I'm not the best scripter but finding bits and cobbling them together seems to be working for me so far. I was using InDesign 2023 (moved to 2024/2025), but as newer files started coming in I had to install 2025 as well.   Opening a newer file in 2023 triggers the online conversion, but it regularly gets stuck at 33%, so I ended up having to open the file directly in 2025 (and soon, probably 2026). It worked, but it was a bit cumbersome.   So I cobbled together a small script that I now run from InDesign 2023. It asks for the file location, launches 2025, saves an IDML in the same folder, and that’s it — no fuss.   I did try to: automatically close 2025 afterwards (gave up on that), and open the resulting IDML automatically (I’ve associated IDMLs with 2023 at OS level), but I couldn’t get that working either.   Still, with a bit of BridgeTalk experimentation and some trial-and-error, this is where I landed, and I’m about 99% happy with it.   First things first: Run this small script in the version of InDesign you want to target for the conversion: alert(BridgeTalk.appSpecifier); It should return something like   Then in the script below - you can insert the version in the bt-target "bt.target = "indesign-20.064"; // Confirmed target for 2025" // Ask for a file var f = File.openDialog("Select InDesign file to convert to IDML"); if (!f) exit(); // Determine output IDML path var output = f.fsName.replace(/\.indd$/i, ".idml"); // BridgeTalk message to InDesign 2025 var bt = new BridgeTalk(); bt.target = "indesign-20.064"; // Confirmed target for 2025 bt.body = "\ (function(){ \ app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel = UserInteractionLevels.NEVER_INTERACT; \ var f = File(\"" + f.fsName + "\"); \ var doc = app.open(f); \ doc.exportFile(ExportFormat.INDESIGN_MARKUP, File(\"" + output + "\")); \ doc.close(SaveOptions.NO); \ })();"; // When 2025 reports back, open the new IDML here in 2023 bt.onResult = function(res){ var idml = File(output); if (idml.exists) { app.open(idml); alert("Done. IDML opened in 2023."); } else { alert("IDML was not found. Something went odd."); } }; bt.onError = function(err){ alert("Error: " + err.body); }; bt.send(); P.s. I need to be in 2023 for a specific reason, so need to convert newer files back, but will be moving up versions soon. ... View more

I started working on this script some time ago and it's since fallen to the wayside - I'm not using it. But I was tinkering around some unused and unfinished script projects    I've taken it as far as I can go in terms of a learning curve for me - if anyone wants it or wants to tinker with it and make it better feel free. All it was meant to do is give a starting point to a GREP search for people not familiar with GREP to give them a leg up on the starting point of the GREP.  But I feel it could be more robust.   #target indesign (function () { if (app.documents.length === 0) { alert("No document open."); return; } if (app.selection.length === 0 || !app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("contents")) { alert("Please select some text."); return; } var txt = app.selection[0].contents; var grep = ""; var i = 0; function isDigit(c) { return /\d/.test(c); } function isLower(c) { return /[a-z]/.test(c); } function isUpper(c) { return /[A-Z]/.test(c); } function isLetter(c) { return /[A-Za-z]/.test(c); } function isSpace(c) { return /\s/.test(c); } while (i < txt.length) { var c = txt[i]; // DIGITS (collapse runs) if (isDigit(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && isDigit(txt[i])) i++; var count = i - start; grep += (count === 1) ? "\\d" : "\\d{" + count + "}"; continue; } // LOWERCASE LETTERS if (isLower(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && isLower(txt[i])) i++; var count = i - start; grep += (count === 1) ? "[a-z]" : "[a-z]{" + count + "}"; continue; } // UPPERCASE LETTERS if (isUpper(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && isUpper(txt[i])) i++; var count = i - start; grep += (count === 1) ? "[A-Z]" : "[A-Z]{" + count + "}"; continue; } // SPACES if (isSpace(c)) { while (i < txt.length && isSpace(txt[i])) i++; grep += "\\s+"; continue; } // ESCAPED GREP METACHARACTERS if (/[\\.^$*+?()[\]{}|]/.test(c)) { grep += "\\" + c; i++; continue; } // EVERYTHING ELSE (commas, hyphens, slashes, etc.) grep += c; i++; } // Push to Find GREP app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing; app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = grep; alert("Generated GREP:\n\n" + grep); })();   This is another iteration of the same thing  #target indesign (function () { if (app.documents.length === 0) { alert("No document open."); return; } if (app.selection.length === 0 || !app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("contents")) { alert("Please select some text."); return; } var txt = app.selection[0].contents; var grep = ""; var i = 0; function isDigit(c) { return /\d/.test(c); } function isLower(c) { return /[a-z]/.test(c); } function isUpper(c) { return /[A-Z]/.test(c); } function isLetter(c) { return /[A-Za-z]/.test(c); } function isSpace(c) { return /\s/.test(c); } while (i < txt.length) { var c = txt[i]; /* ========================= NUMBERS (smart handling) ========================= */ if (isDigit(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && /[\d,.]/.test(txt[i])) i++; var token = txt.substring(start, i); // Comma-grouped number if (/^\d{1,3}(,\d{3})+$/.test(token)) { grep += "\\d{1,3}(,\\d{3})*"; continue; } // Decimal number if (/^\d+(\.\d+)?$/.test(token)) { grep += "\\d+(\\.\\d+)?"; continue; } // Plain digits grep += "\\d{" + token.replace(/\D/g, "").length + "}"; continue; } /* ========================= LETTERS ========================= */ if (isLower(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && isLower(txt[i])) i++; grep += "[a-z]{" + (i - start) + "}"; continue; } if (isUpper(c)) { var start = i; while (i < txt.length && isUpper(txt[i])) i++; grep += "[A-Z]{" + (i - start) + "}"; continue; } /* ========================= SPACES ========================= */ if (isSpace(c)) { while (i < txt.length && isSpace(txt[i])) i++; grep += "\\s+"; continue; } /* ========================= ESCAPED METACHARACTERS ========================= */ if (/[\\.^$*+?()[\]{}|]/.test(c)) { grep += "\\" + c; i++; continue; } /* ========================= EVERYTHING ELSE ========================= */ grep += c; i++; } app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.nothing; app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = grep; alert("Generated GREP:\n\n" + grep); })(); ... View more