given as the in parameter of the transform method.
Array(Array(72, 72))

The following script example shows how to use some of the transformation origin options. (For the
complete script, see TransformationOrigin.)
Set myPage = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1)
Set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Item(1)
myString = "Watch as we rotate the rectangle using different anchor points," & vbCr
myString = myString & "bounds types, and coordinate spaces." & vbCr & vbCr
myString = myString & "(You might need to move the alert aside" & vbCr
myString = myString & "to see the effect of the transformations.)"
MsgBox myString
Set myNewRectangle = myRectangle.Duplicate
Rem Create a transformation matrix with counterclockwise rotation angle = 30.
Set myTransformationMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , 30)
Rem Rotate around the duplicated rectangle's center point.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
Rem Select the rectangle and display an alert.
myInDesign.Select myNewRectangle
MsgBox "Transformed around center anchor."
Rem Undo the transformation.
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Undo
Rem Rotate the rectangle around the ruler location [-100, -100].
Rem Note that the anchor point specified here specifes the page
Rem containing the point--*not* that transformation point itself.
Rem The transformation gets the ruler coordinate [-100, -100] based
Rem on that page. Setting the considerRulerUnits parameter to true
Rem makes certain that the transformation uses the current
Rem ruler units.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
Array(Array(-100, -100), idAnchorPoint.idTopLeftAnchor), myTransformationMatrix, ,
True
Rem Move the page guides to reflect the transformation point.
myPage.Guides.Item(1).Location = -100
myPage.Guides.Item(2).Location = -100
Rem Select the rectangle and display an alert.
myInDesign.Select myNewRectangle
MsgBox "Rotated around -100x, -100y."
Rem Undo the transformation and the guide moves.
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myNewRectangle.StrokeWeight = 12
myBounds = myNewRectangle.visibleBounds

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Rem Move the page guides to reflect the transformation point.
myPage.Guides.Item(1).Location = myBounds(1)
myPage.Guides.Item(2).Location = myBounds(2)
Rem Rotate the rectangle around the outer edge of the lower left corner.
myNewRectangle.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
Array(idAnchorPoint.idBottomLeftAnchor, idBoundingBoxLimits.idOuterStrokeBounds),
myTransformationMatrix, idMatrixContent.idRotationValue, True
Rem Select the rectangle and display an alert.
myInDesign.Select myNewRectangle
MsgBox "Rotated around the outside edge of the bottom left corner."
Rem Undo the transformation and the guide moves.
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo
myInDesign. Documents.Item(1).Undo

Resolving locations
Sometimes, you need to get the location of a point specified in one coordinate space in the context of
another coordinate space. To do this, use the resolve method, as shown in the following script example.
(For the complete script, see ResolveLocation.)
Set myPage = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Item(1)
Set myRectangle = myPage.Groups.Item(1).Rectangles.Item(1)
Rem Template for resolve():
Rem PageItem.resolve (Location:any, in: CoordinateSpaces,
Rem ConsideringRulerUnits:boolean)
Rem Get a ruler coordinate in pasteboard coordinates.
Rem The following should work, but, due to a bug in InDesign CS5,
Rem it does not work in VBScript. It does work in VB6.
'myPageLocation = myRectangle.Resolve(Array(Array(72, 72),
idAnchorPoint.idTopRightAnchor),idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates, True)
Rem resolve() returns an array (in this case, the array containins a single item).
'myPageLocation = myPageLocation(0)
'myPageLocationX = myPageLocation(0)
'myPageLocationY = myPageLocation(1)
'MsgBox "X: " & CStr(myPageLocation(0)) & vbCr & "Y: " & CStr(myPageLocation(1))
Rem Because of the above bug, here's a workaround using JavaScript.
myString = "var myRectangle =
app.documents.item(0).pages.item(0).groups.item(0).rectangles.item(0);" & vbCr
myString = myString & "var myPageLocation = myRectangle.resolve([[72, 72],
AnchorPoint.topRightAnchor], CoordinateSpaces.pasteboardCoordinates, true);" & vbCr
myString = myString & "alert(""X: "" + myPageLocation[0][0] + ""\rY: "" +
myPageLocation[0][1])"
myInDesign.DoScript myString, idScriptLanguage.idJavaScript

Transforming points
You can transform points as well as objects, which means scripts can perform a variety of mathematical
operations without having to include the calculations in the script itself. The ChangeCoordinates sample
script shows how to draw a series of regular polygons using this approach:

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Transforming Page Items

Rem General purpose routine for drawing regular polygons from their center point.
Function myDrawPolygon(myInDesign, myParent, myCenterPoint, myNumberOfPoints,
myRadius, myStarPolygon, myStarInset)
ReDim myPathPoints(0)
myPoint = Array(0, 0)
If myStarPolygon = True Then
myNumberOfPoints = myNumberOfPoints * 2
End If
myInnerRadius = myRadius * myStarInset
myAngle = 360 / myNumberOfPoints
Set myRotateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add(, , , myAngle)
Set myOuterTranslateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add
(, , , , myRadius)
Set myInnerTranslateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add
(, , , , myInnerRadius)
For myPointCounter = 0 To myNumberOfPoints
Rem Translate the point to the inner/outer radius.
If ((myStarInset = 1) Or (myIsEven(myPointCounter) = True)) Then
myTransformedPoint = myOuterTranslateMatrix.ChangeCoordinates(myPoint)
Else
myTransformedPoint = myInnerTranslateMatrix.ChangeCoordinates(myPoint)
End If
myTransformedPoint = myRotateMatrix.ChangeCoordinates(myTransformedPoint)
myPathPoints = myPush(myPathPoints, myTransformedPoint)
Set myRotateMatrix = myRotateMatrix.RotateMatrix(myAngle)
Next
Rem Create a new polygon.
Set myPolygon = myParent.Polygons.Add
Rem Set the entire path of the polygon to the array we've created.
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = myPathPoints
Rem If the center point is somewhere other than [0,0],
Rem translate the polygon to the center point.
If (myCenterPoint(0) <> 0) Or (myCenterPoint(1) <> 0) Then
Set myTranslateMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.Add
(, , , , myCenterPoint(0), myCenterPoint(1))
myPolygon.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTranslateMatrix
End If
Set myDrawPolygon = myPolygon
End Function
Rem Generic function for adding a value to an array.
Function myPush(myArray, myValue)
If Not (IsEmpty(myArray(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myArray(UBound(myArray) + 1)
End If
Set myArray(UBound(myArray)) = myValue
myPush = myArray
End Function
Rem This function returns true if myNumber is even, false if it is not.
Function myIsEven(myNumber)
myResult = myNumber Mod 2
If myResult = 0 Then
myResult = True
Else
myResult = False
End If
myIsEven = myResult
End Function

125

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126

You also can use the ChangeCoordinate method to change the positions of curve control points, as
shown in the FunWithTransformations sample script.

Transforming again
Just as you can apply a transformation or sequence of transformations again in the user interface, you can
do so using scripting. There are four methods for applying transformations again:


TransformAgain



TransformAgainIndividually



TransformSequenceAgain



TransformSequenceAgainIndividually

The following script fragment shows how to use TransformAgain. (For the complete script, see
TransformAgain.)
set myRectangle = myPage.Rectangles.Item(1)
myBounds = myRectangle.GeometricBounds
myX1 = myBounds(1)
myY1 = myBounds(0)
Set myRectangleA = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myRectangleA.GeometricBounds = Array(myY1-12, myX1-12, myY1+12, myX1+12)
Set myTransformationMatrix = myInDesign.TransformationMatrices.add(, , , 45)
myRectangleA.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
Set myRectangleB = myRectangleA.Duplicate
myRectangleB.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates, Array(Array(0,0),
idAnchorPoint.idTopLeftAnchor), myTransformationMatrix, , True
Set myRectangleC = myRectangleB.Duplicate
myRectangleC.TransformAgain
Set myRectangleD = myRectangleC.Duplicate
myRectangleD.transformAgain
Set myRectangleE = myRectangleD.Duplicate
myRectangleE.TransformAgain
set myRectangleF = myRectangleE.Duplicate
myRectangleF.TransformAgain
set myRectangleG = myRectangleF.Duplicate
myRectangleG.TransformAgain
set myRectangleH = myRectangleG.Duplicate
myRectangleH.TransformAgain
myRectangleA.Transform idCoordinateSpaces.idPasteboardCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, myTransformationMatrix
myRectangleD.TransformAgain
myRectangleF.TransformAgain
myRectangleH.TransformAgain

Resize and Reframe
In addition to scaling page items using the TransformMethod, you can also change the size of the shape
using two other methods: Resize and Reframe. These methods change the location of the path points of
the page item without scaling the content or stroke weight of the page item. The following script
fragment shows how to use the Resize method. For the complete script, see Resize.

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Rem Given a reference to a rectangle "myRectangle"...
Set myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate
myDuplicate.Resize idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates,
idAnchorPoint.idCenterAnchor, idResizeMethods.idMultiplyingCurrentDimensionsBy,
Array(2, 2)

The following script fragment shows how to use the Reframe method. For the complete script, see
Reframe.
Rem Given a reference to a rectangle "myRectangle"...
myBounds = myRectangle.GeometricBounds
myX1 = myBounds(1)-72
myY1 = myBounds(0)-72
myX2 = myBounds(3)+72
myY2 = myBounds(2)+72
Set myDuplicate = myRectangle.Duplicate
myDuplicate.Reframe idCoordinateSpaces.idInnerCoordinates, Array(Array(myY1, myX1),
Array(myY2, myX2))

Working with Articles
Articles provide designers and production artists an easy way to create relationships among page items.
These relationships can be used to define the content to be used while exporting to ePub, HTML or
Accessible PDFs; and to define the order of the content. You can create articles from a combination of
existing page items within a layout, including images, graphics, or text. Once an article has been created,
page items can be added, removed, or re-ordered.

Retrieving an article list
To get the articles in a document, use the following script (for the complete script, see CreateArticle).
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set articles = myDocument.Articles

Adding new articles
To add a new article to a document, use the following script (for the complete script, see CreateArticle).
Set article1 = myDocument.Articles.Add("Article1", True)

Removing an article
To remove an article, tell the article to remove itself as shown in the following script (for the complete
script, see RemoveArticle).
article.Delete

Reordering articles
To reorder articles, tell the article to move the reference article and the location relative to the reference
article as shown in the following script (for the complete script, see ReorderArticles).

CHAPTER 6: Working with Page Items

Set
Set
Set
Set

article1
article2
article3
article4

Working with Articles

=
=
=
=

myDocument.Articles.Add("Article1",
myDocument.Articles.Add("Article2",
myDocument.Articles.Add("Article3",
myDocument.Articles.Add("Article4",

128

True)
True)
True)
True)

Rem Reverse the order of articles.
Rem Move article4 to the first.
article4.Move idLocationOptions.idAtBeginning
Rem Move article1 to the end.
article1.Move idLocationOptions.idAtEnd
Rem Move article3 to the second place.
article3.Move idLocationOptions.idAfter, article4
Rem Move article2 to the third place.
article2.Move idLocationOptions.idBefore, article1

Adding new members to an article
To add new members to an article, use the following script (for the complete script, see
AddRemoveArticleMember).
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set articles = myDocument.Articles
Rem
Set
Set
Set

Create new
article1 =
article2 =
article3 =

articles.
articles.Add("Article1", True)
articles.Add("Article2", True)
articles.Add("Article3", True)

Set myPage = myDocument.pages.item(1)
Set article1Members = article1.ArticleMembers
article1Members.Add myPage.Rectangles.item(1)
article1Members.Add myPage.Ovals.item(1)
Set article2Members = article2.ArticleMembers
article2Members.Add myPage.Rectangles.item(2)
article2Members.Add myPage.Ovals.item(2)
Set article3Members = article3.ArticleMembers
Rem Add group as article member.
article3Members.Add myPage.Groups.item(1)

Reordering members of an article
To reorder members of an article, tell the member to move the reference object and the location relative to
the reference object as shown in the following script (for the complete script, see ReorderArticleMembers).
Rem Assume there are four members in the article in the following order:
Rem rectangle, oval, text frame, group
Set articleMembers = article.ArticleMembers
articleMembers.Add myPage.Rectangles.item(1)
articleMembers.Add myPage.Ovals.item(1)
articleMembers.Add myPage.TextFrames.item(1)
articleMembers.Add myPage.Groups.item(1)
articleMembers.item(1).Move idLocationOptions.idAtEnd
articleMembers.item(3).Move idLocationOptions.idAtBeginning
articleMembers.item(2).Move idLocationOptions.idAfter, articleMembers.item(3)

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Working with Articles

129

Removing members from an article
To remove a member from an article, tell the article member to remove itself, as shown in the following
script (for the complete script, see AddRemoveArticleMember).
Set articleMember = article1Members.item(1)
articleMember.Delete

7

User Interfaces

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

VBScript can create dialogs for simple yes/no questions and text entry, but you probably will need to
create more complex dialogs for your scripts. InDesign scripting can add dialogs and populate them with
common user-interface controls, like pop-up lists, text-entry fields, and numeric-entry fields. If you want
your script to collect and act on information entered by you or any other user of your script, use the
dialog object.
This chapter shows how to work with InDesign dialog scripting. The sample scripts in this chapter are
presented in order of complexity, starting with very simple scripts and building toward more complex
operations.
NOTE: InDesign scripts written in JavaScript also can include user interfaces created using the Adobe
ScriptUI component. This chapter includes some ScriptUI scripting tutorials; for more information, see
Adobe JavaScript Tools Guide.
NOTE: Although Visual Basic applications can create complete user interfaces, they run from a separate
Visual Basic executable file. InDesign scripting includes the ability to create complex dialogs that appear
inside InDesign and look very much like the program’s standard user interface. VBScripts run from the
Scripts palette are much faster than scripts run from an external application.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create and run a
script.

Dialog Overview
An InDesign dialog box is an object like any other InDesign scripting object. The dialog box can contain
several different types of elements (known collectively as “widgets”), as shown in the following figure. The
elements of the figure are described in the table following the figure.

130

CHAPTER 7: User Interfaces

Dialog Overview

dialog

131

dialog column

static text
border panel
checkbox control
radiobutton group
radiobutton control

measurement editbox

dropdown

Dialog box element

InDesign name

Text-edit fields

Text editbox control

Numeric-entry fields

Real editbox, integer editbox, measurement
editbox, percent editbox, angle editbox

Pop-up menus

Drop-down control

Control that combines a text-edit field with a
pop-up menu

Combo-box control

Check box

Check-box control

Radio buttons

Radio-button control

The dialog object itself does not directly contain the controls; that is the purpose of the DialogColumn
object. DialogColumns give you a way to control the positioning of controls within a dialog box. Inside
DialogColumns, you can further subdivide the dialog box into other DialogColumns or BorderPanels
(both of which can, if necessary, contain more DialogColumns and BorderPanels).
Like any other InDesign scripting object, each part of a dialog box has its own properties. A
CheckboxControl, for example, has a property for its text (StaticLabel) and another property for its
state (CheckedState). The Dropdown control has a property (StringList) for setting the list of options
that appears on the control’s menu.
To use a dialog box in your script, create the dialog object, populate it with various controls, display the
dialog box, and then gather values from the dialog-box controls to use in your script. Dialog boxes remain
in InDesign’s memory until they are destroyed. This means you can keep a dialog box in memory and have
data stored in its properties used by multiple scripts, but it also means the dialog boxes take up memory
and should be disposed of when they are not in use. In general, you should destroy a dialog-box object
before your script finishes executing.

CHAPTER 7: User Interfaces

Your First InDesign Dialog 132

Your First InDesign Dialog
The process of creating an InDesign dialog is very simple: add a dialog, add a dialog column to the dialog,
and add controls to the dialog column. The following script demonstrates the process (for the complete
script, see SimpleDialog):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
Rem Add a dialog column.
With myDialog.DialogColumns.Add
With .StaticTexts.Add
.StaticLabel = "This is a very simple dialog box."
End With
End With
Rem Show the dialog box.
myResult = myDialog.Show
Rem If the user clicked OK, display one message;
Rem if they clicked Cancel, display a different message.
If myResult = True Then
MsgBox("You clicked the OK button!")
Else
MsgBox("You clicked the Cancel button!")
End If
Rem Remove the dialog from memory.
myDialog.Destroy

Adding a User Interface to “Hello World”
In this example, we add a simple user interface to the Hello World tutorial script presented in Adobe
InDesign Scripting Tutorial. The options in the dialog box provide a way for you to specify the sample text
and change the point size of the text:
Function myDisplayDialog(myInDesign)
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
myDialog.CanCancel = True
myDialog.Name = "Simple User Interface Example Script"
Set myDialogColumn = myDialog.DialogColumns.Add
Set myTextEditField = myDialogColumn.TextEditboxes.Add
myTextEditField.EditContents = "Hello World!"
myTextEditField.MinWidth = 180
Rem Create a number (real) entry field.
Set myPointSizeField = myDialogColumn.measurementEditboxes.Add
myPointSizeField.EditValue = 72
myResult = myDialog.Show
If myResult = True Then
Rem Get the values from the dialog box controls.
myString = myTextEditField.EditContents
myPointSize = myPointSizeField.EditValue
Rem Remove the dialog box from memory.
myDialog.Destroy
myMakeDocument(myInDesign, myString, myPointSize)
Else
myDialog.Destroy
End If
End Function

Here is the myMakeDocument function referred to in the above fragment:

CHAPTER 7: User Interfaces

Creating a More Complex User Interface

133

Function myMakeDocument(myInDesign, myString, myPointSize)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Add
Rem Resize the text frame to the "live" area of the page
Rem (using the function "myGetBounds").
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myBounds
Rem Enter the text from the dialog box in the text frame.
myTextFrame.Contents = myString
Rem Set the size of the text to the size you entered in the dialog box.
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).PointSize = myPointSize
End Function

Creating a More Complex User Interface
In the next example, we add more controls and different types of controls to the sample dialog box. The
example creates a dialog box that resembles the following:

For the complete script, see ComplexUI.
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
myDialog.CanCancel = True
myDialog.Name = "User Interface Example Script"
Rem Create a dialog column.
Set myDialogColumn = myDialog.DialogColumns.Add
Rem Create a border panel.
Set myBorderPanel = myDialogColumn.BorderPanels.Add
Rem Create a dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myStaticText = myTempDialogColumn.StaticTexts.Add
myStaticText.StaticLabel = "Message:"
Rem Create another dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myTextEditField = myTempDialogColumn.TextEditboxes.Add
myTextEditField.EditContents = "Hello World!"
myTextEditField.MinWidth = 180
Rem Create another border panel.
Set myBorderPanel = myDialogColumn.BorderPanels.Add
Rem Create a dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myStaticText = myTempDialogColumn.StaticTexts.Add
myStaticText.StaticLabel = "Point Size:"
Rem Create another dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myPointSizeField = myTempDialogColumn.RealEditboxes.Add
myPointSizeField.EditValue = 72
Rem Create another border panel.

CHAPTER 7: User Interfaces

Creating a More Complex User Interface

Set myBorderPanel = myDialogColumn.BorderPanels.Add
Rem Create a dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myStaticText = myTempDialogColumn.StaticTexts.Add
myStaticText.StaticLabel = "Vertical Justification:"
Rem Create another dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myVerticalJustificationMenu = myTempDialogColumn.Dropdowns.Add
myVerticalJustificationMenu.StringList = Array("Top", "Center", "Bottom")
myVerticalJustificationMenu.SelectedIndex = 0
Rem Create another border panel.
Set myBorderPanel = myDialogColumn.BorderPanels.Add
Rem Create a dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myStaticText = myTempDialogColumn.StaticTexts.Add
myStaticText.StaticLabel = "Paragraph Alignment:"
Rem Create another dialog column inside the border panel.
Set myTempDialogColumn = myBorderPanel.DialogColumns.Add
Set myRadioButtonGroup = myTempDialogColumn.RadiobuttonGroups.Add
Set myLeftRadioButton = myRadioButtonGroup.RadiobuttonControls.Add
myLeftRadioButton.StaticLabel = "Left"
myLeftRadioButton.CheckedState = True
Set myCenterRadioButton = myRadioButtonGroup.RadiobuttonControls.Add
myCenterRadioButton.StaticLabel = "Center"
Set myRightRadioButton = myRadioButtonGroup.RadiobuttonControls.Add
myRightRadioButton.StaticLabel = "Right"
Rem If the user clicked OK, then create the example document.
If myDialog.Show = True Then
Rem Get the values from the dialog box controls.
myString = myTextEditField.EditContents
myPointSize = myPointSizeField.EditValue
Select Case myVerticalJustificationMenu.SelectedIndex
Case 0
myVerticalJustification = idVerticalJustification.idTopAlign
Case 1
myVerticalJustification = idVerticalJustification.idCenterAlign
Case Else
myVerticalJustification = idTopAlign.idBottomAlign
End Select
Rem set the paragraph alignment of the text to the dialog radio button choice.
Select Case myRadioButtonGroup.SelectedButton
Case 0
myAlignment = idJustification.idLeftAlign
Case 1
myAlignment = idJustification.idCenterAlign
Case Else
myAlignment = idJustification.idRightAlign
End Select
Rem Remove the dialog box from memory.
myDialog.Destroy
Rem Create a new document.
myMakeDocument myInDesign, myString, myPointSize, myParagraphAlignment,
myVerticalJustification
Else
myDialog.Destroy
End If

Here is the myMakeDocument function referred to in the above fragment:

134

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Working with ScriptUI

135

Function myMakeDocument(myInDesign, myString, myPointSize, myAlignment,
myVerticalJustification)
Rem Create a new document.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Add
Rem Resize the text frame to the "live" area of the
Rem page (using the function "myGetBounds").
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myBounds
Rem Enter the text from the dialog box in the text frame.
myTextFrame.Contents = myString
Rem Set the size of the text to the size you entered
Rem in the dialog box.
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).PointSize = myPointSize
Rem Set the paragraph alignment to the alignment you
Rem selected in the dialog box.
myTextFrame.Texts.Item(1).Justification = myAlignment
Rem Set the text frame vertical justification to the vertical justification
Rem you selected in the dialog box.
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.VerticalJustification = myVerticalJustification
End Function

Working with ScriptUI
JavaScripts can make create and define user-interface elements using an Adobe scripting component
named ScriptUI. ScriptUI gives scripters a way to create floating palettes, progress bars, and interactive
dialog boxes that are far more complex than InDesign’s built-in dialog object.
This does not mean, however, that user-interface elements written using Script UI are not accessible to
VBScript users. InDesign scripts can execute scripts written in other scripting languages using the DoScript
method.

