select every Variable Text Frame and turn it to static

I created a script very similar to what was suggested here butI wrapped mine in a doScript so that there aren't hundreds of Undos in a document. This only expands the variables to text.

function idExpandTextVar(txtVar) {
  function main(txtVar) {
    aInt = app.activeDocument.textVariables.item(txtVar).associatedInstances;
    lng = aInt.length;
    for (i = 0; i < lng; i++) {
      aInt[i].convertToText();
    }
  }
  //Put the do script in here so it always has 1 undo
  app.doScript("main('" + txtVar + "')", ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, txtVar + " Expanded")
}
idExpandTextVar('Live Metadata Caption: Name');

Hello Colin and Laubender,

Thank you both...

I have tried to get both to work, but have been unsuccessful.

I tried taking both of your options, placing the code into a text edit program, removing the line numbers, and saving as a .jsx file.

I put it in the samples area in InDesign to access and run, but I get errors.

I also went to the InDesign Secrets page to look at the snippet, but my problem is I don't know enough about what the snippet needs to be wrapped inside of to work.

I am not much of a code person, a little AppleScript and HTML5 here and there, but very unfamiliar with Javascript, so I am sure I am missing probably obvious code to get it to run.

I thank you anyway for your time!!
I may just have to convert these by hand for now...but I will keep trying.

Best,

Babs

Hi Babs,

you are ( nearly ) on the right track 🙂

Wheras Colin's script will perhaps convert too much text variable instances.

The problem is how to identify the text variable you are looking for. It's perhaps not what you think, it might be not named "Image Name".

It could be something else, because I assume that you did dynamic captions with the names of the placed images, right?!

With my German InDesign this would be "Dynamische Metadatenbeschriftung: Name"

With your English version perhaps something like "Dynamic Metadata Captioning: Name".

But whatever it is, whatever it's name is in a different localized version of InDesign, we could gather it, if you select one text variable instance before running the script below. Then it's easy to get the right one:

( function()
{
    // Some tests before doing anything.

    // Is a document open?
    if(app.documents.length == 0){ return };

    // Is something selected? And if yes is the number of selected items just one?
    if(app.selection.length != 1){ return };

    // Do you have text selected?
    if(!app.selection[0].hasOwnProperty("baselineShift")){ return };

    // Is there exactly one textVariableInstance in the selected text?
    if(app.selection[0].textVariableInstances.length != 1){ return };

    // Here we get the text variable out of the selected instance:

    var textVariable = app.selection[0].textVariableInstances[0].associatedTextVariable;

    // All instances as array:
    var instancesArray = textVariable.associatedInstances;
    var instancesArrayLength = instancesArray.length;

    // Loop the array and convert to text:
    for(var n=0;n<instancesArrayLength;n++)
    {
        instancesArray[n].convertToText();
    };
}() )

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

// EDITED the code, because moving this thread to the new InDesign forum damaged the code!

// Now it should work as expected.

Have you tried Tomaxxi's snippet from the indesignsecrets forum?

https://indesignsecrets.com/topic/script-to-convert-all-text-variables

try{
for(var i = 0; i < app.documents.length; i++){
app.activeDocument.stories.everyItem().textVariableInstances.everyItem().convertToText();}
}catch(e){alert("Something gone wrong!r" + e);};