Anything similar to javascript's setInterval in ExtendScript?

Just to clarify, you can do this with a simple CEP panel. I don't know of a way to accomplish it with only .JSX, I tried the methods above as a new member and was discouraged since I couldn't get them to reliably work and others above say it's not possible with "JS" though it is as long as you're using CEP and running a simple CSInterface.evalScript function via setInterval.

Apparently Adobe forums doesn't accept text copied from VSCode. When I try to use the standard syntax highlighting feature here, it breaks and just gives me this:

// In CEP while using a Vue CDN:

And on the JSX side, the function being called by the timer every 200ms:

Which inevitably returns data to the selectionRead function in the original timer. Note that it doesn't have to be the selection count here, you can use a timer to measure any property accessible via scripting in this way, so you can easily create your own custom event listeners via running rudimentary checks.

If you use $.sleep() in ExtendScript then it will block. If you want to create a feature like JavaScript setInterval then you will have to use onIdle event. It triggers on software IDLE time but it there is much more to it. You can check for system state in really short and long amounts of time. It will then return it to you and that is the interval.

Try the sample code:

 
function main() {
var myIdleTask = app.idleTasks.add({
name: “my_idle_task”,
sleep: 1000
});
var onIdleEventListener = myIdleTask.addEventListener(IdleEvent.ON_IDLE, onIdleEventHandler, false);
 
}
// SETINTERVAL DOSNT EXIST SO WE USE THE ONLY POSSIBLE WAY ONIDLE EVENT:
function onIdleEventHandler(myIdleEvent) {
var myTextFrames = app.activeDocument.pages.item(0).textFrames;
mimWinPnl.pgr.value +=1;
if(mimWinPnl.pgr.value > 99){ // progress bar value
//Delete idle task by setting its sleep time to zero.
myIdleEvent.parent.sleep = 0;
}
}

I hope it helps you !

Hi,

I needed setInterval functionality and emulated it with the following snippet using app.scheduleTask();

Please note that i programmed with Adobe After Effects as my target application.

Gtlym = new Object();

Gtlym.CALL = new Object();

Gtlym.guid = function() {

     var s4 = function() { return Math.floor((1 + Math.random()) * 0x10000).toString(16).substring(1); };

     return s4() + s4() + s4() + s4()  + s4()  + s4() + s4() + s4();

}

Gtlym.setInterval = function(func,millis){

     this.guid = Gtlym.guid();

     Gtlym.CALL["interval_"+this.guid] = func;

     app.scheduleTask('Gtlym.CALL["interval_'+this.guid+'"]();',millis,true);

}

//Example:

Gtlym.setInterval(function(){/*your code here*/},1000);

Cheers,

Matthias

gentlymad.org - Matthias Guntrum

I have often wondered the same thing and researched it pretty extensively but to no avail. I am still wondering if there is some hack approach using dates, loops or practically anything to make a home brewed interval timer. But it seems like no. Even using Date for checking pretty much ends up emulating $sleep() from my tests. Why Adobe omitted common timers and intervals from the internal JS is beyond me, setInterval and setTimeout would be so useful, likewise the lack of mouse events, both those would open up entire new worlds of possibilities.

Here is a thread in the InDesign forum speaking of "app.scheduleTask" using Bridge: app.scheduleTask(script, delay [, repeat])

http://forums.adobe.com/message/3706907#3706907

I tried the "app.scheduleTask" approach and never got it working in Illustrator however. <-- I hope someone proves otherwise and says it is possible in Illustrator, please let me know if you do. Otherwise I don't think there are any solutions via JS. Maybe a timer in Applescript or VBScript however running in the background and working with Illustrator externally would be an alternative.