Creating a progress bar with ScriptUI
The following sample script shows how to create a progress bar using JavaScript and ScriptUI, then use the
progress bar from a VBScript (for the complete script, see ProgressBar):
#targetengine "session"
//Because these terms are defined in the "session" engine,
//they will be available to any other JavaScript running
//in that instance of the engine.
var myMaximumValue = 300;
var myProgressBarWidth = 300;
var myIncrement = myMaximumValue/myProgressBarWidth;
myCreateProgressPanel(myMaximumValue, myProgressBarWidth);
function myCreateProgressPanel(myMaximumValue, myProgressBarWidth){
myProgressPanel = new Window('window', 'Progress');
with(myProgressPanel){
myProgressPanel.myProgressBar = add('progressbar', [12, 12,
myProgressBarWidth, 24], 0, myMaximumValue);
}
}

The following script fragment shows how to call the progress bar created in the above script using a
VBScript (for the complete script, see CallProgressBar):

CHAPTER 7: User Interfaces

Working with ScriptUI

Rem Create a document and add pages to it-Rem if you do not do this, the progress bar
Rem will go by too quickly.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Rem Note that the JavaScripts must use the "session"
Rem engine for this to work.
myString = "#targetengine ""session""" & vbCr
myString = myString & "myCreateProgressPanel(100, 400);" & vbcr
myString = myString & "myProgressPanel.show();" & vbcr
myInDesign.DoScript myString, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript
For myCounter = 1 to 100
Rem Add a page to the document.
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Pages.Add
myString = "#targetengine ""session""" & vbCr
myString = myString & "myProgressPanel.myProgressBar.value = "
myString = myString & cstr(myCounter) & "/myIncrement;" & vbcr
myInDesign.DoScript myString, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript
If(myCounter = 100) Then
myString = "#targetengine ""session""" & vbCr
myString = myString & "myProgressPanel.myProgressBar.value = 0;" & vbcr
myString = myString & "myProgressPanel.hide();" & vbcr
myInDesign.DoScript myString, idScriptLanguage.idJavascript
myDocument.Close idSaveOptions.idNo
End If
Next

136

8

Events

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

InDesign scripting can respond to common application and document events, such as opening a file,
creating a new file, printing, and importing text and graphic files from disk. In InDesign scripting, the
event object responds to an event that occurs in the application. Scripts can be attached to events using
the EventListener scripting object. Scripts that use events are the same as other scripts—the only
difference is that they run automatically when the corresponding event occurs, rather than being run by
the user (from the Scripts palette).
This chapter shows how to work with InDesign event scripting. The sample scripts in this chapter are
presented in order of complexity, starting with very simple scripts and building toward more complex
operations.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script.
For a discussion of events related to menus, see Chapter 9, “Menus.”
The InDesign event scripting model is similar to the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) recommendation
for Document Object Model Events. For more information, see http://www.w3c.org.

Understanding the Event Scripting Model
The InDesign event scripting model consists of a series of objects that correspond to the events that occur
as you work with the application. The first object is the event, which corresponds to one of a limited series
of actions in the InDesign user interface (or corresponding actions triggered by scripts).
To respond to an event, you register an EventListener with an object capable of receiving the event.
When the specified event reaches the object, the EventListener executes the script function defined in
its handler function (a reference to a script file on disk).
You can view the available events using the Object Browser in your VBScript editor by looking at the
EventEvents module.

About event properties and event propagation
When an action—whether initiated by a user or by a script—triggers an event, the event can spread, or
propagate, through the scripting objects capable of responding to the event. When an event reaches an
object that has an EventListener registered for that event, the EventListener is triggered by the event.
An event can be handled by more than one object as it propagates.
There are two types of event propagation:


None — Only the EventListeners registered to the event target are triggered by the event. The
beforeDisplay event is an example of an event that does not propagate.

137

CHAPTER 8: Events

Working with Event Listeners


138

Bubbling — The event starts propagation at its target and triggers any qualifying EventListeners
registered to the target. The event then proceeds upward through the scripting object model,
triggering any qualifying EventListeners registered to objects above the target in the scripting
object model hierarchy.

The following table provides more detail on the properties of an event and the ways in which they relate
to event propagation through the scripting object model.
Property

Description

Bubbles

If true, the event propagates to scripting objects above the object initiating
the event.

Cancelable

If true, the default behavior of the event on its target can be canceled. To do
this, use the PreventDefault method.

CurrentTarget

The current scripting object processing the event. See target in this table.

DefaultPrevented

If true, the default behavior of the event on the current target was
prevented, thereby canceling the action. See target in this table.

EventPhase

The current stage of the event propagation process.

EventType

The type of the event, as a string (for example, "beforeNew").

PropagationStopped

If true, the event has stopped propagating beyond the current target (see
target in this table). To stop event propagation, use the StopPropagation
method.

Target

The object from which the event originates. For example, the target of a
beforeImport event is a document; of a beforeNew event, the application.

TimeStamp

The time and date when the event occurred.

Working with Event Listeners
When you create an EventListener, you specify the event type and the event handler (as a function or file
reference). The following script fragment shows how to add an EventListener for a specific event (for the
complete script, see AddEventListener).
Rem Given a reference to InDesign "myInDesign"...
myInDesign.AddEventListener "afterNew", GetRef("myDisplayEventType")

The preceding script fragment refers to the following function:
Function myDisplayEventType(en)
Rem "en" is the event passed to this script by the event listener.
MsgBox ("This event is the " & en.EventType & " event.")
End Function

To remove the EventListener created by the preceding script, run the following script (from the
RemoveEventListener tutorial script):
Rem Given a reference to InDesign "myInDesign"...
myInDesign.RemoveEventListener "afterNew", myDisplayEventType

CHAPTER 8: Events

Working with Event Listeners

139

When an EventListener responds to an event, the event may still be processed by other
EventListeners that might be monitoring the event (depending on the propagation of the event). For
example, the afterOpen event can be observed by EventListeners associated with both the application
and the document.
EventListeners do not persist beyond the current InDesign session. To make an EventListener

available in every InDesign session, add the script to the startup scripts folder. (For more on installing
scripts, see "Installing Scripts" in Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial.) When you add an EventListener
script to a document, it is not saved with the document or exported to IDML.
NOTE: If you are having trouble with a script that defines an EventListener, you can either run a script
that removes the EventListener or quit and restart InDesign.
An event can trigger multiple EventListeners as it propagates through the scripting object model. The
following sample script demonstrates an event triggering EventListeners registered to different objects
(for the full script, see MultipleEventListeners):
Rem Given a reference to InDesign Application object "myInDesign"...
myInDesign.AddEventListener DocumentEvents.idBeforeImport, GetRef("myEventInfo")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).AddEventListener DocumentEvents.idBeforeImport,
GetRef("myEventInfo")

The myEventInfo function referred to in the preceding script contains the following script code:
Function myEventInfo(en)
myString = "Current Target: " & en.currentTarget.name
MsgBox(myString)
End Function

When you run the preceding script and place a file, InDesign displays alerts showing, in sequence, the
name of the document, then the name of the application. To remove the event listeners added by the
preceding script, run the RemoveMultipleEventListeners script.
The following sample script creates an EventListener for each document event and displays information
about the event in a simple dialog box. For the complete script, see EventListenersOn.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myEventNames = Array("beforeQuit", "afterQuit", "beforeNew", "afterNew", "beforeOpen",
"afterOpen", "beforeClose", "afterClose", "beforeSave", "afterSave", "beforeSaveAs",
"afterSaveAs", "beforeSaveACopy", "afterSaveACopy", "beforeRevert", "afterRevert",
"beforePrint", "afterPrint", "beforeExport", "afterExport", "beforeImport",
"afterImport", "beforePlace", "afterPlace")
For myCounter = 0 To UBound(myEventNames)
myInDesign.AddEventListener myEventNames(myCounter), "c:\GetEventInfo.vbs", False
If myCounter < UBound(myEventNames) Then
myInDesign.EventListeners.Add myEventNames(myCounter), "c:\GetEventInfo.vbs",
False
End If
Next

The preceding script refers to the following script. The file reference in the preceding script must match
the location of this script on your disk. For the complete script, see GetEventInfo.vbs.

CHAPTER 8: Events

Sample afterNew Event Listener

140

main evt
Function main(myEvent)
myString = "Handling Event: " & myEvent.EventType
myString = myString & vbCr & vbCr & "Target: " & myEvent.Target & " " &
myEvent.Target.Name
myString = myString & vbCr & "Current: " & myEvent.CurrentTarget & " " &
myEvent.CurrentTarget.Name
myString = myString & vbCr & vbCr & "Phase: " &
myGetPhaseName(myEvent.EventPhase)
myString = myString & vbCr & "Bubbles: " & myEvent.Bubbles
myString = myString & vbCr & vbCr & "Cancelable: " & myEvent.Cancelable
myString = myString & vbCr & "Stopped: " & myEvent.PropagationStopped
myString = myString & vbCr & "Canceled: " & myEvent.DefaultPrevented
myString = myString & vbCr & vbCr & "Time: " & myEvent.TimeStamp
MsgBox myString, vbOKOnly, "Event Details"
end function
Rem Function returns a string corresponding to the event phase enumeration.
Function myGetPhaseName(myEventPhase)
Select Case myEventPhase
Case idEventPhases.idAtTarget
myPhaseName = "At Target"
Case idEventPhases.idBubblingPhase
myPhaseName = "Bubbling"
Case idEventPhases.idDone
myPhaseName = "Done"
Case idEventPhases.idNotDispatching
myPhaseName = "Not Dispatching"
end select
myGetPhaseName = myPhaseName
End Function

The following sample script shows how to turn off all EventListeners on the application object. For the
complete script, see EventListenersOff.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
For myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.EventListeners.Count
myInDesign.EventListeners.Item(1).Delete
Next

Sample afterNew Event Listener
The afterNew event provides a convenient place to add information to the document, such as the user
name, the date the document was created, copyright information, and other job-tracking information. The
following tutorial script shows how to add this kind of information to a text frame in the slug area of the
first master spread in the document (for the complete script, see AfterNew). This script also adds
document metadata (also known as file info or XMP information).
Rem Adds an event listener to the afterNew event. Calls
Rem a script on disk to set up basic document parameters
Rem and XMP metadata.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myEventListener = myInDesign.EventListeners.Add("afterNew",
"c:\IDEventHandlers\AfterNewHandler.vbs")

The preceding script refers to the following script. The file reference in the preceding script must match
the location of this script on your disk. For the complete script, see AfterNewHandler.vbs.

CHAPTER 8: Events

Sample beforePrint Event Listener

141

Rem AfterNewHandler.vbs
Rem An InDesign CS6 VBScript
Rem
Rem This script is called by the AfterNew.vbs tutorial script. It
Rem Sets up a basic document layout and adds XMP information
Rem to the document.
AfterNewHandler(evt)
Function AfterNewHandler(myEvent)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myEvent.Parent
Set myViewPreferences = myDocument.ViewPreferences
myViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myViewPreferences.RulerOrigin = idRulerOrigin.idPageOrigin
Rem mySlugOffset is the distance from the bottom of the
Rem page to the top of the slug.
mySlugOffset = 24
Rem mySlugHeight is the height of the slug text frame.
mySlugHeight = 72
With myDocument.DocumentPreferences
.documentSlugUniformSize = false
.SlugBottomOffset = mySlugOffset + mySlugHeight
.SlugTopOffset = 0
.SlugInsideOrLeftOffset = 0
.SlugRightOrOutsideOffset = 0
End With
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.MasterSpreads.Count
Set myMasterSpread = myDocument.MasterSpreads.Item(myCounter)
For myMasterPageCounter = 1 To myMasterSpread.Pages.Count
Set myPage = myMasterSpread.Pages.Item(myMasterPageCounter)
mySlugBounds = myGetSlugBounds(myDocument, myPage, mySlugOffset,
mySlugHeight)
Set mySlugFrame = myPage.TextFrames.Add
mySlugFrame.GeometricBounds = mySlugBounds
mySlugFrame.Contents = "Created: " & myEvent.TimeStamp & vbCr & "by: "
& myInDesign.UserName
Next
Next
With myDocument.MetadataPreferences
.Author = "Adobe Systems"
.Description = "This is a sample document with XMP metadata."
End With
End Function
Function myGetSlugBounds(myDocument, myPage, mySlugOffset, mySlugHeight)
myPageWidth = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageWidth
myPageHeight = myDocument.DocumentPreferences.PageHeight
myX1 = myPage.MarginPreferences.Left
myY1 = myPageHeight + mySlugOffset
myX2 = myPageWidth - myPage.MarginPreferences.Right
myY2 = myY1 + mySlugHeight
myGetSlugBounds = Array(myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2)
End Function

Sample beforePrint Event Listener
The beforePrint event provides a perfect place to execute a script that performs various preflight checks
on a document. The following script shows how to add an event listener that checks a document for
certain attributes before printing (for the complete script, see BeforePrint):

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Rem Adds an event listener that performs a preflight check on
Rem a document before printing. If the preflight check fails,
Rem the script gives the user the opportunity to cancel the print job.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myEventListener = myInDesign.EventListeners.Add("beforePrint",
"c:\IDEventHandlers\BeforePrintHandler.vbs")

The preceding script refers to the following script. The file reference in the preceding script must match
the location of this script on your disk. For the complete script, see BeforePrintHandler.vbs.
Rem BeforePrintHandler.vbs
Rem An InDesign CS6 VBScript
Rem
Rem Peforms a preflight check on a document. Called by the
Rem BeforePrint.applescript event listener example.
Rem "evt" is the event passed to this script by the event listener.
myBeforePrintHandler(evt)
Function myBeforePrintHandler(myEvent)
Rem The parent of the event is the document.
Set myDocument = myEvent.parent
If myPreflight(myDocument) = False Then
myEvent.stopPropagation
myEvent.preventDefault
myString = "Document did not pass preflight check." & vbCr
myString = myString & "Please fix the problems and try again."
msgbox(myString)
Else
msgbox("Document passed preflight check. Ready to print.")
myDocument.print(true)
End If
End Function
Function myPreflight(myDocument)
myPreflightCheck = True
myFontCheck = myCheckFonts(myDocument)
myGraphicsCheck = myCheckGraphics(myDocument)
If ((myFontCheck = false)Or(myGraphicsCheck = false)) Then
myPreflightCheck = false
End If
myPreflight = myPreflightCheck
End function
Function myCheckFonts(myDocument)
myFontCheck = true
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.fonts.count
Set myFont = myDocument.fonts.item(myCounter)
if myFont.status <> idFontStatus.idinstalled Then
myFontCheck = false
End If
Next
myCheckFonts = myFontCheck
End function
function myCheckGraphics(myDocument)
myGraphicsCheck = true
for myCounter = 1 To myDocument.allGraphics.count
set myGraphic = myDocument.allGraphics.item(myCounter)
If myGraphic.itemLink.status <> idLinkStatus.idnormal Then
myGraphicsCheck = false
End If
Next
myCheckGraphics = myGraphicsCheck
End function

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143

Sample Selection Event Listeners
InDesign can respond to events related to selection. When you select or deselect objects in an InDesign
document, InDesign generates the afterSelectionChanged event. When you change an attribute (the
formatting or position) of the selected object or objects, InDesign generates the
afterSelectionAttributeChanged event. These two events are useful when you want to create a script
that responds to user actions.
The following script fragment shows how to get and display the type of an object when the selection
changes. For the complete script, see AfterSelectionChanged.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.AddEventListener "afterSelectionChanged", GetRef("myDisplaySelectionType")

The event handler referred to in the preceding script fragment looks like this:
Function myDisplaySelectionType(en)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
if myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Selection.Count > 0 Then
Set mySelection = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Selection
myString = "Selection Contents:" & vbCr
for myCounter = 1 To mySelection.Count
myString = myString & TypeName(mySelection.Item(myCounter)) & vbCr
Next
MsgBox(myString)
End If
End If
End Function

To remove the event listener added by the preceding script, run the RemoveAfterSelectionChanged script.
The following script fragment shows how to respond to a change in the attributes of a selection. In this
example, the event handler checks the selection to see whether the Registration swatch has been applied.
(Accidental application of the Registration swatch can cause problems at your commercial printer.) If the
Registration swatch has been applied, the script asks whether the change was intentional. For the
complete script, see AfterSelectionAttributeChanged.
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.AddEventListener "afterSelectionAttributeChanged",
GetRef("myCheckForRegistration")

The event handler referred to in the preceding script fragment looks like this:

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144

Function myCheckForRegistration(en)
myRegistrationSwatchUsed = false
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Selection.Count > 0 Then
Set mySelection = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Selection
For myCounter = 1 To mySelection.Count
Set myFillColor = mySelection.Item(myCounter).FillColor
Set myStrokeColor = mySelection.Item(myCounter).StrokeColor
If myFillColor.Name = "Registration" Or myStrokeColor.Name =
"Registration" Then
myRegistrationSwatchUsed = True
End If
Next
If myRegistrationSwatchUsed = True Then
MsgBox("The Registration swatch is applied to some of the" & vbCr & _
"objects in the selection. Did you really intend to apply this swatch?")
End If
End If
End If
End Function

To remove the event listener added by the preceding script, run the
RemoveAfterSelectionAttributeChanged script.

Sample onIdle Event Listener
InDesign’s idle tasks execute when there are no events in the event queue for the application to process. It
is easy to run idle tasks by scripting. The onIdle event provides a way to run scripting-based idle tasks. It
can be used to automatically execute a script when InDesign/InCopy is idle. Its event target is IdleTask,
and its event object is IdleEvent.
The Sleep property of the idle task is the amount of time that elapses before InDesign calls the task again.
It should be obvious that you need to set the sleep time to a value high enough that it does not interfere
with your work, though this value will vary depending on what tasks the script performs.
Setting the sleep time to zero deletes the task (though it does not remove the event listener). This is the
most convenient way to stop an idle task.
The following script shows how to add an eventListener and show a message box from the idle task (for
the complete script, see Reminder):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myIdleTask = myInDesign.IdleTasks.Add()
myIdleTask.Name = "my_idle_task"
myIdleTask.Sleep = 10000
Rem You need to fill in your own file path.
fileName = "C:\scripting\OnIdleEventHandler.vbs"
Set onIdleEventListener = myIdleTask.AddEventListener("onIdle", fileName, False)
MsgBox("Created idle task " & myIdleTask.Name & "; added event listener on " &
onIdleEventListener.EventType)

The event handler is a script file, OnIdleEventHandler.vbs.

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Rem "evt" is the event passed to this script by the event listener.
onIdleEventtHandler(evt)
Function onIdleEventtHandler(myIdleEvent)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count = 0 Then
Set myDoc = myInDesign.Documents.Add()
MsgBox("Created document " + myDoc.Name + " in idle task.")
Exit Function
End If
Set myTextFrames = myInDesign.ActiveDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames
If myTextFrames.Count = 0 Then
Set myTextFrame = myTextFrames.Add()
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = Array("72pt", "72pt", "288pt", "288pt")
myTextFrame.Contents = "Text frame created in idle task"
MsgBox("Created a text frame in idle task.")
Exit Function
End If
Rem Delete idle task by setting its sleep time to zero.
myIdleEvent.Parent.Sleep = 0
MsgBox("Nothing to do. Delete idle task.")
End Function

To remove the idle task created by preceding script, run the following script (for the complete script, see
RemoveIdleTask):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
taskCount = myInDesign.IdleTasks.Count
If taskCount = 0 Then
MsgBox("There is no idle task.")
Else
myIdleTaskName = "my_idle_task"
For Each myIdleTask In myInDesign.IdleTasks
If myIdleTask.Name = myIdleTaskName Then
myIdleTask.Delete()
End If
MsgBox("Idle task " & myIdleTaskName & " removed.")
Next
End If

To remove all idle tasks, run the following script (for the complete script, see RemoveAllIdleTasks):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
taskCount = myInDesign.IdleTasks.Count
If taskCount = 0 Then
MsgBox("There is no idle task.")
Else
For Each myIdleTask In myInDesign.IdleTasks
myIdleTask.Delete()
Next
MsgBox(taskCount & " idle task(s) removed.")
End If

To list existing idle tasks, run the following script (for the complete script, see ListIdleTasks):

CHAPTER 8: Events

Sample onIdle Event Listener

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
taskCount = myInDesign.IdleTasks.Count
If taskCount = 0 Then
MsgBox("There is no idle task.")
Else
str = ""
For i = 1 To taskCount
Set myIdleTask = myInDesign.IdleTasks.Item(i)
str = str & "idle task " & myIdleTask.id & ": " & myIdleTask.name & VbCrLf
Next
MsgBox(str)
End If

146

9

Menus

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

InDesign scripting can add menu items, remove menu items, perform any menu command, and attach
scripts to menu items.
This chapter shows how to work with InDesign menu scripting. The sample scripts in this chapter are
presented in order of complexity, starting with very simple scripts and building toward more complex
operations.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script.

Understanding the Menu Model
The InDesign menu-scripting model is made up of a series of objects that correspond to the menus you
see in the application’s user interface, including menus associated with panels as well as those displayed
on the main menu bar. A menu object contains the following objects:


MenuItems — The menu options shown on a menu. This does not include submenus.



MenuSeparators — Lines used to separate menu options on a menu.



Submenus — Menu options that contain further menu choices.



MenuElements — All MenuItems, MenuSeparators and Submenus shown on a menu.



EventListeners — These respond to user (or script) actions related to a menu.



Events — The events triggered by a menu.

Every MenuItem is connected to a MenuAction through the AssociatedMenuAction property. The
properties of the MenuAction define what happens when the menu item is chosen. In addition to the
MenuActions defined by the user interface, InDesign scripters can create their own, ScriptMenuActions,
which associate a script with a menu selection.
A MenuAction or ScriptMenuAction can be connected to zero, one, or more MenuItems.
The following diagram shows how the different menu objects relate to each other:

147

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148

application
menuActions
menuAction
area
checked
enabled
eventListeners

eventListener

id

eventListener

index

...

label
name
events

event

parent

event

title

...

scriptMenuActions
scriptMenuAction
same as menuAction

To create a list (as a text file) of all menu actions, run the following script fragment (from the
GetMenuActions tutorial script):
Set
Set
Rem
Set
For

myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
You'll need to fill in a valid file path on your system.
myTextFile = myFileSystemObject.CreateTextFile("c:\menuactions.txt", True, False)
myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.MenuActions.Count
Set myMenuAction = myInDesign.MenuActions.Item(myCounter)
myTextFile.WriteLine myMenuAction.name
Next
myTextFile.Close
MsgBox "done!"

