Frame maker 13 scripting question

[kamranb]

Hello,

I am using the following script to convert fm/mif files in a folder to PDF. The script fails in 2 places. I am using FM 13.

saveMultFilesTpPDF();

function saveMultFilesTpPDF() {

    var stop = false; 

    while( stop==false ) { 

        // Wait for 20.000 ms 

        //$.sleep(20000); 

        var fld = new Folder("c:/incoming"); 

        var filesInFld = fld.getFiles("*.fm"); 

        for(var f=0; f < filesInFld.length; f++) { 

            // process the individual file 

            $.writeln(filesInFld);

            saveDocToPdf (filesInFld, "High Quality Print"); 

        } 

        // Exit the  loop after 19:00 

        var time = new Date(); 

        if( time.getHours() > 19 ) stop = true; 

    }  

}

function saveDocToPdf (doc, jobOption) {    

    var params, returnParams, saveName, i; 

    // Set the PDF Job Option for the document.

        doc.PDFJobOption = jobOption; 

    // Replace the .fm extension with .pdf. 

  // Exceution fails on line below with "undefined is not an object"

    saveName = doc.Name.replace (/\.[^\.\\]+$/,".pdf"); 

    // Get the save parameters and set the file type to PDF> 

    params = GetSaveDefaultParams(); 

    returnParams = new PropVals(); 

    i = GetPropIndex (params, Constants.FS_FileType); 

    params.propVal.ival =Constants.FV_SaveFmtPdf; 

    // Call the document's Save method.   The script fails with

     // Exceution fails on line below with "is not a function"

    doc.Save(saveName, params, returnParams); 

}

[4everJang]

You are not opening the files at all. Your saveDocToPdf function is called with a File object, not an opened FrameMaker document.

[kamranb]

Thanks. Do you what function with what parameter should I use? OpenDoc?

Please note that the script fails at

saveName = doc.Name.replace (/\.[^\.\\]+$/,".pdf");

Before even reaching

doc.Save(saveName, params, returnParams);

[4everJang]

Your save action fails because you do not have the required Doc object.

A File object is not a Doc object. A file is just something on your disk. After FrameMaker has opened the file succesfully, it is a document object - with all its properties and methods. The Name property is one of those - that is the one that is marked as 'undefined' by your script.

Sesrch for GetOpenDefaultParams in the Scripting Guide. Similar to GetSaveDefaultParams.

[kamranb]

I did change the function to

function saveDocToPdf (doc, jobOption) {

    var params, returnParams, saveName, i, openName;

    openName = doc;

    // Get required parameters for the save function.

    params = GetSaveDefaultParams();

    returnParamsp = new PropVals();

    openparams = GetOpenDefaultParams();

    returnOpenParamsp = new PropVals();

    doc.Open(openName, openparams, returnOpenParamsp);

      .

      .

But it still fails upon calling Open , complaining that doc.Open is not a function.

[4everJang]

Open is not a function of the Doc object. It is a global function. The reason is that before calling Open( ) there is no Doc object.

Also, Open( ) is not a function you call INSIDE the Save function. You first call the Open function, then check if you have a valid Doc object, then use the Save function for that Doc object.

Always insert code to check if you objects exist, if they are valid etc. Scripting is 10% design and 90% avoiding errors that might occur. After calling Open( ) check if the returned object is valid. If it is, proceed to the next step.

[kamranb]

OK, Now I changed it to

doc = Open(fileName, openParams, openReturnParams);

But the doc

is shown as [objectInvalidObject], when I am executing the line above while debugging the script.

[frameexpert]

Right, because you haven't provided any open or return parameters. I don't want to be unkind, but you are kind of taking a lazy approach to your task. First of all, your post title is very general. What you are trying to learn is how to open a FrameMaker document with ExtendScript. You found out that the global method is Open. Now you have to find out how the Open method works. I would suggest that you do a little research on that; there should be some code on this forum that you can use. Opening FrameMaker documents with ExtendScript is a pretty common task. If you still have trouble, post a new thread that specifically asks about opening FrameMaker documents.

Also, you posted code that does more than one thing. A better approach is to break your overall task into smaller tasks and solve those first. It's evident that you know how to grab a bunch of FrameMaker files and loop through them. However, you don't know how to open a single FrameMaker file, so start with that. Then figure out how to save a single FrameMaker document to PDF. Once you are successful with the small tasks on single files, then you can put everything together in a single script.

[kamranb]

I was able to open and save the document as PDF. My issue is the path that was returned by "var fld = new Folder("c:/incoming");"

after execution of this line, fld gets the value "/c/incoming" that is not understood by Open function. I hard coded the path and file name and I was able to save the file as PDF. Thanks.

Now, I am trying to figure how to correct the file and path name from "/c/incoming/file.fm" to "c:/incoming/file.fm".

[frameexpert]

It is in the ExtendScript Toolkit documentation. When you have a File object, you need to pass this to the Open method: file.fsName.

[kamranb]

Now, my problem is not converting the document. With your help I was able to convert fm to PDF. I have a bunch of fm/mif documents in a folder. When I am using var fld = new Folder("c:/incoming");, it reads the folder as "/c/incoming", do you know of any script command to manipulate an string?

[frameexpert · Accepted solution]

I am not sure what you mean, but if you want the system version of the folder's path, you use fld.fsName.

[kamranb]

Thank you. Now my script is working and I can convert all .mif and .fm files in folder to PDF.

[kamranb]

Just one quick question, whenever I am trying to convert files with fm extention, the files should be opened in Framemaker,

otherwise,

doc = Open(fileName, openParams, openReturnParams);

returns invalid object to doc.

However for files with mif extension, there no need for the files to be opened in Framemaker.

How can I convert fm files without having them opened in Framemaker?

[4everJang]

You cannot. .fm files are stored in a binary format that is optimized for FrameMaker.