How to enter Escript world

[D_DD]

Hello friends!

I face a strange hurdle at the entrance tothe Escript world:

- Running existing scripts out of FM (10 or 11) is possible via File > Scripts, select a script and Run it.

- Opening the ToolKit, opening the script and trying to run it (green triangle) , issues the message:

Canot execute script
Target Adobe Framker 10 (10.0) provides no engine for debugging.

I have cut this down to the most basic 'script':

Klicking on the red (broken) link button makes it gray - not green as it is when selecting ExtendScript Tookit CS6 from the drop down list.

When this is selected, the 'scipt' runs and displays the message box.

What is wrong with my connection between FM and the ESTK?

Klaus Daube - definetely new to the subject

[frameexpert]

Hi Klaus,

Try adding this line to the top of the script:

#target framemaker

and see what you get.

Rick

[D_DD]

Rick, this does not make a difference.

While FM-10 is open, selecting FM 10 from the drop down makes the link-icon intact, gray;

selecting FM 11 from the drop down makes the icon broken, red.

And selecting Extend Script CS6 (which is the tool kit) makes the icon intact, green and the script can be executed (if I remove the target directive).

Maybe my installation of FM is the source of the problem:

There are some versions of FM on my Win-7 system, including 9, 10 and 11. They all work fine except for this ESTK problem.

And there are as a result 2 versions of the toolkit:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Utilities - CS5\ExtendScript Toolkit CS5\ExtendScript Toolkit.exe"

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Utilities - CS6\ExtendScript Toolkit CS6\ExtendScript Toolkit.exe"

I'm reluctant to re-install FM-10 (although it takes only 30 mins including the update) - it was re-installed just a onth ago fue to that nasty license problem...

[frameexpert]

Hi Klaus, Try running the CS5 version of the Toolkit and see if that will connect with FrameMaker 10. Don't launch it through FrameMaker, but launch it as a standalone program.

[D_DD]

Hi Rick, also this was not successful:

• Open the CS5 STK (3.5.0.52) and opening the script (with target FM, the simple alert)
• Selecting FM-10 from the dropdown
• Click on the red, broken link icon => becomes gray
• This brings up the dialog to launch FM-10, Yes i want
• Wait dialog, then FM 10 is started
• Link icon is gray
• Click on green triangle creates the known message

Have also repeated the procedure with

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Utilities\ExtendScript Toolkit CS4\ExtendScript Toolkit.exe"

=> same as before (Target Adobe Framemaker 10 (10.0) provides no engine for debugging).

Does anybody know where this debugging engine should show up (as a pgm or dll, a regisry entry or brigth idea ?

Then i coud check, whether something is missing here.

[4everJang]

Hi Klaus,

I guess reinstalling FM10 would be the fastest option. Who knows how the current installation got corrupted (Windows works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?).

Good luck

Jang

[D_DD]

I have no done the unavoidable: reinstalled FM-10 with its 3 patches.

However there is no difference in behaviour of the ESTK (be it version CS4, CS5 or CS6).

Since ESTK does not show up in the Windows install/uninstall list and also not in the components list of TCS2 (to be able to re-install it), I'm really hapless. Is this ESTK somewhere available as an installable thingy?

I have found ESTK 3.5 (3.8 is only available via CS6) on http://www.adobe.com/devnet/scripting/estk.html and will try to install and use it.

[4everJang]

Did you uninstall FM10 first ?

I know from other cases that installers sometimes do not know that part of a program has been damaged and must be reinstalled. It could well be that the FM10 installer simply skipped part of the program - i.e. the stuff required to run ESTK scripts - as it deemed the installation to be still OK where it clearly is not.

Sometimes you even need to clean up the registry before problems like these can finally be fixed. I must say I am so happy to be working on a virtual machine - if all else fails I just create a completely new Windows machine, install my software in a clean Windows environment and start working. But this should not be necessary, of course.

[D_DD]

Friends, I give up - at least for now.

Having downloaded ESTK 3.5 from http://www.adobe.com/devnet/scripting/estk.html, installed and patched with an update from the same source - the problem is not gone.

Where the heck is this debugging engine hidden?

[D_DD]

Hm, something came to my mind, when reading in a Readme file:

My FM's are not Suite installations, but stand alone installations.

Could this be of influence? [a film title springs into my mind: a woman under the influence].

[4everJang]

That should not make any difference. Whatever Adobe programs you have installed with ExtendScript support will show up in the list box, whether they are installed as part of a Suite or not.