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_K_Hemachandiran_
Known Participant
October 24, 2008
Question

How to create a Book in Indesign and add indesign documents to it?

  • October 24, 2008
  • 3 replies
  • 2804 views
Hi all,

Can I create a book in InDesign CS3 and add indesign documents to it using javascript.

Thanks,
Hemachandiran.
    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    M
    Martin Fischer
    Inspiring
    October 24, 2008
    Hi K.

    you may look for an object called textFrame in the DOM (e.g. in ESTK) and find out the methods of it. There you might find something called exportFile() and it's parameters.

    Martin
    _
    _K_Hemachandiran_Author
    Known Participant
    October 24, 2008
    Its really useful martin.

    Thanks.

    I have another doubt, can i export the text frame contents to an RTF format using cs3. (using javascript)
    M
    Martin Fischer
    Inspiring
    October 24, 2008
    Hi K.

    yes, you can.

    Takt a look at this pretty old piece of code: 


    // bookOfSelectedFolder.jsx

    //DESCRIPTION: Create a book and add indd-files of a choosen folder

    

    var myFolder = Folder.selectDialog( "Choose a folder" );

    if( myFolder != null ){

       // get indd-files of choosen folder

       var myFiles=myFolder.getFiles( "*.indd" );

       if ( myFiles.length > 0 ){

          var myBookFileName = myFolder + "/"+ myFolder.name + ".indb";

          myBookFile = new File( myBookFileName );

          try{

             //does the book file exist?

             myBook=app.open( myBookFile );

          }

          catch ( e ){

             //the book file doesn't exist, so make a new one           

             myBook=app.books.add( myBookFile );

             myBook.automaticPagination=false;

             for ( i=0; i < myFiles.length; i++ ){

                myBook.bookContents.add( myFiles );

             }

             myBook.save( );

          }

       }

    }


    Martin
      A
      Anonymous
      January 4, 2011

      Hi.

      This script was fantastic through CS3, but now in CS4, it crashes the application. When I use the debugger in the ESTK, it crashes around this line:

      myBook=app.open( myBookFile );

      Does anyone know what the difference is in CS3 and 4 that is causing the error? I'm still learning how to script and have not been able to figure it out myself.

      Thanks in advance.

      Kasyan Servetsky
      Kasyan Servetsky
      Legend
      January 10, 2011

      Here's my version of the script — now works in CS4 — may be it would come in handy to somebody:

      var myFolder = Folder.selectDialog( "Select a folder with InDesign files" );
      if ( myFolder != null ) {
           var myFiles = [];
           var myAllFilesList = myFolder.getFiles();

           for (var f = 0; f < myAllFilesList.length; f++) {
                var myFile = myAllFilesList;
                if (myFile instanceof File && myFile.name.match(/\.indd$/i)) {
                     myFiles.push(myFile);
                }
           }
           
           if ( myFiles.length > 0 ) {
                var myBookFileName = myFolder + "/"+ myFolder.name + ".indb";
                myBookFile = new File( myBookFileName );
                if ( myBookFile.exists ) {
                     if ( app.books.item(myFolder.displayName + ".indb") == null ) {
                          myBook = app.open( myBookFile );
                     }
                }
                else {
                      myBook = app.books.add( myBookFile );
                      myBook.automaticPagination = false;
                      for ( i=0; i < myFiles.length; i++ ) {
                          myBook.bookContents.add( myFiles );
                      }
                      myBook.save( );
                 }
           }
      }
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