How to change language in all paragraph styles all at once?

Hi @dtp_1544 ,

we recently discussed this topic in a similar thread.

Scripting with ExtendScript:

If you are after the string for a specific language and you need the "international" version, the one that should work in all localized versions of InDesign, one can get the important part of the string from selected text with the applied target language like that:

alert( app.selection[0].appliedLanguage.untranslatedName );

Simply add "$ID/" in front of the alerted string and you can use it with the script Robert @Robert at ID-Tasker  posted above.

All in all like that:

// Get the untranslated language name from selected text.
// Keep it in a form for all localized versions of InDesign:
var languageName = "$ID/" + app.selection[0].appliedLanguage.untranslatedName;

// Apply the found language to all paragraph styles.
// Also ones that are stored in paragraph style groups.

// With:
// var n = 1 the basic paragraph style is also affected.
// NOT SO with:
// var n = 2

for( var n = 1; n < app.activeDocument.allParagraphStyles.length; n++ )
{
	app.activeDocument.allParagraphStyles[n].appliedLanguage = languageName ;
};

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

Hi @dtp_1544 ,

just a remark on the value that you need for property appliedLanguage in Robert's script:

Best use a representation that will work in every localisation of InDesign, not only in the English one.

With Spanish in mind you can test this string:

"$ID/Spanish"

So with Robert's code it would be:

for (var a = app.activeDocument.allParagraphStyles.length - 1; a > 1; a--)
{
   app.activeDocument.allParagraphStyles[a].appliedLanguage = "$ID/Spanish";
}

 Just tested this with my German InDesign 2025.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

@dtp_1544 

for (var a = app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles.length - 1; a > 1; a--)
{
   app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles[a].appliedLanguage = "Polish";
}

https://creativepro.com/how-to-install-scripts-in-indesign/

You could change "a > 1;" to "a > 0;"- but this will also change the definition of "[Basic Paragraph]" Style.

The other option would be to export IDML file and edit it directly.

If all styles are children of a single parent styl, as it should be, change the language of that style.