To create a list (as a text file) of all available menus, run the following script fragment (for the complete
script, see GetMenuNames). These scripts can be very slow, as there are many menu names in InDesign.

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Set
Set
Set
For

myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
myTextFile = myFileSystemObject.CreateTextFile("c:\menunames.txt", True, False)
myMenuCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Menus.Count
Set myMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item(myMenuCounter)
myTextFile.WriteLine myMenu.Name
myProcessMenu myMenu, myTextFile
Next
myTextFile.Close
MsgBox "done!"
Function myProcessMenu(myMenuItem, myTextFile)
myString = ""
myMenuName = myMenuItem.Name
For myCounter = 1 To myMenuItem.MenuElements.Count
If TypeName(myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter)) <>
"MenuSeparator" Then
myString = myGetIndent(myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter),
myString, False)
myTextFile.WriteLine myString &
myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter).Name
myMenuElementName = myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter).Name
myString = ""
If TypeName(myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter)) = "Submenu" Then
If myMenuItem.MenuElements.Count > 0 Then
myProcessMenu myMenuItem.MenuElements.Item(myCounter),
myTextFile
End If
End If
End If
Next
End Function
Function myGetIndent(myMenuItem, myString, myDone)
Do While myDone = False
If TypeName(myMenuItem.Parent) = "Application" Then
myDone = True
Else
myString = myString & vbTab
myGetIndent myMenuItem.Parent, myString, myDone
End If
Loop
myGetIndent = myString
End Function

Localization and menu names
in InDesign scripting, MenuItems, Menus, MenuActions, and Submenus are all referred to by name. Because
of this, scripts need a method of locating these objects that is independent of the installed locale of the
application. To do this, you can use an internal database of strings that refer to a specific item, regardless of
locale. For example, to get the locale-independent name of a menu action, you can use the following
script fragment (for the complete script, see GetKeyStrings):

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150

Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Fill in the name of the menu action you want.
Set myMenuAction = myInDesign.MenuActions.Item("Convert to Note")
myKeyStrings = myInDesign.FindKeyStrings(myMenuAction.Name)
myString = ""
For Each myKeyString In myKeyStrings
myString = myString & myKeyString & vbCr
Next
MsgBox myString

NOTE: It is much better to get the locale-independent name of a MenuAction than of a Menus, MenuItem, or
Submenu, because the title of a MenuAction is more likely to be a single string. Many of the other menu
objects return multiple strings when you use the FindKeyStrings method.
Once you have the locale-independent string you want to use, you can include it in your scripts. Scripts
that use these strings will function properly in locales other than that of your version of InDesign.
To translate a locale-independent string into the current locale, use the following script fragment (from the
TranslateKeyString tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Fill in the appropriate key string in the following line.
myString = myInDesign.TranslateKeyString("$ID/NotesMenu.ConvertToNote")
MsgBox myString

Running a Menu Action from a Script
Any of InDesign’s built-in MenuActions can be run from a script. The MenuAction does not need to be
attached to a MenuItem; however, in every other way, running a MenuItem from a script is exactly the same
as choosing a menu option in the user interface. For example, If selecting the menu option displays a
dialog box, running the corresponding MenuAction from a script also displays a dialog box.
The following script shows how to run a MenuAction from a script (for the complete script, see
InvokeMenuAction):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem Get a reference to a menu action.
Set myMenuAction = myInDesign.MenuActions.Item("$ID/NotesMenu.ConvertToNote")
Rem Run the menu action. The example action will fail if you do not
Rem have text selected.
myMenuAction.Invoke

NOTE: In general, you should not try to automate InDesign processes by scripting menu actions and
user-interface selections; InDesign’s scripting object model provides a much more robust and powerful
way to work. Menu actions depend on a variety of user-interface conditions, like the selection and the
state of the window. Scripts using the object model work with the objects in an InDesign document
directly, which means they do not depend on the user interface; this, in turn, makes them faster and more
consistent.

Adding Menus and Menu Items
Scripts also can create new menus and menu items or remove menus and menu items, just as you can in
the InDesign user interface. The following sample script shows how to duplicate the contents of a
submenu to a new menu in another menu location (for the complete script, see CustomizeMenu):

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151

Set
Set
Set
Set
Set
Set
For

myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myMainMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("Main")
myTypeMenu = myMainMenu.MenuElements.Item("Type")
myFontMenu = myTypeMenu.MenuElements.Item("Font")
myKozukaMenu = myFontMenu.Submenus.Item("Kozuka Mincho Pro ")
mySpecialFontMenu = myMainMenu.Submenus.Add("Kozuka Mincho Pro")
myCounter = 1 To myKozukaMenu.MenuItems.Count
Set myAssociatedMenuAction =
myKozukaMenu.MenuItems.Item(myCounter).AssociatedMenuAction
mySpecialFontMenu.MenuItems.Add myAssociatedMenuAction
Next

To remove the custom menu item created by the above script, use RemoveCustomMenu.
Set myMainMenu = myInDesign.menus.item("$ID/Main")
On Error Resume Next
Set mySpecialFontMenu = myMainMenu.Submenus.Item("Kozuka Mincho Pro")
mySpecialFontMenu.Delete
On Error Goto 0

Menus and Events
Menus and submenus generate events as they are chosen in the user interface, and MenuActions and
ScriptMenuActions generate events as they are used. Scripts can install EventListeners to respond to
these events. The following table shows the events for the different menu scripting components:
Object

Event

Description

Menu

beforeDisplay

Runs the attached script before the contents of the menu is
shown.

MenuAction

afterInvoke

Runs the attached script when the associated MenuItem is
selected, but after the onInvoke event.

beforeInvoke

Runs the attached script when the associated MenuItem is
selected, but before the onInvoke event.

afterInvoke

Runs the attached script when the associated MenuItem is
selected, but after the onInvoke event.

beforeInvoke

Runs the attached script when the associated MenuItem is
selected, but before the onInvoke event.

beforeDisplay

Runs the attached script before an internal request for the
enabled/checked status of the
ScriptMenuActionScriptMenuAction.

onInvoke

Runs the attached script when the ScriptMenuAction is
invoked.

beforeDisplay

Runs the attached script before the contents of the Submenu
are shown.

ScriptMenuAction

Submenu

For more about Events and EventListeners, see Chapter 8, “Events.”

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152

To change the items displayed in a menu, add an EventListener for the beforeDisplay Event. When the
menu is selected, the EventListener can then run a script that enables or disables menu items, changes
the wording of menu item, or performs other tasks related to the menu. This mechanism is used internally
to change the menu listing of available fonts, recent documents, or open windows.

Working with scriptMenuActions
You can use ScriptMenuAction to create a new MenuAction whose behavior is implemented through the
script registered to run when the onInvoke Event is triggered.
The following script shows how to create a ScriptMenuAction and attach it to a menu item (for the
complete script, see MakeScriptMenuAction). This script simply displays an alert when the menu item is
selected.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set mySampleScriptAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Add("Display Message")
Set myEventListener = mySampleScriptAction.EventListeners.Add("onInvoke",
"c:\message.vbs")
Set mySampleScriptMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/Main").Submenus.Add("Script Menu
Action")
Set mySampleScriptMenuItem = mySampleScriptMenu.MenuItems.Add(mySampleScriptAction)

The message.vbs script file contains the following code:
MsgBox("You selected an example script menu action.")

To remove the Menu, Submenu, MenuItem, and ScriptMenuAction created by the above script, run the
following script fragment (from the RemoveScriptMenuAction tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set mySampleScriptAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Item("Display Message")
mySampleScriptAction.Delete
Set mySampleScriptMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/Main").Submenus.Item("Script Menu
Action")
mySampleScriptMenu.Delete

You also can remove all ScriptMenuAction, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
RemoveAllScriptMenuActions tutorial script). This script also removes the menu listings of the
ScriptMenuAction, but it does not delete any menus or submenus you might have created.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
For myCounter = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Count To 1 Step -1
myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Item(myCounter).Delete
Next

You can create a list of all current ScriptMenuActions, as shown in the following script fragment (from
the ListScriptMenuActions tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Rem You'll need to fill in a valid file path for your system.
Set myTextFile = myFileSystemObject.CreateTextFile("c:\scriptmenuactionnames.txt",
True, False)
For myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Count
Set myScriptMenuAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Item(myMenuCounter)
myTextFile.WriteLine myScriptMenuAction.Name
Next
myTextFile.Close

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153

ScriptMenuAction also can run scripts during their beforeDisplay Event, in which case they are
executed before an internal request for the state of the ScriptMenuAction (e.g., when the menu item is

about to be displayed). Among other things, the script can then change the menu names and/or set the
enabled/checked status.
In the following sample script, we add an EventListener to the beforeDisplay Event that checks the
current selection. If there is no selection, the script in the EventListener disables the menu item. If an
item is selected, the menu item is enabled, and choosing the menu item displays the type of the first item
in the selection. (For the complete script, see BeforeDisplay.)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set mySampleScriptAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Add("Display Message")
Set myEventListener = mySampleScriptAction.EventListeners.Add("onInvoke",
"c:\WhatIsSelected.vbs ")
Set mySampleScriptMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/Main").Submenus.Add("Script Menu
Action")
Set mySampleScriptMenuItem = mySampleScriptMenu.MenuItems.Add(mySampleScriptAction)
mySampleScriptMenu.EventListeners.Add "beforeDisplay", "c:\BeforeDisplayHandler.vbs"

The BeforeDisplayHander tutorial script file contains the following script:
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set mySampleScriptAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.Item("Display Message")
If myInDesign.Selection.Count > 0 Then
mySampleScriptAction.Enabled = True
Else
mySampleScriptAction.Enabled = False
End If

The WhatIsSelected tutorial script file contains the following script:
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myString = TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(1))
MsgBox "The first item in the selection is a " & myString & "."

A More Complex Menu-scripting Example
You have probably noticed that selecting different items in the InDesign user interface changes the
contents of the context menus. The following sample script shows how to modify the context menu based
on the properties of the object you select. Fragments of the script are shown below; for the complete
script, see LayoutContextMenu.
The following snippet shows how to create a new menu item on the Layout context menu (the context
menu that appears when you have a page item selected). The following snippet adds a beforeDisplay
EventListener which checks for the existence of a MenuItem and removes it if it already exists. We do this
to ensure the MenuItem does not appear on the context menu when the selection does not contain a
graphic, and to avoid adding multiple menu choices to the context menu. The EventListener then
checks the selection to see if it contains a graphic; if so, it creates a new ScriptMenuItem.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Rem The locale-independent name (aka "key string") for the
Rem Layout context menu is "$ID/RtMouseLayout".
Set myLayoutContextMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/RtMouseLayout")
Rem Create the event handler for the "beforeDisplay" event
Rem of the Layout context menu.
Set myBeforeDisplayListener = myLayoutContextMenu.addEventListener("beforeDisplay",
"c:\IDEventHandlers\LabelGraphicBeforeDisplay.vbs", false)

CHAPTER 9: Menus

A More Complex Menu-scripting Example

The LabelGraphicBeforeDisplay.vbs file referred to in the above example contains the following:
myBeforeDisplayHandler evt
function myBeforeDisplayHandler(myEvent)
ReDim myObjectList(0)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myLayoutContextMenu = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/RtMouseLayout")
Rem Check for open documents is a basic sanity check-Rem it should never be needed, as this menu won't be
Rem displayed unless an item is selected. But it's best
Rem to err on the side of safety.
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
If myInDesign.Selection.Count > 0 Then
Rem Does the selection contain any graphics?
for myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Selection.Count
Select Case TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter))
Case "PDF","EPS", "Image":
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) =
myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter)
Case "Rectangle", "Oval", "Polygon":
If myInDesign.selection.Item(myCounter).
Graphics.Count > 0 Then
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) =
myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter).Graphics.Item(1)
End If
End Select
Next
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
Rem Add the menu item if it does not already exist.
If myCheckForMenuItem(myLayoutContextMenu,
"Create Graphic Label") = False Then
myMakeLabelGraphicMenuItem myInDesign
End If
Else
Rem Remove the menu item, if it exists.
If myCheckForMenuItem(myLayoutContextMenu,
"Create Graphic Label") = True Then
myLayoutContextMenu.MenuItems.Item("Create Graphic
Label").delete
End If
End If
End If
End If

154

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155

End Function
Function myMakeLabelGraphicMenuItem(myInDesign)
Rem alert("Got to the myMakeLabelGraphicMenuItem function!")
If myCheckForScriptMenuItem(myInDesign, "Create Graphic Label") =
False Then
msgbox "Making a new script menu action!"
Set myLabelGraphicMenuAction = myInDesign.ScriptMenuActions.add("Create
Graphic Label")
Set myLabelGraphicEventListener = myLabelGraphicMenuAction.
EventListeners.Add("onInvoke", "c:\IDEventHandlers\
LabelGraphicOnInvoke.vbs", false)
End If
Set myLabelGraphicMenuItem = myInDesign.Menus.Item("$ID/RtMouseLayout").
menuItems.add(myInDesign.scriptMenuActions.item("Create Graphic Label"))
End Function

The LabelGraphicOnInvoke.vbs referred to in the above example defines the script menu action that
is activated when the menu item is selected (onInvoke event):
myLabelGraphicEventHandler evt
Function myLabelGraphicEventHandler(myEvent)
ReDim myObjectList(0)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Selection.Count > 0 Then
Rem Does the selection contain any graphics?
for myCounter = 1 To myInDesign.Selection.Count
Select Case TypeName(myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter))
Case "PDF","EPS", "Image":
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) =
myInDesign.Selection.Item(myCounter)
Case "Rectangle", "Oval", "Polygon":
If myInDesign.selection.Item(myCounter).Graphics.Count > 0
Then
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
ReDim Preserve myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList) + 1)
End If
Set myObjectList(UBound(myObjectList)) = myInDesign.
Selection.Item(myCounter).Graphics.Item(1)
End If
End Select
Next
If Not (IsEmpty(myObjectList(0))) Then
myDisplayDialog myInDesign, myObjectList
End If
End If
End Function
Rem Function that adds the label.
Function myAddLabel(myInDesign, myGraphic, myLabelType, myLabelHeight, myLabelOffset,
myLabelStyleName, myLayerName)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.documents.Item(1)
myLabelStyle = myDocument.paragraphStyles.item(myLabelStyleName)
Set myLink = myGraphic.ItemLink
Rem Create the label layer if it does not already exist.
On Error Resume Next
Set myLabelLayer = myDocument.layers.item(myLayerName)
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myLabelLayer = myDocument.Layers.Add

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A More Complex Menu-scripting Example

myLabelLayer.Name = myLayerName
Err.Clear
End If
On Error Goto 0
Rem Label type defines the text that goes in the label.
Select Case myLabelType
Rem File name
case 0:
myLabel = myLink.Name
Rem File path
case 1:
myLabel = myLink.FilePath
Rem XMP description
case 2:
On Error Resume Next
myLabel = myLink.LinkXmp.Description
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
myLabel = "No description available."
Err.Clear
End If
On Error Goto 0
Rem XMP author
case 3:
On Error Resume Next
myLabel = myLink.LinkXmp.Author
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
myLabel = "No author available."
Err.Clear
End If
On Error Goto 0
End Select
Set myFrame = myGraphic.Parent
myBounds = myFrame.GeometricBounds
myX1 = myBounds(1)
myY1 = myBounds(2) + myLabelOffset
myX2 = myBounds(3)
myY2 = myY1 + myLabelHeight
Set myTextFrame = myFrame.Parent.TextFrames.Add(myLabelLayer)
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2)
myTextFrame.Contents = myLabel
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.FirstBaselineOffset =
idFirstBaseline.idLeadingOffset
myTextFrame.Paragraphs.Item(1).AppliedParagraphStyle =
myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).ParagraphStyles.Item(myLabelStyle)
End Function
Function myDisplayDialog(myInDesign, myObjectList)
myLabelWidth = 100
myStyleNames = myGetParagraphStyleNames(myInDesign.Documents.Item(1))
myLayerNames = myGetLayerNames(myInDesign.Documents.Item(1))
Set myDialog = myInDesign.Dialogs.Add
myDialog.Name = "LabelGraphics"
With myDialog.DialogColumns.Add
Rem Label type
With .DialogRows.Add
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .StaticTexts.add
.StaticLabel = "Label Type"
.MinWidth = myLabelWidth
End With
End With

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With .DialogColumns.Add
Set myLabelTypeDropdown = .Dropdowns.Add
myLabelTypeDropdown.StringList = Array("File name", "File path",
"XMP description", "XMP author")
myLabelTypeDropdown.SelectedIndex = 0
End With
End With
Rem Text frame height
With .DialogRows.Add
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .StaticTexts.add
.StaticLabel="Label Height"
.MinWidth=myLabelWidth
End With
End With
With .DialogColumns.Add
Set myLabelHeightField = .MeasurementEditboxes.Add
myLabelHeightField.EditValue = 24
myLabelHeightField.EditUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With
End With
Rem Text frame offset
With .DialogRows.Add
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .staticTexts.add
.staticLabel="Label Offset"
.minWidth=myLabelWidth
End With
End With
With .DialogColumns.Add
Set myLabelOffsetField = .MeasurementEditboxes.Add
myLabelOffsetField.editValue=0
myLabelOffsetField.editUnits=idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With
End With
Rem Style to apply
With .DialogRows.Add
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .StaticTexts.Add
.StaticLabel="Label Style"
.MinWidth=myLabelWidth
End With
End With
With .DialogColumns.Add
Set myLabelStyleDropdown = .Dropdowns.Add
myLabelStyleDropdown.StringList=myStyleNames
myLabelStyleDropdown.SelectedIndex=0
End With
End With
Rem Layer
With .DialogRows.Add
With .DialogColumns.Add
With .StaticTexts.Add
.StaticLabel="Layer"
.MinWidth=myLabelWidth
End With
End With
With .DialogColumns.Add
Set myLayerDropdown = .Dropdowns.Add
myLayerDropdown.StringList=myLayerNames

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myLayerDropdown.SelectedIndex=0
End With
End With
End With
myResult = myDialog.show
If myResult = True Then
myLabelType = myLabelTypeDropdown.selectedIndex
myLabelHeight = myLabelHeightField.editValue
myLabelOffset = myLabelOffsetField.editValue
myLabelStyle = myStyleNames(myLabelStyleDropdown.selectedIndex)
myLayerName = myLayerNames(myLayerDropdown.selectedIndex)
myDialog.Destroy
myOldXUnits = myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.
horizontalMeasurementUnits
myOldYUnits = myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.
verticalMeasurementUnits
myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits
= idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits =
idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
for myCounter = 0 To UBound(myObjectList)
Set myGraphic = myObjectList(myCounter)
myAddLabel myInDesign, myGraphic, myLabelType, myLabelHeight,
myLabelOffset, myLabelStyle, myLayerName
Next
myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.horizontalMeasurementUnits
= myOldXUnits
myInDesign.documents.item(1).viewPreferences.verticalMeasurementUnits =
myOldYUnits
Else
myDialog.Destroy
End If
End Function

158

10

Working with Preflight

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

Preflight is a way to verify that you have all required files, fonts, assets (e.g., placed images and PDF files),
printer settings, trapping styles, etc., before you send a publication to an output device. For example, if you
placed an image as a low-resolution proxy but do not have the high-resolution original image accessible
on your hard disk (or workgroup server), that may result in an error during the printing process. Preflight
checks for this sort of problem. It can be run in the background as you work.
This chapter demonstrates how to interact with the preflight system using scripting. For illustration
purposes, we show how to configure preflight to raise an error if the page size is something other than
letter size (8.5" x 11"). We briefly highlight how it is done in the user interface, then show how to achieve
the same results through scripting.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script.

Exploring Preflight Profiles
InDesign’s preflight feature is profile based, rule driven, and parameterized. There might be one or more
preflight profiles. Initially, there is one profile, [Basic], which is read-only; you cannot modify or delete it.
A preflight profile contains many preflight rules. Each rule has a name and multiple data objects. Each data
object has a name, data type, and data value. The data value can be changed. Each rule can be configured
as follows:


Disabled — The preflight rule is disabled.



Return as error — The preflight rule returns error-level feedback.



Return as warning — The preflight rule returns warning-level feedback.



Return as informational — The preflight rule returns informational-level feedback.

To check the profile in InDesign, choose Preflight Panel > Define Profiles. You also can get profile
information by scripting.

Listing preflight profiles
This script fragment shows how to list all preflight profiles. For the complete script, see ListPreflightProfiles.

159

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Exploring Preflight Profiles

160

Set profiles = myInDesign.PreflightProfiles
profileCount = profiles.Count
str = "Preflight profiles: "
For i = 1 To profileCount
If i > 1 Then
str = str & ", "
End If
str = str & profiles.Item(i).Name
Next
MsgBox(str)

Listing preflight rules
This script fragment shows how to list all preflight rules in a profile. For the complete script, see
ListPreflightRules.
Rem Assume the [Basic] profile exists
Set myProfile = myInDesign.PreflightProfiles.Item(1)
Set myRules = myProfile.PreflightProfileRules
ruleCount = myRules.Count
str = "Preflight rules of " & myProfile.Name + ": "
For i = 1 To ruleCount
If i > 1 Then
str = str & ", "
End If
str = str & myRules.Item(i).Name
Next
MsgBox(str)

Listing preflight data objects
This script fragment shows how to list all preflight data objects in a profile rule. For the complete script, see
ListPreflightDataObjects.
Rem Assume the [Basic] profile exists
Set myProfile = myInDesign.PreflightProfiles.Item(1)
Rem rule ADBE_BlankPages
Set myRule = myProfile.PreflightProfileRules.Item(1)
Set dataObjects = myRule.ruleDataObjects
dataObjectCount = dataObjects.Count
str = "Preflight rule data objects of " & myProfile.Name + "." + myRule.Name + ": "
For i = 1 To dataObjectCount
If i > 1 Then
str = str & "; "
End If
Set dataObject = dataObjects.Item(i)
str = str & dataObject.Name & ", "
str = str & getDataObjectDataType(dataObject.dataType) & ", "
str = str & dataObject.dataValue
Next
MsgBox(str)
Function getDataObjectDataType(dataType)
If dataType = idRuleDataType.idBooleanDataType Then

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Importing a Preflight Profile

161

getDataObjectDataType = "Boolean"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idIntegerDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "Integer"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idListDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "List"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idObjectDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "Object"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idRealDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "Real"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idShortIntegerDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "Short Integer"
Elseif dataType = idRuleDataType.idStringDataType Then
getDataObjectDataType = "String"
End If
End Function

Importing a Preflight Profile
To import a preflight profile from the Preflight panel, choose Preflight Panel > Define Profiles, then choose
Load Profile from the drop-down menu in the Preflight Profiles window.

