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philippeb42842826
Participant
March 21, 2017
Answered

Script: "No such Element" error when looking for a specific paragraph

  • March 21, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 3782 views

Hello,

I've searched an answer to this everywhere, but in vain... My script looks for a specific paragraph in a textframe, based on its index in TextFrame.Paragraphs. So far so good, but in one of the files I ran my script on, it keeps blocking on a specific textframe when looking for the second paragraph in it.

I tried testing first that the index of the paragraph was within the TextFrame.Paragraphs.Count, but even so, it doesn't work : it confirms the textframe hold 2 paragraphs (TextFrame.Paragrephs.Count=2), but insists that TextFrame.Paragraphs(2) doesn't exist.

I twisted and turned my code around, trying to figure out why, in vain so far. And when looking at the textframe with the hidden characters shown, it shows clearly the two paragraphs, so I don't understand what happens here...

Here's a snippet of my code, where the error occurs:

paraNb = Cint(Para)

paraCnt = docTF.Paragraphs.Count

If paraNb > 1 Then

     If paraNb = paraCnt Then

          test = True

     End If

End If

Set docPar = docTF.Paragraphs(paraNb) 'This is where the error occurs

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer philippeb42842826

Once again, my bad, I should also have posted my answer here, and not only in my other post...

The problem was with variable types: I was casting my variable paraNb as an Integer, when Paragraphs() requires a Double.

As long as paraNb value was 1, it was still OK, but as soon as it got to 2, Illustrator couldn't take it as a Double, it was obviously an Integer.

The issue here should have been reported as wrong type, which would have pointed me in the right direction from the start, but Illustrator reported it as though Paragraphs(Int) is an unknown element (when Paragraphs(Dbl) isn't)...

Anyway, I corrected my cast in paraNb = CDbl(Para) and haven't had any issue with it ever since.

3 replies

Qwertyfly___
Qwertyfly___
Legend
March 27, 2017

thanks for posting back your results.

i work mainly with javascript, and i had not even thought about type of variable.

Qwertyfly___
Qwertyfly___
Legend
March 27, 2017

i would guess there is something about that text frame that has illy confused.

if you copy the text to a notepad app. then draw a new text frame and re copy and paste the text back in to illy does it still wig out on the same frame?

after that i would be trying to see if there is something strange in the formatting, special chars or something. maybe add a 3rd parragraph. and or remove the gap between 1 and 2 combining them into 1 parragraph. at each stage query the dom to see whats going on.

P
philippeb42842826AuthorCorrect answer
Participant
March 27, 2017

Once again, my bad, I should also have posted my answer here, and not only in my other post...

The problem was with variable types: I was casting my variable paraNb as an Integer, when Paragraphs() requires a Double.

As long as paraNb value was 1, it was still OK, but as soon as it got to 2, Illustrator couldn't take it as a Double, it was obviously an Integer.

The issue here should have been reported as wrong type, which would have pointed me in the right direction from the start, but Illustrator reported it as though Paragraphs(Int) is an unknown element (when Paragraphs(Dbl) isn't)...

Anyway, I corrected my cast in paraNb = CDbl(Para) and haven't had any issue with it ever since.

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Doug A RobertsCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 21, 2017

it's not something as simple as the index starting with 0, is it?

P
philippeb42842826Author
Participant
March 21, 2017

No, it works perfectly with the other textframes, that contains only 1 paragraph, and docTF.Paragraphs(paraNb) with paraNb=1 causes no error. On another file, where a textframe includes 8 paragraphs, there was no error either, that's why I don't understand why I get this error...

Doug A Roberts
Community Expert
Doug A RobertsCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 21, 2017

i'd suggest you take this over to the scripting board, in that case. i'll see if i can find a mod to move it.

Illustrator Scripting

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