Opening a Script in PS from Bridge

Hmmm, that's a new one for me. When would the Function constructor be useful?

I see how what you are describing is different than functions used as constructors for objects which is where I confused this thread.

--John

Function constructors let you define classes and do object oriented programming in JavaScript. I've been doing it quite a bit because, since my programming history is C++, it's the way the programming part of my brain thinks. It's pretty cool.

There is lots written about this on the web if you search for "Javascript classes methods". Here's one summary of it that also describes how you can create public, private and privileged methods for your class: http://phrogz.net/JS/Classes/OOPinJS.html.

--John

Anyone on a Mac - what is the default install URI of Program Files/Adobe/Photoshop CS2/

Andrew

John, thanks so much for that, you were pretty much right about the Menu thing too. I'm still finding my way around the Bridge Scripting reference, and I missed it though I did look for it.

Andrew

A few minutes later - ahh, that is useful but it doesn't solve the specific problem as none of those Folder references provides a cross platform way of getting to the Photoshop folder. Fortunately Bob's method does.

I think I might create a run-once-only script that sticks a dat file somewhere that remembers the Photoshop address for bridge.

In Bridge, look at the Folder object. It has the following class properties:

Folder.appData
Folder.commonFiles
Folder.current
Folder.myDocuments
Folder.startup

FYI, this is on page 138 of the Bridge Scripting Reference.

--John

Also, a warning - the new AppLauncher beastie hasn't been tested. It's a work in progress - use as your own risk!

Bob
Adobe WAS Scripting

Just to make sure - you're creating a script (in Bridge) from a PS script in PS' presets/scripts folder, that will eventually be sent to PS - correct?

Send 2 BT messages.

The first one gets the script path. Put the result of that into your script before you actually send it to PS.

You'll get the result in the onResult handler.

var bt = new BridgeTalk();
bt.target = "photoshop";
bt.body = "app.path;"
bt.onResult = continueOp; // function that continues the process

continueOp = function( msg ) {
var path = msg.body;
// do the rest
}

You have to be careful - there's a bug in BT that causes a queued message (waiting for an app to launch) to un-bind from it's onResult handler. The result is that if you launch PS with a BT message that expects an onResult handler to fire, it won't. Once PS is launched and ready, this isn't a problem.

There's a function - startTargetApplication( target );

that will start the target app and wait until it's ready. You can use that, but it locks bridge up until the target app is fully launched.

Another way is to use this new beastie I've been working on:

AppLauncher = {};
AppLauncher.array = new Array();
AppLauncher.processID = null;
AppLauncher.running = false;
AppLauncher.pause = false;
AppLauncher.id = 0;
AppLauncher.launchTimeout = 2 * 60 * 1000; // 2 minutes
AppLauncher.launchCycle = 3000; // launch and check launch status every 3 seconds
AppLauncher.purge = function() {
AppLauncher.array = new Array();
try {
app.cancelTask( AppLauncher.processId );
} catch ( e ) {
}
AppLauncher.running = false;
AppLauncher.pause = false;
}
AppLauncher.launch = function( target, callback, context ) {
if ( !BridgeTalk.isRunning( target ) ) {
var launcher = new AppLauncher.Launcher( target, callback, context );
AppLauncher.array.push( launcher );
if ( !AppLauncher.running ) {
AppLauncher.running = true;
AppLauncher.processId = app.scheduleTask( "AppLauncher._$launch();", AppLauncher.launchCycle, true );
}
} else {
if ( context ) {
callback.call( context, true, target );
} else {
callback( true, target );
}
}
}
AppLauncher._$launch = function() {
// $.writeln( "launching" );
if ( !AppLauncher.pause ) {
for ( var i = 0; i < AppLauncher.array.length; i++ ) {
AppLauncher.array[ i ].launch();
}
}
if ( AppLauncher.array.length == 0 ) {
if ( AppLauncher.processId != null ) {
app.cancelTask( AppLauncher.processId );
AppLauncher.running = false;
AppLauncher.pause = false;
}
}
}
AppLauncher.Launcher = function( target, callback, context ) {
this.id = AppLauncher.id++;
this.target = target;
this.callback = callback;
this.context = context;
this.calledback = false;
this.launched = false;
this.t1 = new Date();
}
AppLauncher.Launcher.prototype.timedOut = function() {
return ( ( new Date() - this.t1 ) > AppLauncher.launchTimeout );
}
AppLauncher.Launcher.prototype.resultHandler = function() {
if ( this.context ) {
this.callback.call( this.context, true, this.target );
} else {
this.callback( true, this.target );
}
}
AppLauncher.Launcher.prototype.kill = function() {
AppLauncher.pause = true;
var array = new Array();
for ( var i = 0; i < AppLauncher.array.length; i++ ) {
if ( AppLauncher.array[ i ].id != this.id ) {
array.push( AppLauncher.array[ i ] );
}
}
AppLauncher.array = array;
AppLauncher.pause = false;
}
AppLauncher.Launcher.prototype.launch = function() {
if ( this.timedOut() ) {
this.kill();
if ( this.context ) {
this.callback.call( this.context, false, this.target );
} else {
this.callback( false, this.target );
}
} else {
if ( !this.launched ) {
BridgeTalk.launch( this.target );
this.launched = true;
}
if ( BridgeTalk.isRunning( this.target ) && ( !this.calledback ) ) {
this.calledback = true;
if ( this.context ) {
this.callback.call( this.context, true, this.target );
} else {
this.callback( true, this.target );
}
this.kill();
}
}
}