You also can load a profile with scripting. The following script fragment imports a profile called Test. For
the complete script, see ImportPreflightProfile.
Set myProfile = myInDesign.LoadPreflightProfile("c:\Test.idpp")
MsgBox("Preflight profile " & myProfile.Name & " is loaded.")

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Creating a Preflight Profile

162

It is easier to create profiles using the Preflight panel than with scripting. One workflow would be to create
all profiles in the user interface, export them to files, and import them using scripting. This approach
avoids the challenges involved with manually adding rules via scripting.

Creating a Preflight Profile
To create a preflight profile from the Preflight panel, choose Preflight Panel > Define Profiles, then choose
the plus sign (+) to add a new preflight profile. Name the profile and fill in all data values for the available
rules.

You also can create a profile with scripting. The following script fragment adds a single profile called Test.
For the complete script, see CreatePreflightProfile.
Set myProfile = myInDesign.PreflightProfiles.Add()
myProfile.Name = "Test"
myProfile.Description = "Test description"
MsgBox("Preflight profile " & myProfile.Name & " is created.")

Preflight-profile names must be unique. If the script above is executed more than once within the same
InDesign instance, an error is raised, indicating that a profile with that name already exists. To avoid this,
either access the existing profile using app.preflightProfiles.itemByName(), or check to see if a
profile exists and remove it; see the following script fragment. For the complete script, see
DeletePreflightProfile.

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Adding Rules

163

Function removeProfile(myInDesign, profileName)
Set myProfiles= myInDesign.PreflightProfiles
profileCount = myProfiles.Count
For i = 1 To profileCount
If (myProfiles.Item(i).Name = profileName) Then
myProfiles.Item(i).Delete()
End If
Next
End Function

Adding Rules
A preflight profile contains a mutually exclusive set of rules. To add a rule to a profile, follow these steps:
1. Add a rule to a profile by name.
Rules are added by name. For information on rule names, see “Available Rules” on page 165. The
following adds the ADBE_PageSizeOrientation rule to the profile.
Rem Add a rule that requires a specific page size and orientation
Rem (portrait or landscape).
const RULE_NAME = "ADBE_PageSizeOrientation"
Set myRule = myProfile.PreflightProfileRules.Add(RULE_NAME)

2. Set the rule’s data values.
Many, but not all, rules have data properties. For a complete specification of the rules available with
InDesign, see “Available Rules” on page 165. The ADBE_PageSizeOrientation rule contains particular
data properties that allow you to specify a page size. The following sets the acceptable page height
and width, a tolerance (fudge factor), and an option for handling page orientation.

Rem Requires the page size to be 8.5in x 11in (Letter Size)
Rem enters a value for tolerance
myRule.RuleDataObjects.Add "tolerance", idRuleDataType.idRealDataType, 0.01
Rem Sets the width to the point equivalent of 8.5 inches
myRule.RuleDataObjects.Add "width", idRuleDataType.idRealDataType, 612
Rem Sets the width to the point equivalent of 11 inches
myRule.RuleDataObjects.Add "height", idRuleDataType.idRealDataType, 792
Rem true = ignore orientation is checked
myRule.RuleDataObjects.Add "ignore_orientation", idRuleDataType.idBooleanDataType,
true

3. Set the rule’s reporting state.
This is done using the rule’s flag property. There are several choices (disabled, information, warning,
and error), controlled by the PreflightRuleFlag enumeration.

Rem set the rule to return an error
myRule.Flag = idPreflightRuleFlag.idReturnAsError

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Processing a Profile

164

Processing a Profile
In the desktop version of InDesign, preflight errors are reported in the user interface. In scripting
(especially for InDesign Server), the errors are generated on demand. The following script processes an
InDesign document. (For the complete script, see ProcessPreflightProfile.) If there are errors, it writes the
results to a new PDF file. For an example of the output, see the figure below the script.
Rem
Set
Rem
Set

Assume there is an document.
myDoc = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Use the second preflight profile
myProfile = myInDesign.PreflightProfiles.Item(2)

Rem Process the doc with the rule
Set myProcess = myInDesign.PreflightProcesses.Add(myDoc, myProfile)
myProcess.WaitForProcess()
results = myProcess.ProcessResults
Rem If Errors were found
If results <> "None" Then
Rem Export the file to PDF. The "true" value selects to open the file after export.
myProcess.SaveReport("c:\PreflightResults.pdf")
End If
Rem Cleanup
myProcess.Delete()

If you would rather produce a text file, simply name your output file with a .txt extension.
Alternately, you may prefer to iterate the errors yourself. The following demonstrates how to access the
errors array. For the complete script, see ProcessPreflightProfileShowErrors.

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Custom Rules

165

Rem If errors were found
If myResults <> "None" Then
Rem array containing detailed results
errors = myProcess.AggregatedResults
Rem Show the errors in a message box.
str = "Document Name: " & errors(0) & ", Profile Name: " & errors(1) & ", Results: ["
errorResults = errors(2)
For i = 0 to UBound(errorResults)
If i > 1 Then
str = str & ", "
End If
str = str & errorResults(i)(1)
Next
str = str & "]"
MsgBox(str)
End If

Custom Rules
It is not possible to create custom rules through the Preflight panel or scripting; however, this can be done
through a C++ plug-in. The InDesign Products SDK contains a sample, PreflightRule, that demonstrates
how to add custom rules with a plug-in.

Available Rules
One of the hardest aspects of scripting rules is discovering rule names and properties. Due to the dynamic
nature of rules (they really are just strings), specific rule names and properties do not appear in the Extend
Script Tool Kit’s Object Model Viewer. To discover this information, see “Exploring Preflight Profiles” on
page 159. For your convenience, the DumpPreflightRules.jsx script is provided in the SDK to produce
the following output as an HTML file (SDK\docs\references\PreflightRules.html). If you use a plug-in that
adds custom rules, you can run the script to extract the new names and properties.
Rule name

Rule properties

ADBE_BlankPages

“ADBE_BlankPages” on page 166

ADBE_BleedSlug

“ADBE_BleedSlug” on page 166

ADBE_BleedTrimHazard

“ADBE_BleedTrimHazard” on page 167

ADBE_CMYPlates

no

ADBE_Colorspace

“ADBE_Colorspace” on page 168

ADBE_ConditionIndicators

no

ADBE_CrossReferences

“ADBE_CrossReferences” on page 168yes

ADBE_FontUsage

“ADBE_FontUsage” on page 168

ADBE_ImageColorManagement

“ADBE_ImageColorManagement” on page 169

ADBE_ImageResolution

“ADBE_ImageResolution” on page 169

ADBE_InteractiveContent

no

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Available Rules

Rule name

Rule properties

ADBE_LayerVisibility

no

ADBE_MissingFonts

no

ADBE_MissingGlyph

no

ADBE_MissingModifiedGraphics

no

ADBE_OPI

no

ADBE_Overprint

no

ADBE_OversetText

no

ADBE_PageCount

“ADBE_PageCount” on page 169

ADBE_PageSizeOrientation

“ADBE_PageSizeOrientation” on page 170

ADBE_Registration

no

ADBE_ScaledGraphics

“ADBE_ScaledGraphics” on page 170

ADBE_ScaledType

“ADBE_ScaledType” on page 170

ADBE_SmallText

“ADBE_SmallText” on page 170

ADBE_SpellCheck

no

ADBE_SpotColorSetup

“ADBE_SpotColorSetup” on page 170

ADBE_StrokeRequirements

“ADBE_StrokeRequirements” on page 171

ADBE_TextOverrides

“ADBE_TextOverrides” on page 171

ADBE_TransparencyBlending

“ADBE_TransparencyBlending” on page 171

ADBE_TransparencyUsage

no

ADBE_WhiteOverprint

no

ADBE_BlankPages
Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

ignore_master

true

Boolean

ignore_nonprinting

true

Data Type

Name

Default value

Real

bleed_b

9

Real

bleed_b_aux

9

ADBE_BleedSlug

166

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Available Rules

Data Type

Name

Default value

Integer

bleed_comparison_type

3

Boolean

bleed_enabled

true

Real

bleed_l

9

Real

bleed_l_aux

9

Real

bleed_r

9

Real

bleed_r_aux

9

Real

bleed_t

9

Real

bleed_t_aux

9

Real

slug_b

18

Real

slug_b_aux

18

Integer

slug_comparison_type

3

Boolean

slug_enabled

false

Real

slug_l

18

Real

slug_l_aux

18

Real

slug_r

18

Real

slug_r_aux

18

Real

slug_t

18

Real

slug_t_aux

18

Real

tolerance

0.01

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

binding_enabled

false

Real

binding_width

1

Real

live_b

18

Real

live_l

18

Real

live_r

18

Real

live_t

18

Real

tolerance

0.01

ADBE_BleedTrimHazard

167

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Available Rules

ADBE_Colorspace
Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

no_cmyk

false

Boolean

no_gray

false

Boolean

no_lab

false

Boolean

no_rgb

false

Boolean

no_spot

false

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

xrefs_out_of_date

true

Boolean

xrefs_unresolved

true

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

no_ATC

false

Boolean

no_Bitmap

false

Boolean

no_CID

false

Boolean

no_MultipleMaster

false

Boolean

no_OpenTypeCFF

false

Boolean

no_OpenTypeCID

false

Boolean

no_OpenTypeTT

false

Boolean

no_TrueType

false

Boolean

no_Type1

false

Boolean

no_protected

true

ADBE_CrossReferences

ADBE_FontUsage

168

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Available Rules

ADBE_ImageColorManagement
Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

no_cmyk_profiles

true

Boolean

no_image_overrides

true

Boolean

overrides_exclude_uncal

true

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

bw_max_enabled

false

Real

bw_max_res

2400

Boolean

bw_min_enabled

true

Real

bw_min_res

800

Boolean

color_max_enabled

false

Real

color_max_res

1200

Boolean

color_min_enabled

true

Real

color_min_res

250

Boolean

gray_max_enabled

false

Real

gray_max_res

1200

Boolean

gray_min_enabled

true

Real

gray_min_res

250

Real

tolerance

0.5

Data Type

Name

Default value

Integer

comparison_type

2

Integer

comparison_value

1

Integer

comparison_value_aux

1

ADBE_ImageResolution

ADBE_PageCount

169

CHAPTER 10: Working with Preflight

Available Rules

ADBE_PageSizeOrientation
Data Type

Name

Default value

Real

height

792

Boolean

ignore_orientation

false

Real

tolerance

0.01

Real

width

612

Data Type

Name

Default value

Real

max_scale

100.5

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

ignore_justification

true

Real

max_scale

100.5

Data Type

Name

Default value

Real

minSize

4

Boolean

minSize_trap_safe_only

false

Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

lab_spots

true

Boolean

lab_spots_enabled

false

Integer

max_spots

1

Boolean

max_spots_enabled

true

ADBE_ScaledGraphics

ADBE_ScaledType

ADBE_SmallText

ADBE_SpotColorSetup

170

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Available Rules

ADBE_StrokeRequirements
Data Type

Name

Default value

Real

min_width

0.125

Boolean

min_width_trap_safe_only

false

ADBE_TextOverrides
Data Type

Name

Default value

Boolean

ignore_color_overrides

false

Boolean

ignore_font_overrides

false

Boolean

ignore_kerning_tracking_overrides

false

Boolean

ignore_language_overrides

false

ADBE_TransparencyBlending
Data Type

Name

Default value

Integer

space

3

171

11

Creating Dynamic Documents

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

InDesign can create documents for web and online use, also known as Rich Interactive Documents (RID).
Dynamic documents contain sounds, animations, hyperlinks, and other interactive content. InDesign
documents can be exported to SWF, XFL, or PDF. For SWF and XFL files, documents can include animations,
buttons, multistate objects, movies, and sound clips. You can use the Preview panel in InDesign to test
some types of dynamic content before exporting.
This chapter shows how to create dynamic documents using scripting. For more on exporting as PDF, SWF,
and XFL, refer to the “Working with Documents” chapter.

Importing Movies and Sounds
InDesign can import movie and sound files that can then be viewed or listened to in exported PDF, SWF, or
XFL documents. Movies and sounds in an InDesign document are very similar to graphics in that they exist
inside container objects on an InDesign page. Unlike graphics, however, you cannot see (or hear) the
content of the imported multimedia files on an InDesign page. For that, you'll need to either view the page
in the Preview panel, or export the file, then open the file in a viewer capable of displaying the content
(such as Acrobat Reader or a web browser).
Scripts can control the playback properties of a sound or movie in an exported dynamic document. You
can also add a preview, or “poster,” image to the page item containing the sound or movie.
The following script fragment shows how to import a movie and control the way that the movie is shown
and played in an exported document (for the complete script, refer to PlaceMovie).
Rem Given a page "myPage"...
Set myFrame = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myFrame.GeometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 288, 288)
Rem Import a movie file (you'll have to provide a valid file path on your system)
Set myMovie = myFrame.Place("c:\movie.avi").item(1)
Rem Set movie properties.
myMovie.EmbedInPDF = True
myMovie.ShowControls = True
Rem Add a preview image. You'll have to provide a valid path on your system.
myMovie.PosterFile = "c:\movie poster.jpg"

The following script fragment shows how to import a sound file and control the playback and display of
the sound in an exported document (for the complete script, refer to PlaceSound).

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Creating Buttons

173

Rem Given a page "myPage"...
Rem Import a sound file (you'll have to provide a valid file path on your system)
Set mySound = myPage.Place("c:\sound.mp3", Array(72, 72)).Item(1)
Rem Set sound properties.
mySound.EmbedInPDF = True
mySound.DoNotPrintPoster = True
mySound.SoundLoop = True
mySound.StopOnPageTurn = True
Rem Add a preview image. You'll have to provide a valid path on your system.
mySound.PosterFile = "c:\sound poster.jpg"

Buttons can be used to control the playback of sounds and movies. For information on how to script
buttons, see the next section.

Creating Buttons
Buttons are often used for navigation in dynamic documents. Buttons contain three states, known as
“Normal,” “Rollover,” and “Click,” which, in turn, can contain page items such as rectangles, ovals, text
frames, or images. The button can display only one state at a time; the other states are displayed when
triggered by mouse actions.
Behaviors control what the button does when you perform a specific mouse action. Behaviors correspond
to the Actions shown in the Buttons panel in InDesign’s user interface. Buttons can contain multiple
behaviors.
The following script fragment shows how to create a simple button that displays the next page in an
exported PDF or SWF (for the complete script, refer to SimpleButton). This button makes use of only the
Normal state.
Rem Given a page "myPage" and a document containing the color "Red"...
Rem Make a button by converting a page item.
Set myRightArrow = myPage.Polygons.Add
myRightArrow.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myRightArrow.name = "GoToNextPageButton"
myRightArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(144, 108),
Array(72, 144))
Set myButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
myButton.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
myButton.States.Item(1).AddItemsToState myRightArrow
Set myGoToNextPageBehavior = myButton.GotoNextPageBehaviors.Add
myGoToNextPageBehavior.behaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp

The following script fragment shows how to create a somewhat more complicated button, containing
page items that change the appearance of each of the three button states. For the complete script, refer to
ButtonStates.

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Rem Given a page "myPage" in a document "myDocument," containing the colors
Rem "Blue" and "Red"...
Rem Make a button "from scratch."
Set myButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
myButton.GeometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
myButton.Name = "GoToNextPageButton"
Set myRightArrow = myButton.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myRightArrow.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myRightArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(144, 108),
Array(72, 144))
Rem Add the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverState = myButton.States.Add
Rem Add a shadow to the polygon in the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverArrow = myRolloverState.Polygons.Add
myRolloverArrow.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myRolloverArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(144, 108),
Array(72, 144))
Set myFillTransparencySettings = myRolloverArrow.FillTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6
Rem Add a shadow to the polygon in the Click state.
Set myClickState = myButton.States.Add
Set myClickArrow = myClickState.Polygons.Add
myClickArrow.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Blue")
myClickArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(144, 108),
Array(72, 144))
Rem Set the behavior for the button.
Set myGoToNextPageBehavior = myButton.GotoNextPageBehaviors.Add
myGoToNextPageBehavior.BehaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp

Buttons can be used to control the playback of movie and sound files. The following script fragment shows
an example of using a set of buttons to control the playback of a moving file (for the complete script, refer
to MovieControl).
Rem Given a page "myPage" in a document "myDocument,"
Rem containing the colors "Gray" and "Red"...
Set myFrame = myPage.Rectangles.Add
myFrame.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 288, 288)
Rem Import a movie file (you'll have to provide a valid file path on your system)
myFrame.Place "c:\movie.avi"
Rem Create the movie "Start" button.
Set myPlayButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
myPlayButton.geometricBounds = Array(294, 186, 354, 282)
myPlayButton.name = "PlayMovieButton"
Set myRightArrow = myPlayButton.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myRightArrow.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Gray")
myRightArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(186, 294), Array(186, 354),
Array(282, 324))
Rem Add the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverState = myPlayButton.States.Add
Rem Add a shadow to the polygon in the Rollover state.
Set myRolloverArrow = myRolloverState.Polygons.Add
myRolloverArrow.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Gray")
myRolloverArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(186, 294), Array(186, 354),
Array(282, 324))
Set myFillTransparencySettings = myRolloverArrow.FillTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop

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myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6
Rem Add a shadow to the polygon in the Click state.
set myClickState = myPlayButton.States.Add()
Set myClickArrow = myClickState.Polygons.Add
myClickArrow.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
myClickArrow.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(186, 294), Array(186, 354),
Array(282, 324))
Rem Set the behavior for the button.
Set myMovieStartBehavior = myPlayButton.MovieBehaviors.Add
myMovieStartBehavior.MovieItem = myFrame.Movies.Item(1)
myMovieStartBehavior.behaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp
myMovieStartBehavior.operation = idMoviePlayOperations.idPlay
Rem Create the movie "Stop" button.
Set myStopButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
myStopButton.geometricBounds = Array(294, 78, 354, 174)
myStopButton.name = "StopMovieButton"
Set myNormalRectangle = myStopButton.States.Item(1).Rectangles.Add
myNormalRectangle.geometricBounds = Array(294, 78, 354, 174)
myNormalRectangle.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Gray")
Set myRolloverState = myStopButton.States.Add
Set myRolloverRectangle = myRolloverState.Rectangles.Add
myRolloverRectangle.geometricBounds = Array(294, 78, 354, 174)
myRolloverRectangle.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Gray")
Set myFillTransparencySettings = myRolloverRectangle.FillTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6
Set myClickState = myStopButton.States.Add
Set myClickRectangle = myClickState.Rectangles.Add
myClickRectangle.geometricBounds = Array(294, 78, 354, 174)
myClickRectangle.fillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Red")
Set myMovieStopBehavior = myStopButton.MovieBehaviors.Add
myMovieStopBehavior.MovieItem = myFrame.Movies.Item(1)
myMovieStopBehavior.behaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseUp
myMovieStopBehavior.operation = idMoviePlayOperations.idStop

Buttons are also important in controlling the appearance of multistate objects, as we’ll demonstrate in the
next section.

Creating Multistate Objects
Multistate objects (or MSOs) are similar to buttons in that they contains states, and that only one state can
be visible at a time. They are unlike buttons in that they can contain any number of states; buttons can
contain three states, at most. Multistate objects rely on buttons to change the way they display their
states.
The following script fragment shows how to create a simple multistate object and add a button to control
the display of the states in the object (for the complete script, refer to MakeMultiStateObject).

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Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and
Rem four colors "myColorA," "myColorB," "myColorC," and "myColorD"...
Set myMSO = myPage.MultiStateObjects.Add
myMSO.name = "Spinner"
myMSO.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem New multistate objects contain two states when they're created. Add two more.
myMSO.States.Item(1).name = "Up"
myMSO.States.Item(2).name = "Right"
Rem Add two more states.
Set myDownState = myMSO.States.Add
myDownState.name = "Down"
Set myLeftState = myMSO.States.Add
myLeftState.name = "Left"
Rem Add page items to the states.
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 144), Array(144, 144), Array(108,
72))
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(2).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorB
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144), Array(144,
108))
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(3).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorC
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(108, 144), Array(144,
72))
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(4).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorD
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")

Typically, you’ll control the display of the states in a multistate object using a button. The following script
fragment shows how to do this (for the complete script, refer to MultiStateObjectControl).
Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and
Rem four colors "myColorA," "myColorB," "myColorC," and "myColorD"...
Set myMSO = myPage.MultiStateObjects.Add
myMSO.name = "Spinner"
myMSO.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem New multistate objects contain two states when they're created. Add two more.
myMSO.States.Item(1).name = "Up"
myMSO.States.Item(2).name = "Right"
Rem Add two more states.
Set myDownState = myMSO.States.Add
myDownState.name = "Down"
Set myLeftState = myMSO.States.Add
myLeftState.name = "Left"
Rem Add page items to the states.
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(1).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 144), Array(144, 144),
Array(108, 72))
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(2).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorB
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))

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Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(3).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorC
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(108, 144),
Array(144, 72))
Set myPolygon = myMSO.States.Item(4).Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorD
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(144, 72), Array(72, 108),
Array(144, 144))
Set myButton = myPage.Buttons.Add
myButton.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Rem var myNormalState = myButton.states.item(0)
Rem myNormalState.rectangles.add({geometricBounds:Array(72, 72, 144, 144)})
Set myRolloverState = myButton.States.Add
Set myRolloverRectangle = myRolloverState.Rectangles.Add
myRolloverRectangle.geometricBounds = Array(72, 72, 144, 144)
Set myFillTransparencySettings = myRolloverRectangle.StrokeTransparencySettings
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Mode = idShadowMode.idDrop
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Angle = 90
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.XOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.YOffset = 0
myFillTransparencySettings.DropShadowSettings.Size = 6
Set myClickState = myButton.States.Add
Set myNextStateBehavior = myButton.GotoNextStateBehaviors.Add
myNextStateBehavior.associatedMultiStateObject = myMSO
myNextStateBehavior.behaviorEvent = idBehaviorEvents.idMouseDown
myNextStateBehavior.enableBehavior = True
myNextStateBehavior.loopsToNextOrPrevious = True

Working with Animation
Page items can be animated, adding motion to the dynamic documents you create using InDesign. You
apply animation to objects using motion presets, define the movement of animated objects using motion
paths, and control the duration of the animation using timing settings, timing lists, and timing groups.
The AnimationSettings of an object control the animation that will be applied to the object. When
animation settings have been applied to an object, InDesign sets the HasCustomSettings property of the
object to true; if the object is not to be animated, this property is false.
The point at which an animation begins to play, relative to the event that triggers the animation, is
controlled by the objects and properties of the TimingSettings object attached to the page item or to
one of its parent containers (usually the spread).

