How to save the text in an edittext field to a txt file and how to load text to an edittext field?

Report · Apr 15, 2019

Heey, my name is Bram Hoekstra. I'm from the Netherlands and I'm working on a script that allows you to take notes inside of After Effects without having to leave the program. I'm curious if it's possible to save the imput that you type in an edittext field to a text file. And if it's possible to load text from a text file into the edittext field.

Thx for helping in advance.

Greetings,

Bram Hoekstra

Report · Apr 16, 2019

Yes, this is totally possible. Read the text in the edittext, create a new File object, and then write it to it. When reading, create a new File object, read it, and then set the edittext value to the text you read. See examples below:

// Build Window
var resStr = 'palette{orientation:"column", alignChildren:["center", "top"], text: "Write", size:[380,110],\
            txt: EditText{text:"to write", alignment:["fill", "center"]},\
            }';
myWin.window = new Window(resStr);
myWin.window.show();
var myFile = new File('path/to/my/file');
// Get text
var myText = myWin.txt.text;
// Write File
myFile.open('w', undefined, undefined);
var writeResult = myFile.write(myText);
myFile.close();
// Read File
myFile.open('r', undefined, undefined);
var newText = myFile.read(myText);
myFile.close();
// Set text
myWin.txt.text = newText;

Report · Apr 16, 2019

How should I apply it to the following code?

(function(thisObj){

aen(thisObj);

function aen(thisObj){

var mainWindow = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "AE Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: true

});

var mainPanel = mainWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButton = noteButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Note");

noteButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

noteButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.show();

};

var infoButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var infoButton = infoButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Info");

infoButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

infoButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.show();

};

var noteWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = noteWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteFieldPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var mainNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined, "mainNotesHeadGroup");

mainNotesHeadGroup.orientation= "row";

mainNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var mainNotesHeadGroupName = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Main Notes:");

var saveButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

};

var loadButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

};

var mainNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined);

mainNotesField.preferredSize = [282.5,75];

var sideNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined);

sideNotesHeadGroup.orientation= "row";

sideNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var sideNotesHeadGroupName = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Side Notes:");

var saveButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

};

var loadButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

};

var sideNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined);

sideNotesField.preferredSize = [282.5,75];

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.hide();

};

var infoWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Info", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = infoWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepOneGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepOneGroup");

stepOneGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepOneName = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 1:");

var stepOneContent = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Note' button.");

var stepTwoGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepTwoGroup");

stepTwoGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepTwoName = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 2:");

var stepTwoContent = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Note everything down that you need to remember.");

var stepThreeGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepTwoGroup");

stepThreeGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepThreeName = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 3:");

var stepThreeContent = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Save' button.");

var stepFourGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepFourGroup");

stepFourGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepFourName = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 4:");

var stepFourContent = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Load' button.");

var scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var scriptDescriptionPOne = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "This script allows you to note information down that you need to remember without leaving the program.");

var scriptDescriptionPOne = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "You can save notes to a text file and load notes from a text file.");

var copyright = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "© B-films (VFX Department) 2019 - Bram Hoekstra(CEO)");

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.hide();

};

mainWindow.onResizing = mainWindow.onResize = function(){

this.layout.resize();

};

if(mainWindow instanceof Window){

mainWindow.center();

mainWindow.show();

};

else{

mainWindow.layout.layout(true);

mainWindow.layout.resize();

};

})(this);

Report · Apr 16, 2019

How your program works exactly is up to you. If you have a read button and a write button somewhere, I'd recommend attaching these functions to their .onClick() methods:

// set this variable to your file path
var myFile = new File('path/to/my/file');
// set this variable to your editText element
var myEditText = ______;
function writeText(){
    // Get text
    var myText = myEditText;
    // Write File
    myFile.open('w', undefined, undefined);
    var writeResult = myFile.write(myText);
    myFile.close();
}
function readText(){
    // Read File
    myFile.open('r', undefined, undefined);
    var newText = myFile.read(myText);
    myFile.close();
    // Set text
  myEditText = newText;
}

Report · Apr 16, 2019

I don't understand why, but it doesn't work for me. I get this error at the following line.

var newText = myFile.read(myText);

Can you explain why I get this error?

