call bridge from other app

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi all,

I developpe a script who need to call the terminal to execute a command line.

For that, is think i will call bridge from indesign and use the command app.system(shell_str);.

But i don't know how to get a bridge app from an indesign script?

sample:

#target indesign
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var array_all_links = doc.links;
for(var i = 0; i<array_all_links.length; i++){
    is_transparency (array_all_links);
}
function is_transparency(link_item) {
          var shellString = "mdfind -onlyin ";
          shellString += "'" + link_item.filePath + "/'";
          shellString += " 'kMDItemHasAlphaChannel == 1 ";
          shellString += " && (kMDItemFSName == *.tif || kMDItemFSName == *.psd || kMDItemFSName == *.png)' > ";
          shellString += "~/Desktop/StdOut.txt";
          //call bridge
          var targetApp = BridgeTalk.getSpecifier( "bridge", "1"); 
          var sh = targetApp.system( shellString );
          // error
          return( sh );
};

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi all,

I finally found a solution to call bridge and use a shell function…

But now I have this problem: the shell function always return 0 and I would like that the shell function return the shell result.

Has someone an idea how to read the result of a shell function in a script?

#target indesign
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var array_all_links = doc.links;
for(var i = 0; i<array_all_links.length; i++){
    is_transparent (array_all_links);
}
function is_transparent(link_item){
    var bt = new BridgeTalk;
          bt.target = "bridge";
    var myScript = "app.system(";
    myScript += shell_str(link_item);
    myScript += ");";
    alert(myScript);
    bt.body = myScript;
    // the var result containt always 0, it is the execution code report and I would have the result of this shell function
    var result = bt.send();
    alert(result);
}
 // this function is ok and return hasAlphaChannel: yes
function shell_str(link_item) {
          var shellString = "sips -g hasAlpha /Users/bastieneichenberger/Desktop/test.png";
          return shellString;
};

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi,

If it can be helpfull for someone the probem was the quote:

#target indesign
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var array_all_links = doc.links;
for(var i = 0; i<array_all_links.length; i++){
    is_transparent (array_all_links);
}
function is_transparent(link_item){
    var bt = new BridgeTalk;
          bt.target = "bridge";
    var shell_str = get_shell_str (link_item);
    var myScript = "app.system('"+ shell_str +"');";
    alert(myScript);
    bt.body = myScript;
    bt.send();
}
function get_shell_str(link_item) {
          var shellString = "sips -g hasAlpha /Users/bastieneichenberger/Desktop/test2.png > ~/Desktop/result.txt";
          // var shellString = "sips -g hasAlpha "+ link_item.filePath +" > ~/Desktop/result.txt";
          return shellString;
};

[Muppet_Mark-phjQ9l · Accepted solution]

You do NOT need BridgeTalk or Bridge the app to do this… Those examples you found call the system shell…

In Indesign you can have Applescript call do shell script this way will avoid opening Bridge if it is not already running…

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi,

Thanks your for your answer its nice from you.

I do something like this but i become an error.

I already tested my appleScript and he works.

var appleScript = "do shell script \"sips -g hasAlpha /Users/bastieneichenberger/Desktop/test2.png\" > ~/Desktop/result.txt";
var parameter = null;
app.doScript(appleScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage, parameter);

[Muppet_Mark-phjQ9l]

As I came from AppleScript background before moving to ExtendScript…

Im in the habit of single quoting in ESTK so it's less escaping when mixing the two.

Shell likes escaped or properly quoted strings so it can sometimes be a little tricky when passing back and forth.

The above snippet will write the result to the desktop… and you will need to read this you can actually set a variable to your AppleScript call and return the result directly to your ExtendScript.

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi,

Thanks for your help, it was a good idea:)

I will use simple quote for the next time but my all script use double so … I will change for the next one!

My code look like this and works:

#target indesign
function is_item_transparent(){
    var appleScript = "set result to do shell script \"sips -g hasAlpha /Users/bastieneichenberger/Desktop/test2.png\"";
    var result = app.doScript(appleScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage);
    alert(result);
}

But now I have an other problem with the path of the link that I become from indesign:

set result to do shell script "sips -g hasAlpha 'Macintosh HD/Users/bastieneichenberger/Desktop/Capture d’écran 2013-08-21 à 08.47.27.png'"

In fact the path contains "Macintosh HD" and the terminal said that it isn't a valid file path.

#target indesign
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var array_all_links = doc.links;
for(var i = 0; i<array_all_links.length; i++){
    alert(is_item_transparent (array_all_links) );
}
function is_item_transparent(link_item){
    // replace all : -> /
    // resolve problem path with Macintosh HD
    var appleScript = "set result to do shell script \"sips -g hasAlpha '"+  link_item.filePath +"'\"";
    alert(appleScript);
    var result = app.doScript(appleScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage);
    alert(result);
    var res = result.match("hasAlpha: yes");
    if(res != null){
        res = true;
    }
    else{
        res = false;
    }
    return res;
}

[bastieneichenberger]

Hi all,

If it can be helpfull for someone. This function return true if a link in indesign contains an alpha channel.

#target indesign
var doc = app.activeDocument;
var array_all_links = doc.links;
for(var i = 0; i<array_all_links.length; i++){
    alert(is_item_transparent (array_all_links) );
}
function is_item_transparent(link_item){
    // replace all : to /
    var file_path = replaceAll (":", "/", link_item.filePath);
    // remove Macintosh HD from path    
    file_path = file_path.replace("Macintosh HD", "");
    var appleScript = "set result to do shell script \"sips -g hasAlpha '"+  file_path +"'\"";
    var result = app.doScript(appleScript, ScriptLanguage.applescriptLanguage);
    var res = result.match("hasAlpha: yes");
    if(res != null){
        res = true;
    }
    else{
        res = false;
    }
    return res;
}
function replaceAll(find, replace, str) {
  return str.replace(new RegExp(find, 'g'), replace);
}