Basic animation
The following script fragment shows how to create a simple animation (for the complete script, refer to
SimpleAnimation). The most basic forms of animation can be applied without using timing settings.

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Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and a color "myColorA"...
Rem Add a page item to animate.
Set myPolygon = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygon.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygon.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygon.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144), Array(144,
108))
Rem Create a motion path.
myMotionPathPoints = Array(Array(Array(Array(108, 108), Array(108, 108), Array(108,
108)), Array(Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108))), True)
Rem Set animation preferences for the polygon. We havent' set a dynamic trigger
Rem for the animation, so the polygon's animation will be triggered by
Rem DynamicTriggerEvents.onPageLoad (the default).
myPolygon.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygon.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPoints

TimingSettings
The TimingSettings objects of spreads, pages, and page items control the timing of the animation(s)
applied to the object and to any objects contained by the object. TimingSettings contain:


TimingLists, which define the trigger event (page load, page click, and so on) that start the

animation.


TimingGroups, which associate a page item or series of page items with a specific timing and define
the sequence in which animations are shown.

TimingGroups contain TimingTargets, which define the objects associated with a given TimingGroup.
TimingTargets also specify a delay value for the animation applied to the page item, relative to the start
of the animation of the TimingGroup (for the first item in the TimingGroup), or from the start of the
previous item in the TimingGroup (for other items in the TimingGroup).

The following script fragment shows how to control the timing of the animation of an object using the
various timing objects (for the complete script, refer to TimingSettings). Note that the parameters used to
create a TimingGroup specify the properties of the first TimingTarget in the TimingGroup; subsequent
TimingTargets, if any, can be added separately.
Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and the color "myColorA",
Rem "myColorB", and "myColorC"...
Rem Add a page items to animate.
Set myPolygonA = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonA.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygonA.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonA.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Set myPolygonB = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonB.fillColor = myColorB
myPolygonB.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonB.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Set myPolygonC = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonC.fillColor = myColorC
myPolygonC.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonC.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Rem Create a motion path.
myMotionPathPoints = Array(Array(Array(Array(108, 108), Array(108, 108), Array(108,
108)), Array(Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108))), True)

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Rem Set animation preferences for the polygons.
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPoints
myPolygonB.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonB.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPoints
myPolygonC.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonC.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPoints
Set myTimingSettings = myPage.Parent.TimingSettings
Rem Remove the default timing list.
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Item(1).Delete
Rem Add a new timing list that triggers when the page is clicked.
Set myTimingList =
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Add(idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick)
Rem Add the polygons to a single timing group.
Set myTimingGroup = myTimingList.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonA, 0)
myTimingGroup.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonB, 2
myTimingGroup.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonC, 2

Note that attempting to add a page item whose HasCustomSettings property (in the
AnimationSettings object of the page item) is false to a TimingTarget generates an error.
The following script fragment shows how to control the sequence of animations applied to objects on a
page (for the complete script, refer to MultipleTimingGroups). Note that the order in which TimingGroups
are added to a TimingList determines the order in which the animations play when the trigger event
specified in the TimingList occurs. Some trigger events, such as
idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageLoad, trigger the animations in the TimingList (in sequence);
others, such as idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick, trigger the animations one by one, in
sequence, with each instance of the event. For example, a TimingList containing five TimingGroups,
each containing a single TimingTarget, and having the trigger event
idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick requires five mouse clicks to process all the animations.
Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and the color "myColorA",
Rem "myColorB", and "myColorC"...
Rem Add a page items to animate.
Set myPolygonA = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonA.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygonA.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonA.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Set myPolygonB = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonB.fillColor = myColorB
myPolygonB.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonB.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Set myPolygonC = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonC.fillColor = myColorC
myPolygonC.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonC.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Set myPolygonD = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonD.fillColor = myColorA
myPolygonD.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonD.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 144), Array(72, 216),
Array(144, 180))
Set myPolygonE = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonE.fillColor = myColorB
myPolygonE.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonE.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 144), Array(72, 216),
Array(144, 180))

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Set myPolygonF = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonF.fillColor = myColorC
myPolygonF.strokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonF.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 144), Array(72, 216),
Array(144, 180))
Rem Create a motion path.
myMotionPathPointsA = Array(Array(Array(Array(108, 108), Array(108, 108), Array(108,
108)), Array(Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108))), True)
myMotionPathPointsB = Array(Array(Array(Array(108, 180), Array(108, 180), Array(108,
180)), Array(Array(516, 180), Array(516, 180), Array(516, 180))), True)
Rem Set animation preferences for the polygons.
Rem DynamicTriggerEvents.onPageLoad (the default).
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsA
myPolygonB.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonB.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsA
myPolygonC.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonC.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsA
myPolygonD.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonD.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsB
myPolygonE.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonE.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsB
myPolygonF.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonF.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsB
Set myTimingSettings = myPage.Parent.TimingSettings
Rem Remove the default timing list.
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Item(1).Delete
Rem Add a new timing list that triggers when the page is clicked.
Set myTimingList =
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Add(idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick)
Rem Add the polygons to a single timing group.
Set myTimingGroupA = myTimingList.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonA, 0)
myTimingGroupA.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonB, 2
myTimingGroupA.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonC, 2
Rem myTimingGroupB will play on the second page click.
Set myTimingGroupB = myTimingList.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonD, 0)
myTimingGroupB.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonE, 2
myTimingGroupB.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonF, 2

A given TimingSettings object can contain multiple TimingList objects, each of which responds to a
different trigger event. The following script fragment shows a series of animations triggered by
idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageLoad, by idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick (for the
complete script, refer to MultipleTimingLists).

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Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" containg 6 polygons:
Rem "myPolygonA", "myPolygonB", "myPolygonC", "myPolygonD", "myPolygonE",
"myPolygonF".
Set myTimingSettings = myPage.Parent.TimingSettings
Rem At this point, all of the polygons have already been added as timing targets
Rem of the default timing list. Change the delay of myPolygonB and myPolygonC,
Rem which are the targets of the second and third timing groups (item(1) and item(2)).
Set myTimingListA = myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Item(1)
Set myTimingGroup = myTimingListA.TimingGroups.Item(1)
myTimingGroup.TimingTargets.Item(1).DelaySeconds = 2
Set myTimingGroup = myTimingListA.TimingGroups.Item(2)
myTimingGroup.TimingTargets.Item(1).DelaySeconds = 2
Rem Remove the last three timing groups in the timing list.
Rem We have to do this, because we don't want these polygons to be
Rem animated when the page loads.
myTimingListA.TimingGroups.Item(-1).Delete
myTimingListA.TimingGroups.Item(-1).Delete
myTimingListA.TimingGroups.Item(-1).Delete
Rem Add a new timing list that triggers when the page is clicked.
Set myTimingListB =
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Add(idDynamicTriggerEvents.idonPageClick)
Set myTimingGroupB = myTimingListB.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonD, 0)
myTimingGroupB.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonE, 2
myTimingGroupB.TimingTargets.Add myPolygonF, 2

In the previous examples, we’ve worked with the TimingSettings of the spread containing the page
items we want to animate. When you want to animate a page item when a user clicks the item, you’ll need
to use the TimingSettings of the page item itself, as shown in the following script fragment (for the
complete script, refer to PageItemTimingSettings).
Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" containg a polygon
Rem "myPolygonA" and a motion path myMotionPathPointsA...
Rem Remove the default timing list in the timing settings for the spread.
Rem Set animation preferences for the polygon.
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPointsA
myPage.Parent.TimingSettings.TimingLists.Item(1).Delete
Set myTimingSettings = myPolygonA.TimingSettings
Set myTimingList = myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Add(idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnClick)
Set myTimingGroup = myTimingList.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonA, 0)

Animating transformations
Page items can change size, rotation or skewing angles, opacity, and visibility as their animation plays. The
AnimationSettings of the page item contain properties (such as RotationArray or HiddenAfter) that
define the transformations that are applied during animation. The following script fragment shows how to
make a page item rotate as it follows a motion path (for the complete script, refer to AnimateRotation).

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Rem Given a document "myDocument" and a page "myPage" and the color "myColorA"...
Rem Add a page items to animate.
Set myPolygonA = myPage.Polygons.Add
myPolygonA.FillColor = myColorA
myPolygonA.StrokeColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("None")
myPolygonA.Paths.Item(1).EntirePath = Array(Array(72, 72), Array(72, 144),
Array(144, 108))
Rem Create a motion path.
myMotionPathPoints = Array(Array(Array(Array(108, 108), Array(108, 108), Array(108,
108)), Array(Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108), Array(516, 108))), True)
Rem Set animation preferences for the polygon.
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.MotionPathPoints = myMotionPathPoints
Rem Assuming 24 Frames Per Second (FPS)
Rem 23 = 1 second, 47 = 2 seconds, 71 = 3 seconds, 95 = 4 seconds, 119 = 5 seconds,
Rem 143 = 6 seconds
Rem Since the duration of our animation is 2 seconds, the following line will
Rem make the polygon rotate 360 degrees from the start to the end
Rem of the animation.
myPolygonA.AnimationSettings.RotationArray = Array(Array(0, 0), Array(47, 360))
Set myTimingSettings = myPage.Parent.TimingSettings
Rem Remove the default timing list.
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Item(1).Delete
Rem Add a new timing list that triggers when the page is clicked.
Set myTimingList =
myTimingSettings.TimingLists.Add(idDynamicTriggerEvents.idOnPageClick)
Rem Add the polygons to a single timing group.
Set myTimingGroup = myTimingList.TimingGroups.Add(myPolygonA, 0)

Scripting offers more control over animation than can be achieved with InDesign’s user interface. A
scripted animation can, for example, apply transformations at each key frame of a given motion path. For
more on this topic, see “Key frames” later in this chapter.

Motion presets
In the preceding examples, we’ve constructed motion paths and specified animation settings as if we were
creating animations from the basic level in InDesign’s user interface. But InDesign can also use motion
presets to define the animation of page items in a layout. A motion preset can apply a number of
animation properties at once, as seen in the following script fragment (for the complete script, refer to
MotionPreset). InDesign comes with a large number of motion presets, and you can add new presets using
either the user interface or scripting.
Rem Given a page containing the ovals "myOvalA"...
Set myMotionPreset = app.MotionPresets.Item("move-right-grow")
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.Preset = myMotionPreset

Design options
Design options affect the way that an animated object appears, relative to the motion specified in the
object’s animation settings. The following script fragment shows how the design options for an animated
shape can affect the playback of the animation (for the complete script, refer to DesignOptions).

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Rem Given a page containing the ovals "myOvalA" and "myOvalB"...
Set myMotionPreset = myInDesign.MotionPresets.Item("move-right-grow")
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.Preset = myMotionPreset
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.DesignOption = idDesignOptions.idFromCurrentAppearance
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.Preset = myMotionPreset
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.DesignOption = idDesignOptions.idToCurrentAppearance

Key frames
Key frames are points in the timeline of an animation. With InDesign scripting, you can add key frames at
any time in the animation, which gives you the ability to apply changes to objects as they are animated.
Key frames are part of the motion path applied to an animated page item, and are specified relative to the
duration and speed of the animation. For example, for an animation with a duration of two seconds,
playing at 24 frames per second, the last frame in the animation is frame 48.
The following script fragment shows how to add key frames to a motion path, and how to change the
transformations applied to an animated page item at each key frame. For the complete script, refer to
TransformAnimation.
Rem Given a page containing ovals "myOvalA," "myOvalB," and "myOvalC"...
Rem The motion path is constructed relative to the center of the object, and key frames
Rem are based on the duration of the animation divided by the number of frames
Rem per second (usually 24). The following array sets key frames at the start,
Rem midpoint, and end of a path.
myMotionPath = Array(Array(0, Array(Array(0, 0), Array(0, 0), Array(0, 0))), Array(23,
Array(Array(234, 0), Array(234, 0), Array(234, 0))), Array(47, Array(Array(468, 0),
Array(468, 0), Array(468, 0))))
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.MotionPath = myMotionPath
Rem The transformation changes at each key frame.
Rem scaleXArray in the form Array(Array(keyframe, scale_percentage),
Rem Array(keyframe, scalePercentage), ...)
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.ScaleXArray = Array(Array(0, 100), Array(23, 200),
Array(47, 100))
Rem scaleYArray in the form Array(Array(keyframe, scale_percentage),
Rem Array(keyframe, scalePercentage), ...)
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.ScaleYArray = Array(Array(0, 100), Array(23, 200),
Array(47, 100))
Rem opacityArray in the form Array(Array(keyframe, opacity), Array(keyframe,
opacity),...)
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.OpacityArray = Array(Array(0, 100), Array(23, 20),
Array(47, 100))
myOvalA.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.MotionPath = myMotionPath
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.ScaleXArray = Array(Array(0, 200), Array(23, 300),

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Array(47, 50))
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.ScaleYArray = Array(Array(0, 200), Array(23, 300),
Array(47, 50))
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.OpacityArray = Array(Array(0, 10), Array(23, 80),
Array(47, 60))
myOvalB.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.Duration = 2
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.MotionPath = myMotionPath
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.ScaleXArray = Array(Array(0, 50), Array(23, 200),
Array(47, 400))
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.ScaleYArray = Array(Array(0, 50), Array(23, 200),
Array(47, 400))
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.OpacityArray = Array(Array(0, 100), Array(23, 40),
Array(47, 80))
myOvalC.AnimationSettings.PlaysLoop = True

Adding Page Transitions
Page transitions are special effects that appear when you change pages in an exported dynamic
document. Adding page transitions using scripting is easy, as shown in the following script fragment (for
the complete script, refer to PageTransitions).
Rem Given a document "myDocument" containing at least two spreads...
For myCounter = 1 To myDocument.Spreads.Count
myDocument.Spreads.Item(myCounter).PageTransitionType =
idPageTransitionTypeOptions.idPageTurnTransition
Rem This page transition option does not support the pageTransitionDirection
Rem or pageTransitionDuration properties.
Rem If you chose idPageTransitionTypeOptions.idWipeTransition (for example),
Rem you would be able to set those options, as shown in the next two lines:
Rem myDocument.spreads.item(myCounter).pageTransitionDirection =
Rem idPageTransitionDirectionOptions.idLeftToRight
Rem myDocument.spreads.item(myCounter).pageTransitionDuration =
Rem idPageTransitionDurationOptions.idMedium
Next
Rem Export the document to SWF, and you'll see the page transitions.

12

XML

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

Extensible Markup Language, or XML, is a text-based mark-up system created and managed by the World
Wide Web Consortium (www.w3.org). Like Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), XML uses angle brackets
to indicate markup tags (for example, 
 or ). While HTML has a predefined set of tags,
XML allows you to describe content more precisely by creating custom tags.
Because of its flexibility, XML increasingly is used as a format for storing data. InDesign includes a complete
set of features for importing XML data into page layouts, and these features can be controlled using
scripting.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create and run a
script. We also assume that you have some knowledge of XML, DTDs, and XSLT.

Overview
Because XML is entirely concerned with content and explicitly not concerned with formatting, making
XML work in a page-layout context is challenging. InDesign’s approach to XML is quite complete and
flexible, but it has a few limitations:


Once XML elements are imported into an InDesign document, they become InDesign elements that
correspond to the XML structure. The InDesign representations of the XML elements are not the same
thing as the XML elements themselves.



Each XML element can appear only once in a layout. If you want to duplicate the information of the
XML element in the layout, you must duplicate the XML element itself.



The order in which XML elements appear in a layout largely depends on the order in which they
appear in the XML structure.



Any text that appears in a story associated with an XML element becomes part of that element’s data.

The Best Approach to Scripting XML in InDesign
You might want to do most of the work on an XML file outside InDesign, before you import the file into an
InDesign layout. Working with XML outside InDesign, you can use a wide variety of excellent tools, such as
XML editors and parsers.
When you need to rearrange or duplicate elements in a large XML data structure, the best approach is to
transform the XML using XSLT. You can do this as you import the XML file.
If the XML data is already formatted in an InDesign document, you probably will want to use XML rules if
you are doing more than the simplest of operations. XML rules can search the XML structure in a
document and process matching XML elements much faster than a script that does not use XML rules.

185

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For more on working with XML rules, see Chapter 13, “XML Rules."

Scripting XML Elements
This section shows how to set XML preferences and XML import preferences, import XML, create XML
elements, and add XML attributes. The scripts in this section demonstrate techniques for working with the
XML content itself; for scripts that apply formatting to XML elements, see “Adding XML Elements to a
Layout” on page 191.

Setting XML preferences
You can control the appearance of the InDesign structure panel using the XML view-preferences object, as
shown in the following script fragment (from the XMLViewPreferences tutorial script):
Set myXMLViewPreferences = myDocument.XMLViewPreferences
myXMLViewPreferences.ShowAttributes = True
myXMLViewPreferences.ShowStructure = True
myXMLViewPreferences.ShowTaggedFrames = True
myXMLViewPreferences.ShowTagMarkers = True
myXMLViewPreferences.ShowTextSnippets = True

You also can specify XML tagging preset preferences (the default tag names and user-interface colors for
tables and stories) using the XML preferences object., as shown in the following script fragment (from the
XMLPreferences tutorial script):
Set myXMLPreferences = myDocument.XMLPreferences
myXMLPreferences.DefaultCellTagColor = idUIColors.idBlue
myXMLPreferences.DefaultCellTagName = "cell"
myXMLPreferences.DefaultImageTagColor = idUIColors.idBrickRed
myXMLPreferences.DefaultImageTagName = "image"
myXMLPreferences.DefaultStoryTagColor = idUIColors.idCharcoal
myXMLPreferences.DefaultStoryTagName = "text"
myXMLPreferences.DefaultTableTagColor = idUIColors.idCuteTeal
myXMLPreferences.DefaultTableTagName = "table"

Setting XML import preferences
Before importing an XML file, you can set XML import preferences that can apply an XSLT transform,
govern the way white space in the XML file is handled, or create repeating text elements. You do this using
the XML import-preferences object, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
XMLImportPreferences tutorial script):

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Set myXMLImportPreferences = myDocument.XMLImportPreferences
myXMLImportPreferences.AllowTransform = False
myXMLImportPreferences.CreateLinkToXML = False
myXMLImportPreferences.IgnoreUnmatchedIncoming = True
myXMLImportPreferences.IgnoreWhitespace = True
myXMLImportPreferences.ImportCALSTables = True
myXMLImportPreferences.ImportStyle = idXMLImportStyles.idMergeImport
myXMLImportPreferences.ImportTextIntoTables = False
myXMLImportPreferences.ImportToSelected = False
myXMLImportPreferences.RemoveUnmatchedExisting = False
myXMLImportPreferences.RepeatTextElements = True
Rem The following properties are only used when the
Rem AllowTransform property is set to True.
Rem myXMLImportPreferences.TransformFilename = "c:\myTransform.xsl"
Rem If you have defined parameters in your XSL file, then you can pass
Rem parameters to the file during the XML import process. For each parameter,
Rem enter an array containing two strings. The first string is the name of the
Rem parameter, the second is the value of the parameter.Rem
myXMLImportPreferences.TransformParameters = Array(Array("format", "1"))

Importing XML
Once you set the XML import preferences the way you want them, you can import an XML file, as shown in
the following script fragment (from the ImportXML tutorial script):
myDocument.ImportXML "c:\xml_test.xml"

When you need to import the contents of an XML file into a specific XML element, use the importXML
method of the XML element, rather than the corresponding method of the document. See the following
script fragment (from the ImportXMLIntoElement tutorial script):
myXMLElement.importXML "c:\xml_test.xml"

You also can set the ImportToSelected property of the XMLImportPreferences object to true, then
select the XML element, and then import the XML file, as shown in the following script fragment (from the
ImportXMLIntoSelectedElement tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
myDocument.ImportXML "c:\test.xml"
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
Set myLastXMLElement = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(-1)
Rem Select the XML element
myDocument.Select myLastXMLElement, idSelectionOptions.idReplaceWith
myDocument.XMLImportPreferences.ImportToSelected = True
myDocument.ImportXML "c:\test.xml"
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myRootXMLElement.PlaceXML myTextFrame

Creating an XML tag
XML tags are the names of the XML elements you want to create in a document. When you import XML,
the element names in the XML file are added to the list of XML tags in the document. You also can create
XML tags directly, as shown in the following script fragment (from the MakeXMLTags tutorial script):

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Rem
Set
Rem
Set
Rem
Set

188

You can create an XML tag without specifying a color for the tag.
myXMLTagA = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("XML_tag_A")
You can define the highlight color of the XML tag using the UIColors enumeration...
myXMLTagB = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("XML_tag_B", UIColors.Gray)
...or you can provide an RGB array to set the color of the tag.
myXMLTagC = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("XML_tag_C", Array(0, 92, 128))

Loading XML tags
You can import XML tags from an XML file without importing the XML contents of the file. You might want
to do this to work out a tag-to-style or style-to-tag mapping before you import the XML data., as shown in
the following script fragment (from the LoadXMLTags tutorial script):
myDocument.LoadXMLTags("c:\test.xml")

Saving XML tags
Just as you can load XML tags from a file, you can save XML tags to a file, as shown in the following script.
When you do this, only the tags themselves are saved in the XML file; document data is not included. As
you would expect, this process is much faster than exporting XML, and the resulting file is much smaller.
The following sample script shows how to save XML tags (for the complete script, see SaveXMLTags):
myDocument.SaveXMLTags("c:\xml_tags.xml", "Tag set created October 5, 2006")

Creating an XML element
Ordinarily, you create XML elements by importing an XML file, but you also can create an XML element
using InDesign scripting, as shown in the following script fragment (from the CreateXMLElement tutorial
script):
Set myXMLTagA = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("XML_tag_A")
Set myXMLElementA = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTagA)
myXMLElementA.Contents = "This is an XML element containing text."