The usage is:

AppLauncher.launch( target, onLaunchedHandler, context );

target is the target app
onLaunchedHandler is a callback to execute when the app has been lauched.

context - is a context object - used ONLY if your onLaunchedHandler is a method of an instance of an object. IF THAT IS THE CASE - include the object as the context. If it is NOT the case, leave as undefined.

onLaunchedHandler = function( success, target ) {
}

success - boolean -true if app launched and responded
target - target app that launched.

Example:

var ns = {};
ns.continue = function( success, target ) {
// make and execute script
}
AppLauncher.launch( "photoshop", ns.continue );

fred = fuction( target, script ) {
this.target = target;
this.script = script;
}
fred.prototype.continue = function( success, target ) {
// make and execute script
var bt = new BridgeTalk();
bt.target = this.target;
bt.body = this.message;
bt.send();
}
fred.prototype.send = function() {
AppLauncher.launch( this.target, this.continue, this ); // note the context object here because the onLaunchHandler is attached to an instance object

}

var f = new fred( "photoshop", "app.path;" );
f.send();

This on will not freeze bridge while waiting for launch.

Bob
Adobe WAS Scripting

Sorry to be so pesky - another question. I want to specify the target script to Bridge in a platform independent way - and the target script will be in the Photoshop/Presets/Scripts folder. Within PS I can use app.path which starts me off at Photoshop, but I just noticed that Bridge does not seem to have such an app property. Is there a way round this.

Andrew

I agree that it is a lot nicer than in-line. The bit I don't get is the:

+ remoteScript +

What is this remoteScript variable and what does it insert.

I guess I am not used to this constructor / variable way of defining and referring to functions - is it the equivalent of remoteScript().toSource().

I was going to ask you about this before, in my JS reference (1.5) it writes:

"Function objects created with the Function constructor are evaluated each time they are used. This is less efficient than declaring a function and calling it within your code, because declared functions are compiled."

As an aside, I ended up wrapping my skeleton script above in a string, and then using string.replace() to change the target script (for multiple menu items) BUT it seems something in ES does not like the "\n" (or '\n') so I cut it out. It is a possible bug in the scripts as string approach - you can see what I mean in my template script:

http://www.ps-scripts.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=186

(with the '\n' removed it works, with it included it does nothing).

Thanks again for your help

Andrew

Look at the context of the string "scp" and think about it in the context of what you're sending to PS.

When both lines are done, the value of scp should be:

remoteScript = function() {
//whatever the contents of remote script were
}
remoteScript();

Which in PS, defines a function and then executes it.

When we started, we were just "inlining" the generated scripts for execution in the target apps - this case is a PS script

var scp = "var inFile = eval( " + f.toSource() + " ); \n" +
"var outFile = eval( " + outputFile.toSource() + " ); \n" +
"var startDialogMode = app.displayDialogs; \n" +
"app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO; \n" +
"var doc = app.open( inFile ); \n" +
"doc.saveAs( outFile, opt, true, Extension.LOWERCASE ); \n" +
"doc.close( SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES ); \n" +
"app.displayDialogs = startDialogMode; \n";

If you want to see something really hard, look at ContactSheet_ID.jsx.

The way we're doing it now:

remoteScript = function() {
// some really cool scripty stuff
}

var scp = "remoteScript = " + remoteScript + "\n";
scp += "remoteScript();";

Is VASTLY easier than attempting to generate a script with everything inline.

Bob
Adobe WAS Scripting