Report · Apr 16, 2019

My bad, I made a typo. Read returns the result, you don't pass it anything. Change that to

var newText = myFile.read();

Also, make sure you're setting the file path correctly. You can check with something like alert(myFile.exists).

Report · Apr 16, 2019

I don't get an error this time, but it also doesn't save or loads anything into the edittext field.

Do you know how to fix this?

Report · Apr 16, 2019

Did you set the edittext variable and a valid file path? Can you post the code you're using now?

Report · Apr 16, 2019

(function(thisObj){

aen(thisObj);

function aen(thisObj){

var mainWindow = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "AE Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: true

});

var mainPanel = mainWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButton = noteButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Note");

noteButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

noteButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.show();

};

var infoButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var infoButton = infoButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Info");

infoButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

infoButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.show();

};

var noteWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = noteWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteFieldPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var mainNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined, "mainNotesHeadGroup");

mainNotesHeadGroup.orientation= "row";

mainNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var mainNotesHeadGroupName = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Main Notes:");

var myFile = new File('C:\AE Note_DATA\DATA_MN.txt');

var myEditText = mainNotesField;

var saveButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

var myText = myEditText;

myFile.open('w', undefined, undefined);

var writeResult = myFile.write();

myFile.close();

};

var loadButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

myFile.open('r', undefined, undefined);

var newText = myFile.read();

myFile.close();

myEditText = newText;

};

var mainNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined);

mainNotesField.preferredSize = [300,100];

mainNotesField.alignment = "left";

var sideNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined);

sideNotesHeadGroup.orientation= "row";

sideNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var sideNotesHeadGroupName = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Side Notes:");

var myFile = new File('C:\AE Note_DATA\DATA_SN.txt');

var myEditText = sideNotesField;

var saveButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

var myText = myEditText;

myFile.open('w', undefined, undefined);

var writeResult = myFile.write();

myFile.close();

};

var loadButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

myFile.open('r', undefined, undefined);

var newText = myFile.read();

myFile.close();

myEditText = newText;

};

var sideNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined);

sideNotesField.preferredSize = [300,100];

sideNotesField.alignment = "left";

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.hide();

};

var infoWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Info", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = infoWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepOneGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepOneGroup");

stepOneGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepOneName = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 1:");

var stepOneContent = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Note' button.");

var stepTwoGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepTwoGroup");

stepTwoGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepTwoName = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 2:");

var stepTwoContent = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Note everything down that you need to remember.");

var stepThreeGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepTwoGroup");

stepThreeGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepThreeName = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 3:");

var stepThreeContent = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Save' button.");

var stepFourGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepFourGroup");

stepFourGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepFourName = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 4:");

var stepFourContent = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Load' button.");

var scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var scriptDescriptionPOne = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "This script allows you to note information down that you need to remember without leaving the program.");

var scriptDescriptionPOne = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "You can save notes to a text file and load notes from a text file.");

var copyright = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "© B-films (VFX Department) 2019 - Bram Hoekstra(CEO)");

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.hide();

};

mainWindow.onResizing = mainWindow.onResize = function(){

this.layout.resize();

};

if(mainWindow instanceof Window){

mainWindow.center();

mainWindow.show();

};

else{

mainWindow.layout.layout(true);

mainWindow.layout.resize();

};

})(this);

Report · Apr 16, 2019

Always use double backslashes in Javascript/ExtendScript to represent the single backslash for Windows paths, otherwise, it's interpreted as escaping characters:

var myFile = new File('C:\\AE Note_DATA\\DATA_MN.txt');

Also, you need to define mainNotesField before setting myEditText to it, or just do away with myEditText altogether and replace references with mainNotesField.

Report · Apr 17, 2019

It still doesn't work.

Report · Apr 17, 2019

It finally worked after trying over and over again. Thx!!!

Report · Apr 17, 2019

Glad to hear that! What was the fix?

