Run a script on selected Item

Question

I have written a script which converts some letters. The script itself works fine. But when I added code to run on the selected matter only, the scritpt is giving error "sel.changeGrep is not a function". If I do not select anything the script should run on whole document. If I select and run the script, it should run on selection only. What am I doing wrong? Here is the code:function main() {
    
	var sel= app.selection;
	urdu2Arabic(sel);
}

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Urdu to Arabic');

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{6be}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{647}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{6a9}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{643}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{6cc}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{64a}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{627}\x{654}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{623}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{627}\x{655}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{625}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{6CC}\x{654}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{626}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{64A}\x{654}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{626}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

// app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	// app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\x{648}\x{654}";
	// app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\x{624}";
	// app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
	
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
} I have commented some parts of the script for testing purpose only. Thanks.

Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted Answer

Also, doesn’t seem like you need the extra function? This simplifies and tests for a text selection as @brian_p_dts suggested:

app.doScript(urdu2Arabic, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Urdu to Arabic');

function urdu2Arabic() {
	var sel= app.selection;
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\\x{6c1}";
	app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\\x{647}";
	if(sel.length == 1 && sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep")){
        sel[0].changeGrep();	
	}
	else{
		app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
	}
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\\x{6c3}";
	app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\\x{629}";
	if(sel.length == 1 && sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep")){
        sel[0].changeGrep();
	}
	else{
		app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
	}
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
}

@Bedazzled532

You can optimise your code a bit - instead of checking what is selected after setting GREP options every time:

if (sel.length == 1 && sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep"))
{
   sel[0].changeGrep();
}
else
{	 
   app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
}

You could set it once - at the start - and pass as an argument:

if (sel.length == 1 && sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep"))
{
   WhatToProcess = sel[0];
}
else
{	 
   WhatToProcess = app.activeDocument;
}

So your code would look like this:

function main() {
	var sel= app.selection;
	var WhatToProcess = '';
	if (sel.length == 1 && sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep"))
	{
	   WhatToProcess = sel[0];
	}
	else
	{	 
	   WhatToProcess = app.activeDocument;
	}
	urdu2Arabic(WhatToProcess);
}

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Urdu to Arabic');


function urdu2Arabic(WhatToProcess) {	
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\\x{6c1}";
	app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\\x{647}";
	try{
		WhatToProcess.changeGrep();
	}catch(e){exit();}
	
	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\\x{6c3}";
	app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\\x{629}";
	try{
		WhatToProcess.changeGrep();
	}catch(e){exit();}

	app.findGrepPreferences=app.changeGrepPreferences=null;
	app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat="\\x{6be}";
	app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "\\x{647}";
	try{
		WhatToProcess.changeGrep();
	}catch(e){exit();}

//.....
}

brian_p_dts · Answer

Selection is an array. So you need sel[0]. You can also gracefully exit with a try/catch, or checking if !sel[0].hasOwnProperty("changeGrep"). You'd probably also want to check sel.lengh, constructor types, etc.

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