Moving an XML element
You can move XML elements within the XML structure using the move method, as shown in the following
script fragment (from the MoveXMLElement tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myXMLTagA = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("myXMLTagA")
Set myXMLTagB = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("myXMLTagB")
Set myXMLElementA = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTagA)
myXMLElementA.Contents = "This is XML element A."
Set myXMLElementB = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTagB)
myXMLElementB.Contents = "This is XML element B."
myXMLElementA.Move idLocationOptions.idAfter, myXMLElementB

Deleting an XML element
Deleting an XML element removes it from both the layout and the XML structure, as shown in the
following script fragment (from the DeleteXMLElement tutorial script).

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myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(1).Delete

Duplicating an XML element
When you duplicate an XML element, the new XML element appears immediately after the original XML
element in the XML structure, as shown in the following script fragment (from the DuplicateXMLElement
tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myXMLTagA = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("myXMLTagA")
Set myXMLTagB = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("myXMLTagB")
Set myXMLElementA = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTagA)
myXMLElementA.Contents = "This is XML element A."
Set myXMLElementB = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTagB)
myXMLElementB.Contents = "This is XML element B."
myXMLElementA.Duplicate

Removing items from the XML structure
To break the association between a page item or text and an XML element, use the untag method, as
shown in the following script. The objects are not deleted, but they are no longer tied to an XML element
(which is deleted). Any content of the deleted XML element becomes associated with the parent XML
element. If the XML element is the root XML element, any layout objects (text or page items) associated
with the XML element remain in the document. (For the complete script, see UntagElement.)
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1).xmlElements.item(1)
myXMLElement.Untag

Creating an XML comment
XML comments are used to make notes in XML data structures. You can add an XML comment using
something like the following script fragment (from the MakeXMLComment tutorial script):
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1)
Set myXMLElementB = myRootXMLElement.xmlElements.item(2)
myXMLElementB.XMLComments.Add "This is an XML comment."

Creating an XML processing instruction
A processing instruction (PI) is an XML element that contains directions for the application reading the
XML document. XML processing instructions are ignored by InDesign but can be inserted in an InDesign
XML structure for export to other applications. An XML document can contain multiple processing
instructions.
An XML processing instruction has two parts, target and value. The following is an example:


The following script fragment shows how to add an XML processing instruction (for the complete script,
see MakeProcessingInstruction):
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1)
Set myXMLProcessingInstruction = myRootXMLElement.XMLInstructions.Add("xml-stylesheet
type=\"text/css\" ", "href=\"generic.css\"")

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Working with XML attributes
XML attributes are “metadata” that can be associated with an XML element. To add an XML attribute to an
XML element, use something like the following script fragment (from the MakeXMLAttribute tutorial
script). An XML element can have any number of XML attributes, but each attribute name must be unique
within the element (that is, you cannot have two attributes named “id”).
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1)
Set myXMLElementB = myRootXMLElement.xmlElements.item(2)
myXMLElementB.XMLAttributes.Add "example_attribute", "This is an XML attribute. It will
not appear in the layout!"

In addition to creating attributes directly using scripting, you can convert XML elements to attributes.
When you do this, the text contents of the XML element become the value of an XML attribute added to
the parent of the XML element. Because the name of the XML element becomes the name of the attribute,
this method can fail when an attribute with that name already exists in the parent of the XML element. If
the XML element contains page items, those page items are deleted from the layout.
When you convert an XML attribute to an XML element, you can specify the location where the new XML
element is added. The new XML element can be added to the beginning or end of the parent of the XML
attribute. By default, the new element is added at the beginning of the parent element.
You also can specify am XML mark-up tag for the new XML element. If you omit this parameter, the new
XML element is created with the same XML tag as XML element containing the XML attribute.
The following script shows how to convert an XML element to an XML attribute (for the complete script,
see ConvertElementToAttribute):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1)
myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(-1).ConvertToAttribute

You also can convert an XML attribute to an XML element, as shown in the following script fragment (from
the ConvertAttributeToElement tutorial script):
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.item(1)
Set myXMLElementB = myRootXMLElement.xmlElements.item(1)
Rem The "at" parameter can be either idLocationOptions.idAtEnd or
Rem idLocationOptions.idAtBeginning, but cannot
Rem be idLocationOptions.idAfter or idLocationOptions.idBefore.
myXMLElementB.XMLAttributes.item(1).convertToElement idLocationOptions.idAtEnd,
myDocument.XMLTags.item("xml_element"

Working with XML stories
When you import XML elements that were not associated with a layout element (a story or page item),
they are stored in an XML story. You can work with text in unplaced XML elements just as you would work
with the text in a text frame. The following script fragment shows how this works (for the complete script,
see XMLStory):

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Set myXMLStory = myDocument.XmlStories.Item(1)
Rem Though the text has not yet been placed in the layout,
Rem all text properties are available.
myXMLStory.Paragraphs.Item(1).PointSize = 72
Rem Place the XML element in the layout to see the result.
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceXML
myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)

Exporting XML
To export XML from an InDesign document, export either the entire XML structure in the document or one
XML element (including any child XML elements it contains). The following script fragment shows how to
do this (for the complete script, see ExportXML):
Rem Export the entire XML structure in the document.
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idXML, "c:\completeDocumentXML.xml"
Rem Export a specific XML element and its child XML elements.
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(-1)
myXMLElement.Export idExportFormat.idXML, "c:\partialDocumentXML.xml"

In addition, you can use the ExportFromSelected property of the XMLExportPreferences object to
export an XML element selected in the user interface. The following script fragment shows how to do this
(for the complete script, see ExportSelectedXMLElement):
myDocument.Select myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(2)
myDocument.XMLExportPreferences.ExportFromSelected = True
Rem Export the entire XML structure in the document.
myDocument.Export idExportFormat.idXML, "c:\selectedXMLElement.xml"
myDocument.XMLExportPreferences.ExportFromSelected = False

Adding XML Elements to a Layout
Previously, we covered the process of getting XML data into InDesign documents and working with the
XML structure in a document. In this section, we discuss techniques for getting XML information into a
page layout and applying formatting to it.

Associating XML elements with page items and text
To associate a page item or text with an existing XML element, use the PlaceXML method. This replaces the
content of the page item with the content of the XML element, as shown in the following script fragment
(from the PlaceXML tutorial script):
myDocument.XMLElements.item(1).placeXML myDocument.pages.item(1).textFrames.item(1)

To associate an existing page item or text object with an existing XML element, use the markup method.
This merges the content of the page item or text with the content of the XML element (if any). The
following script fragment shows how to use the markup method (for the complete script, see Markup):
myDocument.XMLElements.item(1).XMLElements.item(0).markup
myDocument.pages.item(1).textFrames.item(1)

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Placing XML into page items
Another way to associate an XML element with a page item is to use the PlaceIntoFrame method. With
this method, you can create a frame as you place the XML, as shown in the following script fragment (for
the complete script, see PlaceIntoFrame):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add()
myDocument.ViewPreferences.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myDocument.ViewPreferences.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
myDocument.ViewPreferences.RulerOrigin = idRulerOrigin.idPageOrigin
Rem PlaceIntoFrame has two parameters:
Rem On: The page, spread, or master spread on which to create the frame
Rem GeometricBounds: The bounds of the new frame (in page coordinates).
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceIntoFrame
myDocument.Pages.Item(1), Array(72, 72, 288, 288)

To associate an XML element with an inline page item (i.e., an anchored object), use the PlaceIntoCopy
method, as shown in the following script fragment (from the PlaceIntoCopy tutorial script):
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
myXMLElement.PlaceIntoCopy myPage, Array(288, 72), myPage.TextFrames.Item(1), True

To associate an existing page item (or a copy of an existing page item) with an XML element and insert the
page item into the XML structure at the location of the element, use the PlaceIntoInlineCopy method,
as shown in the following script fragment (from the PlaceIntoInlineCopy tutorial script):
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myTextFrame.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents = vbCr & vbCr
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceXML myTextFrame
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myXMLElement.Contents = "This is the second XML element."
myXMLElement.PlaceIntoInlineCopy myTextFrame, False

To associate an XML element with a new inline frame, use the PlaceIntoInlineFrame method, as shown
in the following script fragment (from the PlaceIntoInlineFrame tutorial script):
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(3)
Rem Specify width and height as you create the inline frame.
myXMLElement.PlaceIntoInlineFrame Array(72, 24)

Inserting text in and around XML text elements
When you place XML data into an InDesign layout, you often need to add white space (for example, return
and tab characters) and static text (labels like “name” or “address”) to the text of your XML elements. The
following sample script shows how to add text in and around XML elements (for the complete script, see
InsertTextAsContent):

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Rem Shows how to add text before, after, and at the beginning/end
Rem of XML elements.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Add
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
Set myXMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("myXMLElement")
Set myXMLElementA = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myXMLElementA.Contents = "This is a paragraph in an XML story."
Set myXMLElementB = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myXMLElementB.Contents = "This is another paragraph in an XML story."
Set myXMLElementC = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myXMLElementC.Contents = "This is the third paragraph in an example XML story."
Set myXMLElementD = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myXMLElementD.Contents = "This is the last paragraph in the XML story."
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(1)
Rem By inserting the return character after the XML element, the character
Rem becomes part of the content of the parent XML element, not of the element itself.
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(2)
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent "Static text: ", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
Rem To add text inside the element, set the location option to beginning or end.
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(3)
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent "Text at the start of the element: ",
idXMLElementPosition.idElementStart
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent " Text at the end of the element.",
idXMLElementPosition.idElementEnd
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
Rem Add static text outside the element.
Set myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(4)
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent "Text before the element: ",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
myXMLElement.InsertTextAsContent " Text after the element.",
idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
Rem To insert text inside the text of an element, work with the text objects contained
by the element.
myXMLElement.Words.Item(2).InsertionPoints.Item(1).Contents = "(the third word of) "
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
myRootXMLElement.PlaceXML (myStory)

Marking up existing layouts
In some cases, an XML publishing project does not start with an XML file—especially when you need to
convert an existing page layout to XML. For this type of project, you can mark up existing page-layout
content and add it to an XML structure. You can then export this structure for further processing by XML
tools outside InDesign.

Mapping tags to styles
One of the quickest ways to apply formatting to XML text elements is to use XMLImportMaps, also known
as tag-to-style mapping. When you do this, you can associate a specific XML tag with a paragraph or
character style. When you use the MapXMLTagsToStyles method of the document, InDesign applies the
style to the text, as shown in the following script fragment (from the MapTagsToStyles tutorial script):

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Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Create a tag to style mapping.
myDocument.XMLImportMaps.Add myDocument.XMLTags.Item("heading_1"),
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("heading 1")
myDocument.XMLImportMaps.Add myDocument.XMLTags.Item("heading_2"),
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("heading 2")
myDocument.XMLImportMaps.Add myDocument.XMLTags.Item("para_1"),
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("para 1")
myDocument.XMLImportMaps.Add myDocument.XMLTags.Item("body_text"),
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("body text")
Rem Apply the tag to style mapping.
myDocument.MapXMLTagsToStyles
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
Rem Associate the root XML element with the text frame
Rem so that you can see the effect of the tag to style mapping.
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceXML myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)

Mapping styles to tags
When you have formatted text that is not associated with any XML elements, and you want to move that
text into an XML structure, use style-to-tag mapping, which associates paragraph and character styles with
XML tags. To do this, use XMLExportMap objects to create the links between XML tags and styles, then use
the MapStylesToXMLTags method to create the corresponding XML elements, as shown in the following
script fragment (from the MapStylesToTags tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Create a tag to style mapping.
myDocument.XMLExportMaps.Add myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("heading 1"),
myDocument.XMLTags.Item("heading_1")
myDocument.XMLExportMaps.Add myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("heading 2"),
myDocument.XMLTags.Item("heading_2")
myDocument.XMLExportMaps.Add myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("para 1"),
myDocument.XMLTags.Item("para_1")
myDocument.XMLExportMaps.Add myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("body text"),
myDocument.XMLTags.Item("body_text")
Rem Apply the style to tag mapping.
myDocument.MapStylesToXMLTags

Another approach is simply to have your script create a new XML tag for each paragraph or character style
in the document, and then apply the style to tag mapping, as shown in the following script fragment (from
the MapAllStylesToTags tutorial script):

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Set
Set
Rem
Rem
For

myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Create tags that match the style names in the document,
creating an XMLExportMap for each tag/style pair.
myCounter = 1 To myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Count
Set myParagraphStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item(myCounter)
myParagraphStyleName = myParagraphStyle.Name
myXMLTagName = Replace(myParagraphStyleName, " ", "_")
myXMLTagName = Replace(myXMLTagName, "[", "")
myXMLTagName = Replace(myXMLTagName, "]", "")
Set myXMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add(myXMLTagName)
myDocument.XMLExportMaps.Add myParagraphStyle, myXMLTag
Next
Rem Apply the tag to style mapping.
myDocument.MapStylesToXMLTags

Marking up graphics
The following script fragment shows how to associate an XML element with a graphic (for the complete
script, see MarkingUpGraphics):
Set
Set
Rem
Set

myXMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("graphic")
myGraphic = myDocument.Pages.Item(1).Place("c:\test.tif")
Associate the graphic with a new XML element as you create the element.
myXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag, myGraphic)

Applying styles to XML elements
In addition to using tag-to-style and style-to-tag mappings or applying styles to the text and page items
associated with XML elements, you also can apply styles to XML elements directly. The following script
fragment shows how to use three methods: ApplyParagraphStyle, ApplyCharacterStyle, and
ApplyObjectStyle. (For the complete script, see ApplyStylesToXMLElements.)
Rem Create a series of XML tags.
Set myHeading1XMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("heading_1")
Set myHeading2XMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("heading_2")
Set myPara1XMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("para_1")
Set myBodyTextXMLTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("body_text")
Rem Create a series of paragraph styles.
Set myHeading1Style = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myHeading1Style.Name = "heading 1"
myHeading1Style.PointSize = 24
Set myHeading2Style = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myHeading2Style.Name = "heading 2"
myHeading2Style.PointSize = 14
myHeading2Style.SpaceBefore = 12
Set myPara1Style = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myPara1Style.Name = "para 1"
myPara1Style.PointSize = 12
myPara1Style.FirstLineIndent = 0
Set myBodyTextStyle = myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Add
myBodyTextStyle.Name = "body text"
myBodyTextStyle.PointSize = 12
myBodyTextStyle.FirstLineIndent = 24
Set myCharacterStyle = myDocument.CharacterStyles.Add
myCharacterStyle.Name = "Emphasis"
myCharacterStyle.FontStyle = "Italic"

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Set myTextFrameStyle = myDocument.ObjectStyles.Add
myTextFrameStyle.Name = "Text Frame Style"
myTextFrameStyle.CornerEffect = idCornerEffects.idRoundedCorner
myTextFrameStyle.StrokeColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Black")
myTextFrameStyle.StrokeWeight = 2
Rem Add XML elements.
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
Set myXMLElementA = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myHeading1XMLTag)
myXMLElementA.Contents = "Heading 1"
myXMLElementA.ApplyParagraphStyle myHeading1Style, True
myXMLElementA.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementB = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myPara1XMLTag)
myXMLElementB.Contents = "This is the first paragraph in the article."
myXMLElementB.ApplyParagraphStyle myPara1Style, True
myXMLElementB.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementC = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myBodyTextXMLTag)
myXMLElementC.Contents = "This is the second paragraph in the article."
myXMLElementC.ApplyParagraphStyle myBodyTextStyle, True
myXMLElementC.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementD = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myHeading2XMLTag)
myXMLElementD.Contents = "Heading 2"
myXMLElementD.ApplyParagraphStyle myHeading2Style, True
myXMLElementD.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementE = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myPara1XMLTag)
myXMLElementE.Contents = "This is the first paragraph following the subhead."
myXMLElementE.ApplyParagraphStyle myPara1Style, True
myXMLElementE.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementF = myRootXMLElement.XMLElements.Add(myBodyTextXMLTag)
myXMLElementF.Contents = "This is the second paragraph following the subhead."
myXMLElementF.ApplyParagraphStyle myBodyTextStyle, True
myXMLElementF.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idLocationOptions.idAfter
Set myXMLElementG = myXMLElemetF.XMLElements.Add(myBodyTextXMLTag)
myXMLElementG.Contents = "Note:"
Set myXMLElementG = myXMLElementG.Move(idLocationOptions.idAtBeginning, myXMLElementF)
myXMLElementG.InsertTextAsContent " ", idLocationOptions.idAfter
myXMLElementG.ApplyCharacterStyle myCharacterStyle, True
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
Rem Associate the root XML element with the text frame.
myRootXMLElement.PlaceXML myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Item(1)
myRootXMLElement.ApplyObjectStyle myTextFrameStyle, True

Working with XML tables
InDesign automatically imports XML data into table cells when the data is marked up using HTML
standard table tags. If you cannot use the default table mark-up or prefer not to use it, InDesign can
convert XML elements to a table using the ConvertElementToTable method.
To use this method, the XML elements to be converted to a table must conform to a specific structure.
Each row of the table must correspond to a specific XML element, and that element must contain a series
of XML elements corresponding to the cells in the row. The following script fragment shows how to use
this method (for the complete script, see ConvertXMLElementToTable). The XML element used to denote
the table row is consumed by this process.

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Rem Create a series of XML tags.
Set myRowTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("row")
Set myCellTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("cell")
Set myTableTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("table")
Rem Add XML elements.
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
With myRootXMLElement
Set myTableXMLElement = .XMLElements.Add(myTableTag)
With myTableXMLElement
For myRowCounter = 1 To 6
With .XMLElements.Add(myRowTag)
.Contents = "Row " + CStr(myRowCounter)
For myCellCounter = 1 To 4
With .XMLElements.Add(myCellTag)
.Contents = "Cell " + CStr(myCellCounter)
End With
Next
End With
Next
End With
End With
Set myTable = myTableXMLElement.ConvertElementToTable(myRowTag, myCellTag)
Set myTextFrame = myDocument.TextFrames.Add
myTextFrame.GeometricBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceXML myTextFrame

Once you are working with a table containing XML elements, you can apply table styles and cell styles to
the XML elements directly, rather than having to apply the styles to the tables or cells associated with the
XML elements. To do this, use the ApplyTableStyle and ApplyCellStyle methods, as shown in the
following script fragment (from the ApplyTableStyles tutorial script):
Rem Create a series of XML tags.
Set myRowTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("row")
Set myCellTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("cell")
Set myTableTag = myDocument.XMLTags.Add("table")
Rem Create a table style and a cell style.
Set myTableStyle = myDocument.TableStyles.Add
myTableStyle.StartColumnFillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Black")
myTableStyle.StartColumnFillTint = 25
Set myCellStyle = myDocument.CellStyles.Add
myCellStyle.FillColor = myDocument.Colors.Item("Black")
myCellStyle.FillTint = 45
Rem Add XML elements.
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
With myRootXMLElement
Set myTableXMLElement = .XMLElements.Add(myTableTag)
With myTableXMLElement
For myRowCounter = 1 To 6
With .XMLElements.Add(myRowTag)
.Contents = "Row " + CStr(myRowCounter)
For myCellCounter = 1 To 4
With .XMLElements.Add(myCellTag)
.Contents = "Cell " + CStr(myCellCounter)
End With
Next
End With

CHAPTER 12: XML

Adding XML Elements to a Layout

Next
End With
End With
Set myTable = myTableXMLElement.ConvertElementToTable(myRowTag, myCellTag)
Set myTableXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Item(1)
myTableXMLElement.ApplyTableStyle myTableStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(1).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(6).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(11).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(16).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(17).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myTableXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(22).ApplyCellStyle myCellStyle
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).PlaceIntoFrame myDocument.Pages.Item(1),
myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.Pages.Item(1))
myTable.AlternatingFills = idAlternatingFillsTypes.idAlternatingColumns

198

13

XML Rules

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

The InDesign XML- rules feature provides a powerful set of scripting tools for working with the XML
content of your documents. XML rules also greatly simplify the process of writing scripts to work with XML
elements and dramatically improve performance of finding, changing, and formatting XML elements.
While XML rules can be triggered by application events, like open, place, and close, typically you will run
XML rules after importing XML into a document. (For more information on attaching scripts to events, see
Chapter 8, “Events.”)
This chapter gives an overview of the structure and operation of XML rules, and shows how to do the
following:


Define an XML rule.



Apply XML rules.



Find XML elements using XML rules.



Format XML data using XML rules.



Create page items based on XML rules.



Restructure data using XML rules.



Use the XML-rules processor.

We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create and run a
script. We also assume that you have some knowledge of XML and have read Chapter 12, “XML.”

Overview
InDesign’s XML rules feature has three parts:


XML rules processor (a scripting object) — Locates XML elements in an XML structure using XPath
and applies the appropriate XML rule(s). It is important to note that a script can contain multiple XML
rule processor objects, and each rule-processor object is associated with a given XML rule set.



Glue code — A set of routines provided by Adobe to make the process of writing XML rules and
interacting with the XML rules-processor easier.



XML rules — The XML actions you add to a script. XML rules are written in scripting code. A rule
combines an XPath-based condition and a function to apply when the condition is met. The “apply”
function can perform any set of operations that can be defined in InDesign scripting, including
changing the XML structure; applying formatting; and creating new pages, page items, or documents.

A script can define any number of rules and apply them to the entire XML structure of an InDesign
document or any subset of elements within the XML structure. When an XML rule is triggered by an XML
199

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

Overview

200

rule processor, the rule can apply changes to the matching XML element or any other object in the
document.
You can think of the XML rules feature as being something like XSLT. Just as XSLT uses XPath to locate XML
elements in an XML structure, then transforms the XML elements in some way, XML rules use XPath to
locate and act on XML elements inside InDesign. Just as an XSLT template uses an XML parser outside
InDesign to apply transformations to XML data, InDesign's XML Rules Processor uses XML rules to apply
transformations to XML data inside InDesign.

Why use XML rules?
In prior releases of InDesign, you could not use XPath to navigate the XML structure in your InDesign files.
Instead, you needed to write recursive script functions to iterate through the XML structure, examining
each element in turn. This was difficult and slow.
XML rules makes it easy to find XML elements in the structure, by using XPath and relying on InDesign's
XML-rules processors to find XML elements. An XML-rule processor handles the work of iterating through
the XML elements in your document, and it can do so much faster than a script.

