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M.Hasanin
M.Hasanin
Inspiring
May 14, 2022
Answered

Applying Object Style to Anchored Tables not Working in javaScript

  • May 14, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 2250 views

Dear Experts,

Im trying to add object style to anchored tables but the script not working, also no errors?!, maybe i forget something, please help, here is the script , and thanks in advance :

//Loop through inline Tables and Apply Object Style to it
var objstyle = ["Tableme"];
var allPars = app.documents[0].stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().getElements();
var ostyleCol = app.activeDocument.objectStyles;
var allAnchs, i, a;

for (i = 0; i < allPars.length; i++) {
    allAnchs = allPars[i].pageItems;
    for (a = 0; a < allAnchs.length; a++) { 
        try { allAnchs[a].applyObjectStyle(ostyleCol.itemByName(objstyle[a])); }
        catch(e) { }
    }
}

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Laubender

Hi @Laubender ,Thanks for your reply, here is my try, i succeded in first part as you guide me, script tooks all document story tables and put them in new frame but i didnt figure how to Anchor them! , please help and thanks in advance 

//Convert All Story Tables to Anchored Tables
var myDoc = app.documents[0];
var allTablesStory = myDoc.stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().getElements()

function ConvertTables(){
    //Add New Frame
    var newTextFrame = myDoc.textFrames.add({geometricBounds:[0,0,100,100]});
    //Loop in TextFrame Story Tables
    for(i=0;i<allTablesStory.length;i++){
        allTablesStory[i].storyOffset.parentStory.characters[allTablesStory[i].storyOffset.index].move
        (
        LocationOptions.BEFORE , newTextFrame.insertionPoints[0]
        );
    }
}

//Undo mode Entire Script
app.doScript(ConvertTables, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Convert Story Tables to Anchored Tables");

 and just wondering? does making new frame is a must? i mean i cant convert them in their normal position in the original frame? and thanks you again


Hi M.Hasanain,

there is no "conversion" process. A table is a table. Reperesented by a single character in a story.

Every text, also every single character, must be part of a story and this story requires a text container ( tables do not render on text paths, only in text frames ) . So in case of a table it could be a story with only one character in a single text frame; nothing else. That text frame could be anchored or not. The table is not anchored. The text frame is.

 

To anchor an unanchored text frame you need to know the insertion point where the text frame should be anchored. If that is given and the insertion point is stored into a variable, anchoring works like this:

myNewTextFrame.anchoredObjectSettings.insertAnchoredObject
(
myTargetInsertionPoint ,
AnchorPosition.ANCHORED
);

Well, this might look strange at first glance ( on second one as well! ) that the method is not with an insertion point, but with the object you want to anchor; but that's the way it was contructed by the developers of InDesign in InDesign version 7.5 and also above.

 

Note: The second argument of the method, the anchor position, could be one of three options:

 

AnchorPosition.INLINE_POSITION
AnchorPosition.ABOVE_LINE
AnchorPosition.ANCHORED

 

Details:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#AnchorPosition.html

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

4 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 15, 2022

Hi @M.Hasanin , This should apply a table style named MyTableStyle to all of the tables in the document

 

 

//get the table style by name
var ts = app.activeDocument.tableStyles.itemByName("MyTableStyle")
//apply it to all of the doc tables
var allPars = app.documents[0].stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().appliedTableStyle = ts;

 

 

If you want to only apply the style to tables inside of anchored texts then maybe something like this?:

 

 

//get the table style by name
var ts = app.activeDocument.tableStyles.itemByName("MyTableStyle")
var allPars = app.documents[0].stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().getElements()


for (var i = 0; i < allPars.length; i++){
    if (allPars[i].parent.parent.constructor.name == "Character") {
        allPars[i].appliedTableStyle = ts
    } 
};

 

 

    M.Hasanin
    M.HasaninAuthor
    Inspiring
    May 15, 2022

    Thanks @rob day 

    This is great and simple solutions for table styles, but what about Object Styles for Anchored Tables TextFrames 

    Mohammad Hasanin
    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 15, 2022

    Sorry, missed that. A table doesn’t have an appliedObjectStyle property, so I assuming you wsnt to style its container text frame? Like this:

     

    //get the object style by name
var os = app.activeDocument.objectStyles.itemByName("MyObjectStyle")
var et = app.documents[0].stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().getElements()


for (var i = 0; i < et.length; i++){
    if (et[i].parent.parent.constructor.name == "Character") {
        //the table’s parent text frame
        et[i].parent.appliedObjectStyle = os
    } 
};

     

     

     

    This would get the parentTextFrame of the story that the table and its container is anchored into:

     

    et[i].parent.parent.parentTextFrames[0].appliedObjectStyle = os

     

     

      L
      Community Expert
      LaubenderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 14, 2022

      "…trying to add object style to anchored tables"

       

      Hi M.Hasanain,

      I'm not sure what you really like to do.

      A table that is flowing in a story is not an anchored object.

      It's just a table.

       

      var allTablesFlowingInStory = myStory.tables.everyItem().getElements();

       

      You cannot apply object styles to tables.

       

      Well, do you like to apply table styles to the tables?

      Or do you want to apply object styles to text frames with tables?

       

      Regards,
      Uwe Laubender

      ( Adobe Community Professional )

        M.Hasanin
        M.HasaninAuthor
        Inspiring
        May 14, 2022

        Thanks @Laubender  for the clarifications, actually what i mean is Tables inside textframe, so the textframe is Anchored inside textframe

        Mohammad Hasanin
        brian_p_dts
        Community Expert
        brian_p_dtsCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        May 14, 2022

        You need to look in each cell of the table for pageitems, not just the table itself. 

          M.Hasanin
          M.HasaninAuthor
          Inspiring
          May 14, 2022

          Thanks @brian_p_dts , i tried for cells , but the same not worked and no errors :

          var allPars = app.documents[0].stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().cells.everyItem().getElements(); //All Cells

           

          Mohammad Hasanin
          brian_p_dts
          Community Expert
          brian_p_dtsCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 14, 2022

          What does your catch statement tell you? You are apply an objectStyle[a] when you are looping through your anchored objects. And you have brackets around your object style name. 

          Simplified: 

          //Loop through inline Tables and Apply Object Style to it
var d = app.activeDocument;
var allPars = d.stories.everyItem().tables.everyItem().cells.everyItem().getElements();
var ostyle = d.objectStyles.itemByName("Tableme");
var allAnchs, i, a;

for (i = 0; i < allPars.length; i++) {
    allAnchs = allPars[i].pageItems;
    for (a = 0; a < allAnchs.length; a++) { 
        try { allAnchs[a].applyObjectStyle(ostyle); }
        catch(e) { }
    }
}

           

          Eric Dumas
          Community Expert
          Eric DumasCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 14, 2022

          That is a really interesting approach.

          Can you explain why do you choose a scripting approach?

          M.Hasanin
          M.HasaninAuthor
          Inspiring
          May 14, 2022

          Thanks, Because i have about 200 pages with Anchored Tables inside Text Frames and it will take a lot of time if i work manually to select each table

          Mohammad Hasanin
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