Report · Apr 17, 2019

I will show you my code:

(function(thisObj){

aen(thisObj);

function aen(thisObj){

var mainWindow = (thisObj instanceof Panel) ? thisObj : new Window("palette", "AE Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: true

});

var mainPanel = mainWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var noteButton = noteButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Note");

noteButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

noteButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.show();

};

var infoButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var infoButton = infoButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Info");

infoButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

infoButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.show();

};

var noteWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Note", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = noteWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var noteFieldPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var mainNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined, "mainNotesHeadGroup");

mainNotesHeadGroup.orientation = "row";

mainNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var mainNotesName = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Main Notes:");

var dataMn = new File('~\\Documents\\AE Note_DATA\\AE Note_DATA_MN.txt');

var saveButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

var myText = mainNotesField.text;

dataMn.open('w', undefined, undefined);

var writeResult = dataMn.write(myText);

dataMn.close();

};

var loadButton = mainNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

dataMn.open('r', undefined, undefined);

var newText = dataMn.read();

dataMn.close();

mainNotesField.text = newText;

};

var mainNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined, '', {

multiline:true,

});

mainNotesField.preferredSize = [375,125];

mainNotesField.alignment = "left";

var sideNotesHeadGroup = noteFieldPanel.add("group", undefined, "sideNotesHeadGroup");

sideNotesHeadGroup.orientation = "row";

sideNotesHeadGroup.alignment = "left";

var sideNotesName = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Side Notes:");

var dataSn = new File('~\\Documents\\AE Note_DATA\\AE Note_DATA_SN.txt');

var saveButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Save");

saveButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

saveButton.onClick = function(){

var myText = sideNotesField.text;

dataSn.open('w', undefined, undefined);

var writeResult = dataSn.write(myText);

dataSn.close();

};

var loadButton = sideNotesHeadGroup.add("button", undefined, "Load");

loadButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

loadButton.onClick = function(){

dataSn.open('r', undefined, undefined);

var newText = dataSn.read();

dataSn.close();

sideNotesField.text = newText;

};

var sideNotesField = noteFieldPanel.add("edittext", undefined, '', {

multiline:true

});

sideNotesField.preferredSize = [375,125];

sideNotesField.alignment = "left";

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

noteWindow.hide();

};

var infoWindow = new Window("palette", "AE Note - Info", undefined, {

resizeable: false, closeButton: false

});

var mainPanel = infoWindow.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepsPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var stepOneGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepOneGroup");

stepOneGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepOneName = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 1:");

var stepOneContent = stepOneGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Note' button.");

var stepTwoGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepTwoGroup");

stepTwoGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepTwoName = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 2:");

var stepTwoContent = stepTwoGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Note all information that you need to remember.");

var stepThreeGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepThreeGroup");

stepThreeGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepThreeName = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 3:");

var stepThreeContent = stepThreeGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Save' button.");

var stepFourGroup = stepsPanel.add("group", undefined, "stepFourGroup");

stepFourGroup.alignment = "left";

var stepFourName = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Step 4:");

var stepFourContent = stepFourGroup.add("statictext", undefined, "Click the 'Load' button.");

var scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel = stepsScriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var scriptDescriptionPOne = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "This script allows you to note all information that you need to remember without having to leave the program.");

var copyright = scriptDescriptionAndCopyrightPanel.add("statictext", undefined, "© B-films (VFX Department) 2019 - Bram Hoekstra(CEO)");

var closeButtonPanel = mainPanel.add("panel", undefined);

var closeButton = closeButtonPanel.add("button", undefined, "Close");

closeButton.preferredSize = [100,25];

closeButton.onClick = function(){

infoWindow.hide();

};

mainWindow.onResizing = mainWindow.onResize = function(){

this.layout.resize();

};

if(mainWindow instanceof Window){

mainWindow.center();

mainWindow.show();

};

else{

mainWindow.layout.layout(true);

mainWindow.layout.resize();

};

})(this);

I'm not sure how to explain but it works!!!

How to save the text in an edittext field to a txt file and how to load text to an edittext field?

1 Correct answer