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Tom Tomasko
Known Participant
May 21, 2010
Answered

How to limit a GREP search to selected text

  • May 21, 2010
  • 2 replies
  • 2730 views

Hello,

I have a GREP  script that searches for gaps in a series of end note numbers. This aids a proofreader in quickly finding out if a number has been inadvertently left out.

However, in any one document the series of numbers may repeat themselves because the document contains more than one chapter.

So I figure I could write the script to search a series of numbers in only the selected text, say a whole chapter. But, in looking at the properties for findGrepPreferences I do not see any that limit a search to a selection. The GREP dialog box however does allow for a search of All Documents, Document, Story, To End of Story and Selection.

Where can I find those properties?

Tom

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Harbs.

Harbs,

You questioned why I use app.select(). It is the only thing that has partially worked so far,but only for one page. If I try to select more than two pages I get an error saying that the spread cannot be determined.

Trying your latest solution, the one that avoids itemByRange, I get a familiar error as well: "theRange.findGrep() is not a function."

var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var firstPage = 2;
var lastPage = 4;
var myRange = [];
for(var i=firstPage;i<lastPage;i++){
    myRange = myRange.concat(myDoc.pages.item(i).textFrames.everyItem().getElements());
}
var someNumbers = theGrepFinder("\\d{1,3}",myRange);

function theGrepFinder(grepFindIt,theRange){
    app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
    app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = grepFindIt;
    var arrGrepFindIt = theRange.findGrep();
    return arrGrepFindIt;
}//end theGrepFinder


You need to loop through theRange:

finds=[];
for(i=0;i<theRange.length;i++){
  finds = finds.concat(theRange.findGrep());
}

I'll just write the whole thing out...

This should work (untested):

var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var firstPage = 2;
var lastPage = 4;
var myRange = [];
for(var i=firstPage;i<lastPage;i++){
    myRange = myRange.concat(myDoc.pages.item(i).textFrames.everyItem().getElements());
}
var someNumbers = theGrepFinder("\\d{1,3}",myRange);
function theGrepFinder(grepFindIt,theRange){
    app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
    app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
    app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = grepFindIt;
    var retVal=[];
    for(var i=0;i<theRange.length;i++){
        retVal =retVal .concat(theRange.findGrep());
    }    
return retVal;
}//end theGrepFinder

Harbs

2 replies

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Peter KahrelCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 21, 2010

>in looking at the properties for findGrepPreferences I do not see any  that limit a search to a selection

app.selection[0].findGrep();

In a script you have many more possibilities for the search scope than you have in the interface:

myWord.findGrep ();

myParagraph.findGrep();

etc. etc.

You could probably also search sections, though I've never tried that.

Peter

Jongware
Community Expert
JongwareCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 21, 2010

(Sort of tested in CS4

  • ) If your chapters always begin with the same paragraph style, you could search for that style first. That will give you a list of "chapter starts". Then, you can use itemByRange to create a range from the start of one chapter to the start of the next one, and search in that range only.

    The only chapter where it won't work is the last one -- you'll have to 'manually' create a range from the start of that chapter to the end of the story.

  • I did the paragraph style searching, and then created a range using

    myRange = chapterlist.parent.characters.itemByRange (chapterlist.characters[0].index, chapterlist[i+1].characters[0].index);

    templist = myRange.findText();

    -- but no matter how I tried, the length of 'templist' was always 1 (even though the item I was searching for occurred multiple times in each chapter). Weird, but when I changed findText to changeText, it still changed all occurrences per chapter.
    You'll have to try and see if you can get it to work ...

    • T
    Tom TomaskoAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 23, 2010

    Peter and Jongware,

    Thanks for the advice. I do not think I could use the trick that Jongware suggests because it implies that end note numbers would start over for each chapter. But a book could be in sections, each section comprising several chapters. Or, more likely, somebody forgot to use an object style for opening a chapter.

    So what I need is a way for a user to select the content they wish to investigate. Using the app.selection[0].findGrep() does that trick.

    However, what would be even better is that the user does not have to select text (things can go wrong in the flick of a wrist!) but instead select start and ending pages from a drop down menu in a dialog.

    But I've run into a problem that I cannot figure out. Below is the code:

    var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
    var firstPage = myDoc.pages[0];
    var lastPage = myDoc.pages[15];
    var myRange = myDoc.pages.itemByRange(firstPage,lastPage).textFrames.everyItem().texts.everyItem();
    //array below is all one to three digit words.
    var someNumbers1 = theGrepFinder(myDoc,"\\d{1,3}");
    //var someNumbers2 = theGrepFinder(myDoc,"\\d{1,3}",myRange);

    function theGrepFinder(docRef,grepFindIt,theRange){
        app.findGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
        app.changeGrepPreferences = NothingEnum.NOTHING;
        app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = grepFindIt;
        var arrGrepFindIt = app.selection[0].findGrep();//use with someNumbers1
        //var arrGrepFindIt = theRange.findGrep();//use with someNumbers2
        return arrGrepFindIt;
    }//end theGrepFinder

    There are two alternate vars here. The first (someNumbers1) calls up the function when text for the first 16 pages is selected. This works fine.

    The second (someNumbers2) calls up the function when a range of pages is defined, again pages 1-16, But I get a different kind of array when I do this. It will make me have to dive deep into the array for the Position property. As I also have to filter all the found numbers for only those that are superscripted, then sort them numerically, then find duplicate and missing numbers, I'd rather not mess with all the neat code I have written that already does this.

    I'll post two pictures of the data browser window for the arrays I get for someNumbers1 and someNumbers2. I know you two experts will see right away what I am talking about. What I'd like is that someNumbers2 looks like someNumbers1.

    Thanks,

    Tom

    T
    Tom TomaskoAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 21, 2010

    Forgot. I am using CS3.


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