XML-rules programming model
An XML rule contains three things:
1. A name (as a string).
2. An XPath statement (as a string).
3. An apply function.
The XPath statement defines the location in the XML structure; when the XML rules processor finds a
matching element, it executes the apply function defined in the rule.
Here is a sample XML rule:
Class RuleName
Public Property Get name
name = "RuleNameAsString"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "ValidXPathSpecifier"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
Rem Do something here.
Rem Return true to stop further processing of the XML element.
apply = False
End Function
End Class

In the above example, RuleNameAsString is the name of the rule and matches the RuleName;
ValidXPathSpecifier is an XPath expression. Later in this chapter, we present a series of functioning
XML-rule examples.
NOTE: XML rules support a limited subset of XPath 1.0. See “XPath limitations” on page 204.”

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Overview

201

XML-rule sets
An XML-rule set is an array of one or more XML rules to be applied by an XML-rules processor. The rules are
applied in the order in which they appear in the array. Here is a sample XML-rule set:
myRuleSet = Array(new SortByName, new AddStaticText, new LayoutElements, new
FormatElements)

In the above example, the rules listed in the myRuleSet array are defined elsewhere in the script. Later in
this chapter, we present several functioning scripts containing XML-rule sets.

“Glue” code
In addition to the XML-rules processor object built into InDesign’s scripting model, Adobe provides a set of
functions intended to make the process of writing XML rules much easier. These functions are defined
within the glue code.vbs file:


__processRuleSet(root, ruleSet) — To execute a set of XML rules, your script must call the
__processRuleSet function and provide an XML element and an XML rule set. The XML element

defines the point in the XML structure at which to begin processing the rules.


__processChildren(ruleProcessor) — This function directs the XML-rules processor to apply
matching XML rules to child elements of the matched XML element. This allows the rule applied to a
parent XML element to execute code after the child XML elements are processed. By default, when an
XML-rules processor applies a rule to the children of an XML element, control does not return to the
rule. You can use the __processChildren function to return control to the apply function of the rule
after the child XML elements are processed.



__skipChildren(ruleProcessor) — This function tells the processor not to process any

descendants of the current XML element using the XML rule. Use this function when you want to
move or delete the current XML element or improve performance by skipping irrelevant parts of an
XML structure.

Iterating through an XML structure
The XML-rules processor iterates through the XML structure of a document by processing each XML
element in the order in which it appears in the XML hierarchy of the document. The XML-rules processor
uses a forward-only traversal of the XML structure, and it visits each XML element in the structure twice (in
the order parent-child-parent, just like the normal ordering of nested tags in an XML file). For any XML
element, the XML-rules processor tries to apply all matching XML rules in the order in which they are
added to the current XML rule set.
The __processRuleSet function applies rules to XML elements in “depth first” order; that is, XML
elements and their child elements are processed in the order in which they appear in the XML structure.
For each “branch” of the XML structure, the XML-rules processor visits each XML element before moving
on to the next branch.
After an XML rule is applied to an XML element, the XML-rules processor continues searching for rules to
apply to the descendents of that XML element. An XML rule can alter this behavior by using the
__skipChildren or __processChildren function, or by changing the operation of other rules.
To see how all these functions work together, import the DepthFirstProcessingOrder.xml file into a
new document, then run the DepthFirstProcessingOrder.jsx script. InDesign creates a text frame,
that lists the attribute names of each element in the sample XML file in the order in which they were visited

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

Overview

202

by each rule. You can use this script in conjunction with the AddAttribute tutorial script to troubleshoot
XML traversal problems in your own XML documents (you must edit the AddAttribute script to suit your
XML structure).
Normal iteration (assuming a rule that matches every XML element in the structure) is shown in the
following figure:

Root
1

B
2
9

BA

BB

BC

3
4

5
8

BAA

BAB

BAC
6
7
BACA

BACB

Iteration with __processChildren (assuming a rule that matches every XML element in the structure) is
shown in the following figure:

Root
9

B
8
6

BA

7

BB

BC

5
4

BAA

3

BAB

BAC
2
1

BACA

BACB

Iteration given the following rule set is shown in the figure after the script fragment. The rule set includes
two rules that match every element, including one that uses __processChildren. Every element is
processed twice. (For the complete script, see ProcessChildren.)

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

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203

Class NormalRule
Public Property Get name
name = "NormalRule"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//XMLElement"
End Property
Public Function apply(myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
myStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents =
.XMLAttributes.Item(1).Value & vbCr
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessChildrenRule
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessChildrenRule"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//XMLElement"
End Property
Public Function apply(myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
glueCode_processChildren(myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
myXMLElement.XMLattributes.Item(1).Value
myStory.InsertionPoints.Item(-1).Contents =
.XMLAttributes.Item(1).Value & vbCr
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

Root
1
19
B

2

18
14

16

BA

BB

3

13
5

BAA

15

17

7

BAB
4

BC

BAC
6

8

12
10

BACA

BACB
9

11

Changing structure during iteration
When an XML-rules processor finds a matching XML element and applies an XML rule, the rule can change
the XML structure of the document. This can conflict with the process of applying other rules, if the

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204

affected XML elements in the structure are part of the current path of the XML-rules processor. To prevent
errors that might cause the XML-rules processor to become invalid, the following limitations are placed on
XML structure changes you might make within an XML rule:


Deleting an ancestor XML element — To delete an ancestor XML element of the matched XML
element, create a separate rule that matches and processes the ancestor XML element.



Inserting a parent XML element — To add an ancestor XML element to the matched XML element,
do so after processing the current XML element. The ancestor XML element you add is not processed
by the XML-rules processor during this rule iteration (as it appears “above” the current element in the
hierarchy).



Deleting the current XML element — You cannot delete or move the matched XML element until
any child XML elements contained by the element are processed. To make this sort of change, use the
__skipChildren function before making the change.



No repetitive processing — Changes to nodes that were already processed will not cause the XML
rule to be evaluated again.

Handling multiple matching rules
When multiple rules match an XML element, the XML-rules processor can apply some or all of the
matching rules. XML rules are applied in the order in which they appear in the rule set, up to the point that
one of the rule apply functions returns true. In essence, returning true means the element was
processed. Once a rule returns true, any other XML rules matching the XML element are ignored. You can
alter this behavior and allow the next matching rule to be applied, by having the XML rule apply function
return false.
When an apply function returns false, you can control the matching behavior of the XML rule based on a
condition other than the XPath property defined in the XML rule, like the state of another variable in the
script.

XPath limitations
InDesign’s XML rules support a limited subset of the XPath 1.0 specification, specifically including the
following capabilities:


Find an element by name, specifying a path from the root; for example, /doc/title.



Find paths with wildcards and node matches; for example, /doc/*/subtree/node().



Find an element with a specified attribute that matches a specified value; for example,
/doc/para[@font='Courier'].



Find an element with a specified attribute that does not match a specified value; for example,
/doc/para[@font !='Courier'].



Find a child element by numeric position (but not last()); for example, /doc/para[3].



Find self or any descendent; for example, //para.



Find comment as a terminal; for example, /doc/comment().



Find PI by target or any; for example, /doc/processing-instruction('foo').

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

Overview



Find multiple predicates; for example, /doc/para[@font='Courier'][@size=5][2].



Find along following-sibling axes; for example, /doc/note/following-sibling::*.

205

Due to the one-pass nature of this implementation, the following XPath expressions are specifically
excluded:


No ancestor or preceding-sibling axes, including .., ancestor::, preceding-sibling::.



No path specifications in predicates; for example, foo[bar/c].



No last() function.



No text() function or text comparisons; however, you can use InDesign scripting to examine the text
content of an XML element matched by a given XML rule.



No compound Boolean predicates; for example, foo[@bar=font or @c=size].



No relational predicates; for example, foo[@bar < font or @c > 3].



No relative paths; for example, doc/chapter.

Error handling
Because XML rules are part of the InDesign scripting model, scripts that use rules do not differ in nature
from ordinary scripts, and they benefit from the same error-handling mechanism. When InDesign
generates an error, an XML-rules script behaves no differently than any other script. InDesign errors can be
captured in the script using whatever tools the scripting language provides to achieve that; for example,
try...catch blocks.
InDesign does include a series of errors specific to XML-rules processing. An InDesign error can occur at
XML-rules processor initialization, when a rule uses a non-conforming XPath specifier (see “XPath
limitations” on page 204). An InDesign error also can be caused by a model change that invalidates the
state of an XML-rules processor. XML structure changes caused by the operation of XML rules can
invalidate the XML-rules processor. These changes to the XML structure can be caused by the script
containing the XML-rules processor, another concurrently executing script, or a user action initiated from
the user interface.
XML structure changes that invalidate an XML-rules processor lead to errors when the XML-rules
processor's iteration resumes. The error message indicates which XML structural change caused the error.

XML rules flow of control
As a script containing XML rules executes, the flow of control passes from the script function containing
the XML rules to each XML rule, and from each rule to the functions defined in the glue code. Those
functions pass control to the XML-rules processor which, in turn, iterates through the XML elements in the
structure. Results and errors are passed back up the chain until they are handled by a function or cause a
scripting error. The following diagram provides a simplified overview of the flow of control in an XML-rules
script:

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

XML Rules Examples

XML rules script

XML rule

XML rule
processor

glue code
XM

Lr

206

ule
s

XPath condition

XPath condition

__processRuleSet
XML element

t
XML elemen

XPath
evaluation

apply()

__processChildren

t
XML elemen

XML structure
iteration

__skipChildren

XML Rules Examples
Because XML rules rely on XPath statements to find qualifying XML elements, XML rules are closely tied to
the structure of the XML in a document. This means it is almost impossible to demonstrate a functional
XML-rules script without having an XML structure to test it against. In the remainder of this chapter, we
present a series of XML-rules exercises based on a sample XML data file. For our example, we use the
product list of an imaginary integrated-circuit manufacturer. Each record in the XML data file has the
following structure:
















The scripts are presented in order of complexity, starting with a very simple script and building toward
more complex operations.

Setting up a sample document
Before you run each script in this chapter, import the XMLRulesExampleData.xml data file into a
document. When you import the XML, turn on the Do Not Import Contents of Whitespace-Only Elements
option in the XML Import Options dialog box. Save the file, then choose File > Revert before running each
sample script in this section. Alternately, run the following script before you run each sample XML-rule
script (see the XMLRulesExampleSetup.jsx script file):

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

XML Rules Examples

207

//XMLRuleExampleSetup.jsx
//
main();
function main(){
var myDocument = app.documents.add();
myDocument.xmlImportPreferences.allowTransform = false;
myDocument.xmlImportPreferences.ignoreWhitespace = true;
var myScriptPath = myGetScriptPath();
var myFilePath = myScriptPath.path + "/XMLRulesExampleData.xml"
myDocument.importXML(File(myFilePath));
var myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myDocument.pages.item(0));
myDocument.xmlElements.item(0).placeIntoFrame(myDocument.pages.item(0), myBounds);
function myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage){
var myWidth = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageWidth;
var myHeight = myDocument.documentPreferences.pageHeight;
var myX1 = myPage.marginPreferences.left;
var myY1 = myPage.marginPreferences.top;
var myX2 = myWidth - myPage.marginPreferences.right;
var myY2 = myHeight - myPage.marginPreferences.bottom;
return [myY1, myX1, myY2, myX2];
}
function myGetScriptPath() {
try {
return app.activeScript;
}
catch(myError){
return File(myError.fileName);
}
}
}

Getting started with XML rules
Here is a very simple XML rule—it does nothing more than add a return character after every XML element
in the document. The XML-rule set contains one rule. For the complete script, see AddReturns.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
Set myAddReturns = new AddReturns
myRuleSet = Array(myAddReturns)
Rem The third parameter of __processRuleSet is a
Rem prefix mapping table; we'll leave it empty.
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet, Array()
Rem XML rule "AddReturns"
Class AddReturns
Public Property Get name
name = "AddReturns"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//*"

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End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Rem Add a return character at the end of the XML element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idElementEnd
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Function Include(myScriptFilePath)
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myScriptFile = myFileSystemObject.OpenTextFile(myScriptFilePath)
myScriptContents = myScriptFile.ReadAll
ExecuteGlobal myScriptContents
End Function

Adding white space and static text
The following XML rule script is similar to the previous script, in that it adds white space and static text. It is
somewhat more complex, however, in that it treats some XML elements differently based on their element
names. For the complete script, see AddReturnsAndStaticText.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new ProcessDevice,new ProcessName,new ProcessType,_
new ProcessPartNumber,new ProcessSupplyVoltage,new ProcessPackageType,_
new ProcessPackageOne,new ProcessPackages,new ProcessPrice)
Rem The third parameter of __processRuleSet is a
Rem prefix mapping table; we'll leave it empty.
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet, Array()
Class ProcessDevice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessDevice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessName
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessName"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/name"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Rem Add static text at the beginning of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent "Device Name:", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement

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Rem Add a return character at the end of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessType
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessType"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Rem Add static text at the beginning of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent "Circuit Type:", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
Rem Add a return character at the end of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessPartNumber
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPartNumber"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Rem Add static text at the beginning of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent "Part Number:", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
Rem Add a return character at the end of the element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Rem Adds static text around the "minimum" and "maximum"
Rem XML elements of the "supply_voltage" XML element.
Class ProcessSupplyVoltage
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessSupplyVoltage"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/supply_voltage"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Supply Voltage: From ",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
With myXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(1)
.InsertTextAsContent " to ", idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End with
With myXMLElement.XMLElements.Item(-1)
Rem Add static text to the end of the voltage range.
.InsertTextAsContent " volts", idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement

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End with
Rem Add a return at the end of the XML element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = True
End Function
End Class
Rem Insert a dash between the "type" and "pins" elements.
Class ProcessPackageType
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackageType"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "-", idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Rem Process the first "package" element.
Class ProcessPackageOne
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackageOne"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package[1]"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Package: ", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Rem Process the remaining "package" elements.
Class ProcessPackages
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackages"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent", ", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
End With
apply = True
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessPrice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPrice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/price"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)

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With myXMLElement
Rem Add a return at the start of the XML element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr & "Price: $",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
Rem .InsertTextAsContent "Price: $", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class
Function Include(myScriptFilePath)
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myScriptFile = myFileSystemObject.OpenTextFile(myScriptFilePath)
myScriptContents = myScriptFile.ReadAll
ExecuteGlobal myScriptContents
End Function

NOTE: The above script uses scripting logic to add commas between repeating elements (in the
ProcessPackages XML rule). If you have a sequence of similar elements at the same level, you can use
forward-axis matching to do the same thing. Given the following example XML structure:
1234


To add commas between each item XML element in a layout, you could use an XML rule like the
following (from the ListProcessing tutorial script):
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new ListItems)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
Rem Match all following sibling XML elements
Rem of the first "item" XML element.
Class ListItems
Public Property Get name
name = "ListItems"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/xmlElement/item[1]/following-sibling::*"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class

Changing the XML structure using XML rules
Because the order of XML elements is significant in InDesign’s XML implementation, you might need to
use XML rules to change the sequence of elements in the structure. In general, large-scale changes to the
structure of an XML document are best done using an XSLT file to transform the document before or
during XML import into InDesign.

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The following XML rule script shows how to use the move method to accomplish this. Note the use of the
__skipChildren function from the glue code to prevent the XML-rules processor from becoming invalid.
For the complete script, see MoveXMLElement.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new MoveElement)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class MoveElement
Public Property Get name
name = "MoveElement"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Rem Moves the part_number XML element to the start of
Rem the device XML element (the parent).
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Rem Because this rule makes changes to the XML structure,
Rem you must use _skipChildren to avoid invalidating
Rem the XML element references.
glueCode_skipChildren(myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Set myParent = .Parent
Set myNameElement = myParent.XMLElements.Item(1)
.Move idLocationOptions.idBefore, myNameElement
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

Duplicating XML elements with XML rules
As discussed in Chapter 12, “XML,” XML elements have a one-to-one relationship with their expression in a
layout. If you want the content of an XML element to appear more than once in a layout, you need to
duplicate the element. The following script shows how to duplicate elements using XML rules. For the
complete script, see DuplicateXMLElement. Again, this rule uses __skipChildren to avoid invalid XML
object references.

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Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new DuplicateElement)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class DuplicateElement
Public Property Get name
name = "DuplicateElement"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Rem Moves the part_number XML element to the start of
Rem the device XML element (the parent).
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Rem Because this rule makes changes to the XML structure,
Rem you must use _skipChildren to avoid invalidating
Rem the XML element references.
glueCode_skipChildren(myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.Duplicate
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

XML rules and XML attributes
The following XML rule adds attributes to XML elements based on the content of their “name” element.
When you need to find an element by its text contents, copying or moving XML element contents to XML
attributes attached to their parent XML element can be very useful in XML-rule scripting. While the subset
of XPath supported by XML rules cannot search the text of an element, it can find elements by a specified
attribute value. For the complete script, see AddAttribute.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new AddAttribute)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class AddAttribute
Public Property Get name
name = "AddAttribute"
End Property

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Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Rem Adds the content of the XML element to an attribute
Rem of the parent of the XML element. This can make finding
Rem the element by its content much easier and faster.
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Set myParent = .Parent
myString = myXMLElement.Texts.Item(1).Contents
Set myXMLAttribute = .Parent.XMLAttributes.Add("part_number", myString)
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

In the previous XML rule, we copied the data from an XML element into an XML attribute attached to its
parent XML element. Instead, what if we want to move the XML element data into an attribute and remove
the XML element itself? Use the convertToAttribute method, as shown in the following script (from the
ConvertToAttribute tutorial script):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new ConvertToAttribute)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class ConvertToAttribute
Public Property Get name
name = "ConvertToAttribute"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Rem Converts an XML element to an attribute
Rem of the parent of the XML element.
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
glueCode_skipChildren(myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.ConvertToAttribute
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class

To move data from an XML attribute to an XML element, use the convertToElement method, as described
in Chapter 12, “XML.”

Applying multiple matching rules
When the apply function of an XML rule returns true, the XML-rules processor does not apply any further
XML rules to the matched XML element. When the apply function returns false, however, the XML-rules
processor can apply other rules to the XML element. The following script shows an example of an XML-rule

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apply function that returns false. This script contains two rules that will match every XML element in the

document. The only difference between them is that the first rule applies a color and returns false, while
the second rule applies a different color to every other XML element (based on the state of a variable,
myCounter). For the complete script, see ReturningFalse.
myCounter = 0
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Define two colors.
Set myColorA = myAddColor(myDocument, "ColorA",
idColorModel.idProcess, Array(0, 100, 80, 0))
Set myColorB = myAddColor(myDocument, "ColorB",
idColorModel.idProcess, Array(100, 0, 80, 0))
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new ReturnFalse, new ReturnTrue)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Rem Adds a color to the text of every element in the structure.
Class ReturnFalse
Public Property Get name
name = "ReturnFalse"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//*"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myColorA = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Colors.Item("ColorA")
With myXMLElement
.Texts.Item(1).FillColor = myColorA
End With
Rem Leaves the XML element available to further processing.
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Rem Adds a color to the text of every other element in the structure.
Class ReturnTrue
Public Property Get name
name = "ReturnTrue"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//*"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myColorB = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Colors.Item("ColorB")
With myXMLElement
Rem Test based on the global variable "myCounter"
If myCounter Mod 2 = 0 Then
.Texts.Item(1).FillColor = myColorB
End If
myCounter = myCounter + 1
End With
Rem Do not process the element with any further matching rules.
apply = true

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End Function
End Class
Function Include(myScriptFilePath)
Set myFileSystemObject = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myScriptFile = myFileSystemObject.OpenTextFile(myScriptFilePath)
myScriptContents = myScriptFile.ReadAll
ExecuteGlobal myScriptContents
End Function
Function myAddColor(myDocument, myColorName, myColorModel, myColorValue)
On Error Resume Next
Set myColor = myDocument.colors.Item(myColorName)
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set myColor = myDocument.colors.Add
myColor.Name = myColorName
Err.Clear
End If
On Error GoTo 0
myColor.model = myColorModel
myColor.colorValue = myColorValue
Set myAddColor = myColor
End Function

Finding XML elements
As noted earlier, the subset of XPath supported by XML rules does not allow for searching the text
contents of XML elements. To get around this limitation, you can either use attributes to find the XML
elements you want or search the text of the matching XML elements. The following script shows how to
match XML elements using attributes. This script applies a color to the text of elements it finds, but a
practical script would do more. For the complete script, see FindXMLElementByAttribute.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Define two colors.
Set myColorA = myAddColor(myDocument, "ColorA", idColorModel.idProcess,
Array(0, 100, 80, 0))
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new AddAttribute)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
Rem Now that the attributes have been added, find and format
Rem the XML element whose attribute content matches a specific string.
myRuleSet = Array(new FindAttribute)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class AddAttribute
Public Property Get name
name = "AddAttribute"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Rem Adds the content of the XML element to an attribute
Rem of the parent of the XML element. This can make finding

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Rem the element by its content much easier and faster.
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Set myParent = .Parent
myString = myXMLElement.Texts.Item(1).Contents
Set myXMLAttribute = .Parent.XMLAttributes.Add("part_number", myString)
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Class FindAttribute
Public Property Get name
name = "FindAttribute"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device[@part_number = 'DS001']"
End Property
Rem Applies a color to the text of an XML element
Rem (to show that we found it).
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myColorB = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Colors.Item("ColorB")
With myXMLElement
.Texts.Item(1).FillColor = myColorA
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

The following script shows how to use the findText method to find and format XML content (for the
complete script, see FindXMLElementByFindText):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Define two colors.
Set myColorA = myAddColor(myDocument, "ColorA", idColorModel.idProcess,
Array(0, 100, 80, 0))
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new FindByFindText)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class FindByFindText
Public Property Get name
name = "FindByFindText"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/description"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myXMLElement
myResetFindText myInDesign
If .Texts.Item(1).contents <> "" Then
Rem Set the find options.
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.CaseSensitive = False

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myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeFootnotes = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeHiddenLayers = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedLayersForFind =
False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeLockedStoriesForFind =
False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.IncludeMasterPages = False
myInDesign.FindChangeTextOptions.WholeWord = False
Rem Search for the word "triangle" in the content of the element.
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences.FindWhat = "triangle"
Set myFoundItems = .FindText
If myFoundItems.Count > 0 Then
Set myColorA = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Colors.Item("ColorA")
.Texts.Item(1).FillColor = myColorA
End If
myResetFindText myInDesign
End If
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Function myResetFindText(myInDesign)
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
End Function

