Filename scripting InDesign

Question

Hello everyone,

After reading every single post on the coummnity and everywhere in the internet, I can't find what I need to achieve my goal.

My problem is that we save files with very specific naming, which it gets used on the slug afterwards for production purposes.

I am trying to simplify this process and avoid errors as when typing manually.

Our format at present is as follows:

Client_Size_ClientNumber_ClientCategory

I would like to use the file data to fill information in the production data sheet but I am not certain on how to extract that data and utilise it a number of times accross the sheet.

My mind thinks to extract it as below:
Info1_Info2_Info3_Info4

And then in InDesign allocate this as a text variable so the info can be extracted as many times as required.

Hopefully I make sense on what I am talking about 🙂

Info boxes that I am referring to:

Manan Joshi · Accepted Answer

Thank you Manan, I think this could the best approach.

However, I have created Custom text as Variables for each (Show name, std number...) but I am getting an error on Line 4, see below:

Variables created as Custom text and applied accross the document:

Error from script:

Script used:

var infos = doc.name.replace(".indd", "").split("_");
app.documents[0].textVariables.itemByName("showName").variableOptions.contents = infos[0]
app.documents[0].textVariables.itemByName("standSize").variableOptions.contents = infos[1]
app.documents[0].textVariables.itemByName("stdNumber").variableOptions.contents = infos[2]
app.documents[0].textVariables.itemByName("exhName").variableOptions.contents = infos[3]

My apologies @IC2023, I picked some lines from the previous script but did not copy it fully. I have edited the code in my original post, please give it a try now.

-Manan

GNDGN · Answer

Instead of Info 1, Info 2 etc, I would put the wildcards in square brackets inside the template like this:

With the following code you achieve the described intention.

var infos = app.activeDocument.name.replace(".indd", "").split("_");

var varsToReplace = ["[client]", "[size]", "[clientNumber]", "[clientCategory]"];

var tfs = app.activeDocument.textFrames;

for(i=0; i<tfs.length; i++) {
	for(j=0; j<varsToReplace.length; j++) {
		if(tfs[i].contents.indexOf(varsToReplace[j]) > -1){
			tfs[i].contents = tfs[i].contents.replace(varsToReplace[j], infos[j]);
		}
	}
}

Running the script inside the above file with the name ClientXy_123_321_Publishing.indd, the result looks like this:

Sign up

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Sign in to Adobe Community

To post, reply, or follow discussions, please sign in with your Adobe ID.

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded