Is there a way to identify when a variable is next to text?

Hello Jaloren:

I've written a small extendscript function that fixes and automates the problem you are running into.

var doc = app.ActiveDoc
var variable = doc.FirstVarInDoc

while(variable.ObjectValid())
{
var tr1 = variable.TextRange; //text range of the variable

     /*text range for next possible char*/
    var tl1 = new TextLoc(tr1.end.obj, tr1.end.offset + 1);     
    var tl2 = new TextLoc(tr1.end.obj, tr1.end.offset + 2);     
    var tr2  = new TextRange (tl1, tl2)

     var textitems = doc.GetTextForRange (tr2, Constants.FTI_String);

     if (textitems.length > 0)
     {
          var str = textitems[0].sdata;
          if(str != " ") //if space then add text
          {
                doc.AddText (tr2.beg, " ");        
          }        
     }
     variable = variable.NextVarInDoc;
}

Hope this solution nails the problem statement perfectly. Let me know your feedback.

Hello Jaloren,

I have tried the following and it works, assuming you do not have all kinds of markers placed between the variable and the text that follows it. For such cases, you will have to refine the method.

1. I search for the variable using doc.Find. This results in a text range, consisting of two text locations.

2. From the end location of the variable, I search for the next space character.

3. If the start location of the space equals the end location of the variable, there is a space.

Note that this may not work if some kind of marker (including element boundaries, index markers, hidden text etc.) are located between the variable and the following text, as the markers all take up space and change the offset of the space that is found. In these cases, you will have to first retrieve the text without the markers into some text string - after which you can use the standard substring functionality to figure out if the space follows the variable.

A similar method can be used to find out about a preceding space, of course.

I hope this helps

Jang