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Jonlin Creative
Jonlin Creative
Inspiring
August 10, 2023
Answered

How to find out what paragraph style is based on another style

  • August 10, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 1265 views

I do book typesetting and sometimes have to hand over the InDesign file to the client. Before doing so, I like to clean up the paragraph styles and make sure all unused styles are deleted.

 

In a current project, I've got a style that isn't used on any text (I've done a "Find Format" on the document and it doesn't turn up any results). However, it doesn't get selected when I "Select all unused" in the paragraph styles window. When I try to delete it, it asks what I want to replace it with. So I'm assuming that a different style is based on that (otherwise) unused style. I've got quite a few styles in the project, however, and was hoping to avoid the tedium of manually checking each one to see what other style is based on it.

 

It seems like there should be a simple way to find out what styles are based on another style, but if it exists, I haven't been able to find it. Am I overlooking something simple, or is there really no quick way to find this info?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Robert at ID-Tasker

    If you are working on a PC - you can use my free version of ID-Tasker:

    After you get through FAQ and register InDesign in the system - you just need to click STYLES, PARA then LOAD.

    Right now there is only some basic information - but soon there will be every property of the style available to sort and filter by.

     

    Here is something that should work on a Mac and PC:

    http://in-tools.com/article/scripts-blog/show-paragraph-based-on-script/

     

    2 replies

    M
    Community Expert
    Manan JoshiCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 11, 2023

    Hi @Jonlin Creative,

    You rightly guessed that there is no native way to get this information, so you will have to rely on 3rd party solutions, of which some great options are already given by @Robert at ID-Tasker. Another way you can access this information is from the Styles.xml file inside the IDML of the document

    -Manan

    -Manan
    James Gifford—NitroPress
    James Gifford—NitroPress
    Legend
    August 11, 2023

    ID really needs a coherent, comprehensive style management portal/panel/system. Things like the Paragraph Style Export settings menu are a sketchy model of what should be integral, along the lines of this inquiry and script-driven solutions.

      Robert at ID-Tasker
      Robert at ID-TaskerCorrect answer
      Legend
      August 10, 2023

      If you are working on a PC - you can use my free version of ID-Tasker:

      After you get through FAQ and register InDesign in the system - you just need to click STYLES, PARA then LOAD.

      Right now there is only some basic information - but soon there will be every property of the style available to sort and filter by.

       

      Here is something that should work on a Mac and PC:

      http://in-tools.com/article/scripts-blog/show-paragraph-based-on-script/

       

        Jonlin Creative
        Jonlin CreativeAuthor
        Inspiring
        August 11, 2023

        Thanks so much for those script recommendations! I tried the one from in-tools and it did just what I needed. That's going to be handy to have!

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