The following script shows how to use the findGrep method to find and format XML content (for the
complete script, see FindXMLElementByFindGrep):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Define two colors.
Set myColorA = myAddColor(myDocument, "ColorA", idColorModel.idProcess,
Array(0, 100, 80, 0))
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
myRuleSet = Array(new FindByFindGrep)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class FindByFindGrep
Public Property Get name
name = "FindByFindGrep"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/description"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
With myXMLElement
myResetFindGrep myInDesign
If .Texts.Item(1).contents <> "" Then
Rem Search for the regular expression:
Rem "(?i)pulse.*?triangle|triangle.*?pulse"
Rem in the content of the element.
myInDesign.FindGrepPreferences.FindWhat =
"(?i)pulse.*?triangle|triangle.*?pulse"

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Set myFoundItems = .FindGrep
Set myColorA = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).Colors.Item("ColorA")
If myFoundItems.Count > 0 Then
.Texts.Item(1).FillColor = myColorA
End If
myResetFindGrep myInDesign
End If
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Function myResetFindGrep(myInDesign)
myInDesign.FindTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
myInDesign.ChangeTextPreferences = idNothingEnum.idNothing
End Function

Extracting XML elements with XML rules
XSLT often is used to extract a specific subset of data from an XML file. You can accomplish the same thing
using XML rules. The following sample script shows how to duplicate a set of sample XML elements and
move them to another position in the XML element hierarchy. Note that you must add the duplicated XML
elements at a point in the XML structure that will not be matched by the XML rule, or you run the risk of
creating an endless loop. For the complete script, see ExtractSubset.
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
Set myXMLTag = myMakeXMLTag(myDocument, "VCOs")
Set myContainerElement =
myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1).XMLElements.Add(myXMLTag)
myRuleSet = Array(new ExtractVCO)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class ExtractVCO
Public Property Get name
name = "ExtractVCO"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
If .Texts.Item(1).Contents = "VCO" Then
Set myDestination = myXMLElement.Parent.Parent.XMLElements.Item(-1)
Set myNewElement = .Parent.Duplicate
myNewElement.Move idLocationOptions.idAtEnd, myDestination
End If
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

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Applying formatting with XML rules
The previous XML-rule examples have shown basic techniques for finding XML elements, rearranging the
order of XML elements, and adding text to XML elements. Because XML rules are part of scripts, they can
perform almost any action—from applying text formatting to creating entirely new page items, pages,
and documents. The following XML-rule examples show how to apply formatting to XML elements using
XML rules and how to create new page items based on XML-rule matching.
The following script adds static text and applies formatting to the example XML data (for the complete
script, see XMLRulesApplyFormatting):
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
If myInDesign.Documents.Count > 0 Then
myFilePath = myInDesign.FilePath
myFilePath = myFilePath & "\Scripts\Xml rules\glue code.vbs"
Rem Use the Include function to load the glue code file.
Include myFilePath
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Rem Document setup
With myDocument.ViewPreferences
.HorizontalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
.VerticalMeasurementUnits = idMeasurementUnits.idPoints
End With
Rem Create a color.
Set myColor = myAddColor(myDocument, "Red", idColorModel.idProcess,
Array(0, 100, 100, 0))
Rem Create a series of paragraph styles.
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "DeviceName")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =24
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 24
myParagraphStyle.FillColor = myColor
myParagraphStyle.SpaceBefore = 24
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "DeviceType")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =12
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 12
myParagraphStyle.FontStyle = "Bold"
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "PartNumber")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =12
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 12
myParagraphStyle.FontStyle = "Bold"
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "Voltage")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =10
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 12
myParagraphStyle.FontStyle = "Bold"
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "DevicePackage")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =10
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 12
Set myParagraphStyle = myMakeParagraphStyle(myDocument, "Price")
myParagraphStyle.PointSize =10
myParagraphStyle.Leading = 12
myParagraphStyle.FontStyle = "Bold"
myRuleSet = Array(new ProcessDevice, new ProcessName, new ProcessType, new
ProcessPartNumber, new ProcessSupplyVoltage, new ProcessPrice, new ProcessPackageType,
new ProcessPackageOne, new ProcessPackages)
glueCode_ProcessRuleSet myInDesign, myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1), myRuleSet,
Array()
End If
Class ProcessDevice
Public Property Get name

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

XML Rules Examples

name = "ProcessDevice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessName
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessName"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/name"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("DeviceName")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessType
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessType"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Circuit Type: ",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("DeviceType")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessPartNumber
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPartNumber"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/part_number"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Part Number: ",

221

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XML Rules Examples

idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("PartNumber")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessSupplyVoltage
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPartNumber"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/supply_voltage"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Supply Voltage From: ",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
With .XMLElements.Item(1)
.InsertTextAsContent " to ", idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
With .XMLElements.Item(-1)
.InsertTextAsContent " volts",
idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("Voltage")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessPackageType
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackageType"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRulesProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "-", idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Rem Process the first "package" element.
Class ProcessPackageOne
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackageOne"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package[1]"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent "Package: ",

222

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223

idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
Rem Because we have already added a return to the
Rem end of this element as part of the ProcessPrice
Rem rule, we can savly apply a paragrpah style.
.ApplyParagraphStyle
myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("DevicePackage")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class
Rem Process the remaining "package" elements.
Class ProcessPackages
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPackages"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/package"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent", ", idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
End With
apply = True
End Function
End Class
Class ProcessPrice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPrice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/price"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
Rem Add a return at the start of the XML element.
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr & "Price: $",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbcr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("Price")
End With
apply = False
End Function
End Class

Creating page items with XML rules
The following script creates new page items, inserts the content of XML elements in the page items, adds
static text, and applies formatting. We include only the relevant XML-rule portions of the script here; for
more information, see the complete script (XMLRulesLayout).
The first rule creates a new text frame for each “device” XML element:

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

XML Rules Examples

Class ProcessDevice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessDevice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
.InsertTextAsContent vbCr, idXMLElementPosition.idAfterElement
If myDocument.Pages.Item(1).TextFrames.Count > 0 Then
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Add
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
Set myTextFrame = .PlaceIntoFrame(myPage, myBounds)
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.FirstBaselineOffset =
idFirstBaseline.idLeadingOffset
Else
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(1)
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
Set myTextFrame = .PlaceIntoFrame(myPage, myBounds)
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.FirstBaselineOffset =
idFirstBaseline.idLeadingOffset
End If
End With
apply = false
End Function
End Class

The “ProcessType” rule moves the “type” XML element to a new frame on the page:
Class ProcessType
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessType"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "/devices/device/type"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
With myXMLElement
Set myPage = myDocument.Pages.Item(-1)
myBounds = myGetBounds(myDocument, myPage)
myX1 = myBounds(1)
myY1 = myBounds(0)
myBounds = Array(myY1-24, myX1, myY1, myX1 + 48)
Set myTextFrame = .PlaceIntoFrame(myPage, myBounds)
myTextFrame.TextFramePreferences.InsetSpacing = Array(6, 6, 6, 6)
myTextFrame.FillColor = myDocument.Swatches.Item("Red")
.ApplyParagraphStyle myDocument.ParagraphStyles.Item("DeviceType")
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class

224

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

Creating Tables using XML Rules

225

Creating Tables using XML Rules
You can use the ConvertElementToTable method to turn an XML element into a table. This method has a
limitation in that it assumes that all of the XML elements inside the table conform to a very specific set of
XML tags—one tag for a row element; another for a cell, or column element. Typically, the XML data we
want to put into a table does not conform to this structure: it is likely that the XML elements we want to
arrange in columns use heterogeneous XML tags (price, part number, etc.).
To get around this limitation, we can “wrap” each XML element we want to add to a table row using a
container XML element, as shown in the following script fragments (see XMLRulesTable). In this example, a
specific XML rule creates an XML element for each row.
Class ProcessDevice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessDevice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//device[@type = 'VCO']"
End Property
Rem Create a new row for every device whose type is "VCO"
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myRowTag = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).XmlTags.Item("Row")
Set myNewRowElement = myContainerElement.XMLElements.Add(myRowTag)
apply = false
End Function
End Class

Successive rules move and format their content into container elements inside the row XML element.
Class ProcessPrice
Public Property Get name
name = "ProcessPrice"
End Property
Public Property Get xpath
xpath = "//device[@type = 'VCO']/price"
End Property
Public Function apply (myXMLElement, myRuleProcessor)
glueCode_skipChildren(myRuleProcessor)
With myXMLElement
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myCellTag = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1).XmlTags.Item("Column")
Set myLastElement = myContainerElement.XMLElements.Item(-1)
Set myNewElement = myLastElement.XMLElements.add(myCellTag)
Set myPriceElement = .Move(idLocationOptions.idAtBeginning,
myNewElement)
myPriceElement.InsertTextAsContent "$",
idXMLElementPosition.idBeforeElement
End With
apply = true
End Function
End Class

Once all of the specified XML elements have been “wrapped,” we can convert the container element to a
table.
Set myTable = myContainerElement.ConvertElementToTable(myRowTag, myCellTag)

CHAPTER 13: XML Rules

Scripting the XML-rules Processor Object

226

Scripting the XML-rules Processor Object
While we have provided a set of utility functions in glue code.vbs, you also can script the XML-rules
processor object directly. You might want do this to develop your own support routines for XML rules or to
use the XML-rules processor in other ways.
When you script XML elements outside the context of XML rules, you cannot locate elements using XPath.
You can, however, create an XML rule that does nothing more than return matching XML elements, and
apply the rule using an XML-rules processor, as shown in the following script. (This script uses the same
XML data file as the sample scripts in previous sections.) For the complete script, see XMLRulesProcessor.
myXPath = Array("/devices/device")
myXMLMatches = mySimulateXPath(myXPath)
Rem At this point, myXMLMatches contains all of the XML elements
Rem that matched the XPath expression provided in myXPath.
Rem In a real script, you could now process the elements.
Rem For this example, however, we'll simply display a message.
If IsEmpty(myXMLMatches(0)) = False Then
MsgBox "Found " & CStr(UBound(myXMLMatches)+1) & " matching elements."
Else
MsgBox "Did not find any matching XML elements."
End if
Function mySimulateXPath(myXPath)
ReDim myMatchingElements(0)
Set myInDesign = CreateObject("InDesign.Application")
Set myRuleProcessor = myInDesign.XMLRuleProcessors.Add(myXPath)
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myRootXMLElement = myDocument.XMLElements.Item(1)
Set myMatchData = myRuleProcessor.StartProcessingRuleSet(myRootXMLElement)
Do While TypeName(myMatchData) <> "Nothing"
Set myXMLElement = myMatchData.Element
If IsEmpty(myMatchingElements(0)) = False Then
ReDim Preserve myMatchingElements(UBound(myMatchingElements) + 1)
End If
Set myMatchingElements(UBound(myMatchingElements)) = myXMLElement
Set myMatchData = myRuleProcessor.FindNextMatch
Loop
mySimulateXPath = myMatchingElements
End Function

14

Track Changes

Chapter Update Status
CS6

Unchanged

Writers can track, show, hide, accept, and reject changes as a document moves through the writing and
editing process. All changes are recorded and visualized to make it easier to review a document.
This tutorial shows how to script the most common operations involving tracking changes.
We assume that you have already read Adobe InDesign Scripting Tutorial and know how to create, install,
and run a script. We also assume that you have some knowledge of working with text in InDesign and
understand basic typesetting terms.

Tracking Changes
This section shows how to navigate tracked changes, accept changes, and reject changes using scripting.
Whenever anyone adds, deletes, or moves text within an existing story, the change is marked in galley and
story views.

Navigating tracked changes
If the story contains a record of tracked changes, the user can navigate sequentially through tracked
changes. The following script show how to navigate the tracked changes (for the complete script, refer to
GetTrackchange).
The script below uses the nextItem method to navigate to the change following the insertion point:
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
//Story.trackChanges
If true, track changes is turned on.
If(myStory.TrackChanges=true ) Then
Set myChange = myStory.Changes.Item(1)
If(myStory.Changes.Count>1) Then
Set myChange0 = myStory.Changes.NextItem(myChange)
End If
End If

In the script below, we use the previousItem method to navigate to the change following the insertion
point:
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
If(myStory.TrackChanges=true ) Then
Set myChange = myStory.Changes.LastItem()
If(myStory.Changes.Count>1) Then
Set myChange0 = myStory.Changes.PreviousItem(myChange)
End If
End If

227

14: Track Changes

Tracking Changes

228

Accepting and reject tracked changes
When changes are made to a story, by you or others, the change-tracking feature enables you to review all
changes and decide whether to incorporate them into the story. You can accept and reject
changes—added, deleted, or moved text—made by any user.
In the following script, the change is accepted (for the complete script, refer to AcceptChange):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myChange = myStory.Changes.Item(1)
myChange.Accept

In the following script, the change is rejected (for the complete script, refer to RejectChange):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myChange = myStory.Changes.Item(1)
myChange.Reject

Information about tracked changes
Change information includes include date and time. The following script shows the information of a
tracked change (for the complete script, refer to GetChangeInfo):
Set myDocument = myInDesign.Documents.Item(1)
Set myStory = myDocument.Stories.Item(1)
Set myChange = myStory.Changes.Item(1)
With myChange
Rem idChangeTypes.idDeletedText (Read Only) Deleted text.
Rem idChangeTypes.idInsertedText (Read Only) Insert text.
Rem idChangeTypes.idMovedText (Read Only) Moved text.
myTypes = .ChangeType
Rem Characters A collection of Characters.
Set myCharacters = .Characters
Rem Character = myCharacters.Item(1);
myDate = .Date
Rem InsertionPoints A collection of insertion points.
Rem insertpoint = myInsertionPoints.Item(1);
Set myInsertionPoints = .InsertionPoints
Rem Lines (Read Only) A collection of lines.
Set myLines = .Lines
Rem Paragraphs (Read Only) A collection of paragraphs.
Set myParagraphs =.Paragraphs
Rem InsertionPoints A collection of insertion points.

14: Track Changes

Preferences for Tracking Changes

229

Rem myInsertpoint = myInsertionPoints.Item(0);
Set myStoryOffset = .StoryOffset
Rem TtextColumns (Read Only) A collection of text columns.
Set myTextColumns = .TextColumns
Rem TextStyleRanges (Read Only) A collection of text style ranges.
Set myTextStyleRanges = .TextStyleRanges
Rem TextVariableInstances (Read Only) A collection of text variable instances.
Set myTextVariableInstances = .TextVariableInstances
Rem Texts (Read Only) A collection of text objects.
Set myTexts = .Texts
Rem The user who made the change. Note: Valid only when track changes is true.
myUserName = .UserName
Rem Words A collection of words
Set myWords = .Words
End With

Preferences for Tracking Changes
Track-changes preferences are user settings for tracking changes. For example, you can define which
changes are tracked (adding, deleting, or moving text). You can specify the appearance of each type of
tracked change, and you can have changes identified with colored change bars in the margins. The
following script shows how to set and get these preferences (for the complete script, refer to
GetChangePreference):

Set myTrackChangesPreference = myInDesign.TrackChangesPreferences
With myTrackChangesPreference
Rem AddedBackgroundColorChoice As idChangeBackgroundColorChoices, The background color
option for added text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundColorChoices, Background color options for changed text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesChangePrefColor The background color for changed text is the
same as the track changes preferences background color. For information, see background
color for added text, background color for deleted text, or background color for moved
text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesGalleyBackgroundColor The background color for changed text
is the same as the galley background color.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesUserColor The background color for changed text is the same
as the color assigned to the current user.
myAddedBackgroundColorChoice = .AddedBackgroundColorChoice
.AddedBackgroundColorChoice =
idChangeBackgroundColorChoices.idChangeBackgroundUsesChangePrefColor
Rem idChangeTextColorChoices,Changed text color options.
Rem Property AddedTextColorChoice As idChangeTextColorChoices, The color option for
added text.
Rem idChangeUsesChangePrefColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the text
color defined in track changes preferences. For information, see text color for added
text, text color for deleted text, or text color for moved text.
Rem idChangeUsesGalleyTextColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the
galley text color.
myAddedTextColorChoice = .AddedTextColorChoice
.AddedTextColorChoice = idChangeTextColorChoices.idChangeUsesChangePrefColor
Rem BackgroundColorForAddedText,The background color for added text, specified as an
InCopy UI color. Note: Valid only when added background color choice is change
background uses change pref color. Type: Array of 3 Doubles (0 - 255) or
idInCopyUIColors enumerator
myBackgroundColorForAddedText = .BackgroundColorForAddedText
.BackgroundColorForAddedText = idUIColors.idGray

14: Track Changes

Preferences for Tracking Changes

230

Rem BackgroundColorForDeletedText, The background color for deleted text, specified as
an InCopy UI color. Note: Valid only when deleted background color choice is change
background uses change pref color
myBackgroundColorForDeletedText = .BackgroundColorForDeletedText
.BackgroundColorForDeletedText = idUIColors.idRed
Rem BackgroundColorForMovedText,The background color for moved text. Note: Valid only
when moved background color choice is change background uses change pref color
myBackgroundColorForMovedText = .BackgroundColorForMovedText
.BackgroundColorForMovedText = idUIColors.idPink
Rem ChangeBarColor, The change bar color, specified as an InCopy UI color.
myChangeBarColor = .ChangeBarColor
.ChangeBarColor = idUIColors.idCharcoal
Rem DeletedBackgroundColorChoice,The background color option for deleted text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesChangePrefColor The background color for changed text is the
same as the track changes preferences background color. For information, see background
color for added text, background color for deleted text, or background color for moved
text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesGalleyBackgroundColor The background color for changed text
is the same as the galley background color.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesUserColor The background color for changed text is the same
as the color assigned to the current user.
myDeletedBackgroundColorChoice = .DeletedBackgroundColorChoice
.DeletedBackgroundColorChoice =
idChangeBackgroundColorChoices.idChangeBackgroundUsesUserColor
Rem DeletedTextColorChoice, The color option for deleted text.
Rem idChangeUsesChangePrefColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the text
color defined in track changes preferences. For information, see text color for added
text, text color for deleted text, or text color for moved text.
Rem idChangeUsesGalleyTextColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the
galley text color.
myDeletedTextColorChoice = .DeletedTextColorChoice
.DeletedTextColorChoice = idChangeTextColorChoices.idChangeUsesChangePrefColor
Rem LocationForChangeBar,The change bar location.
Rem idChangebarLocations,Change bar location options.
Rem idLeftAlign, Change bars are in the left margin.
Rem idRightAlign, Change bars are in the right margin
myLocationForChangeBar = .LocationForChangeBar
.LocationForChangeBar = idChangebarLocations.idLeftAlign
Rem MarkingForAddedText, The marking that identifies added text.
Rem idChangeMarkings, Marking options for changed text.
Rem idOutline,
Outlines changed text.
Rem idNone, Does not mark changed text.
Rem idStrikethrough, Uses a strikethrough to mark changed text.
Rem idUnderlineSingle, Underlines changed text.
myMarkingForAddedText = .MarkingForAddedText
.MarkingForAddedText = idChangeMarkings.idStrikethrough
Rem MarkingForDeletedText, The marking that identifies deleted text.
Rem idChangeMarkings, Marking options for changed text.
Rem idOutline,
Outlines changed text.
Rem idNone, Does not mark changed text.
Rem idStrikethrough, Uses a strikethrough to mark changed text.
Rem idUnderlineSingle, Underlines changed text.
myMarkingForDeletedText = .MarkingForDeletedText
.MarkingForDeletedText = idChangeMarkings.idUnderlineSingle
Rem MarkingForMovedText, The marking that identifies moved text.
Rem idChangeMarkings, Marking options for changed text.
Rem idOutline,
Outlines changed text.
Rem idNone, Does not mark changed text.
Rem idStrikethrough, Uses a strikethrough to mark changed text.
Rem idUnderlineSingle, Underlines changed text.

14: Track Changes

Preferences for Tracking Changes

231

myMarkingForMovedText = .MarkingForMovedText
.MarkingForMovedText = idChangeMarkings.idOutline
Rem MovedBackgroundColorChoice,The background color option for moved text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesChangePrefColor The background color for changed text is the
same as the track changes preferences background color. For information, see background
color for added text, background color for deleted text, or background color for moved
text.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesGalleyBackgroundColor The background color for changed text
is the same as the galley background color.
Rem idChangeBackgroundUsesUserColor The background color for changed text is the same
as the color assigned to the current user.
myMovedBackgroundColorChoice = .MovedBackgroundColorChoice
.MovedBackgroundColorChoice =
idChangeBackgroundColorChoices.idChangeBackgroundUsesChangePrefColor
Rem MovedTextColorChoice, The color option for moved text.
Rem idChangeUsesChangePrefColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the text
color defined in track changes preferences. For information, see text color for added
text, text color for deleted text, or text color for moved text.
Rem idChangeUsesGalleyTextColor,The text color for changed text is the same as the
galley text color.
myMovedTextColorChoice = .MovedTextColorChoice
.MovedTextColorChoice = idChangeTextColorChoices.idChangeUsesChangePrefColor
Rem if true, displays added text.
myShowAddedText = .ShowAddedText
.ShowAddedText = true
Rem If true, displays change bars.
myShowChangeBars = .ShowChangeBars
.ShowChangeBars = true
Rem ShowDeletedText, If true, displays deleted text.
myShowDeletedText = .ShowDeletedText
.ShowDeletedText = true
Rem ShowMovedText,If true, displays moved text.
myShowMovedText = .ShowMovedText
.ShowMovedText = true
Rem SpellCheckDeletedText, If true, includes deleted text when using the Spell Check
command.
mySpellCheckDeletedText = .SpellCheckDeletedText
.SpellCheckDeletedText = true
Rem TextColorForAddedText, The color for added text, specified as an InCopy UI color.
Note: Valid only when added text color choice is change uses change pref color.
myTextColorForAddedText = .TextColorForAddedText
.TextColorForAddedText = idUIColors.idBlue
Rem TextColorForDeletedText,The color for deleted text.
myTextColorForDeletedText = .TextColorForDeletedText
.TextColorForDeletedText = idUIColors.idYellow
Rem TextColorForMovedText,The color for moved text.
myTextColorForMovedText = .TextColorForMovedText
.TextColorForMovedText = idUIColors.idGreen
End With



---

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Modify Date                     : 2012:02:21 19:09:08-08:00
Create Date                     : 2012:02:21 19:01:28Z
Metadata Date                   : 2012:02:21 19:09:08-08:00
Copyright                       : Adobe Systems Incorporated, 2012
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Title                           : Adobe InDesign CS6 VBScript Scripting Guide
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