Is there a better way to write Acrobat JavaScript than using the built-in text box?

[KlausKi]

I feel it very hard to write Acrobat JavaScript in this tiny little application dialog coming with Adobe Acrobat.

Anyone has any experience with other, more elaborated, development tools for writing Acrobat JavaScript, like Visual Studio Code?

What IDE would you suggest?

[Nesa Nurani]

You can resize JavaScript editor window.

Notepad++ is good.

[JR Boulay]

I use Notepad++ (and BBedit on Mac).

I never use the Acrobat editor, I always copy-paste from Notepad++.

The problem with applications specialized in JavaScript (Adobe Brackets, Sublime Text…) is that they are specialized in JavaScript for the web and some "fixes" or auto-fills cause bugs because it doesn't really correspond to the one we use in PDF.

[KlausKi]

Ah, I see … Actually I was expecting something with IntelliSense, providing me with method and property suggestions, and inline explanations for parameters.

There is an Adobe Visual Studio Code language extension for PhotoShop Extend Script, supporting IntelliSense and even debugging. … I was hoping something similar was available for Adobe Acrobat.

[JR Boulay · Accepted solution]

"I was hoping something similar was available for Adobe Acrobat"

I only know this utility "Scriptease" developed by Bryan Guignard in 1999, it is a little dated but it works well:

https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/78ce0652-d30d-4b0c-5d81-287ef265a728

(The license states that: Anyone may freely distribute original copies of Scriptease)

[KlausKi]

Nice! Thank you!