executeMenuCommand and doScript problem in VS Code ExtendScript Debugger 2.0.3

[itsenouphoto]

Hello everyone. 

I finally ran into a problem with which I decided to write here. A few days ago I decided to take a chance on debugging in VS Code. Everything was well but today I lost several hours in the process of writing a draft of one of the functions trying to figure out what was doing wrong. And then I decided to run the same code in ESTK and - surprise! - it worked as it should.
Win10, Illustrator 2023

The problem occurred when calling Pathfinder -> Substract (and Minus Back).
At first I did it via app.executeMenuCommand("Live Pathfinder Subtract"), but it just didn't work (or was wrong sometimes). I carefully checked everything and tried different options, nothing helped and I decided to use app.doScript. This worked if it was the only line in the script. But when it's inside a function, the illustrator just freezes at the moment the action is executed.
I have another calls of executeMenuCommand and doScript in my current developing script and it works as it should be.
I've tried restarting VS Code and Illustrator, googled a lot, restarted the computer couple times. Nothing helped until I remembered that there is an old, but familiar ESTK, open it and app.doScript worked without problems. Although app.executeMenuCommand("Live Pathfinder Subtract") still doesn't work. As a result, I reinstalled the ExtendScript Debugger extension by reducing the version to 1.1.2 and in VS Code it now also works.

So, the question is: the problem is in me and can it be fixed, or is it better not to upgrade to the latest version yet so that with every error I don’t think it’s me stupid or the debugger again decided to waste a couple of hours of life? Perhaps I need to somehow clear the test results that remain in memory ...
Thank you for your attention, I will be grateful for any comments.

[m1b]

Hi @itsenouphoto, we need some more information. Can you post a short script/demo file that shows the problem? Then we can try to reproduce your problem and we'll know how widespread the problem is I think.

- Mark

[itsenouphoto]

Hi @m1b . Sorry for the long answer, I decided that first I need to complete the task with the tools that allow it, and then figure out how the new ones work.

Here is the link to the all files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J6t0FxhRAKnTs0bIRRw9R0C21s_3HtwF?usp=sharing (.aia Action file is not supported here)

And the text of the function:

var targetDoc = app.activeDocument;
cleanByBotL();
$.writeln("\n---rdy");


function cleanByBotL(){
	var targetObj = targetDoc.layers[0].pageItems.getByName("Traced_Image");
	var lrsList = [];
	for (i = 0; i< targetObj.pageItems.length; i++){
		lrsList[i] = targetObj.pageItems[i].name; 
	}
	lrsList = lrsList.reverse();

	//for (i = 0; i< 1; i++){
		//$.writeln("Fix lrsList["+i+"] = " + lrsList[i]);
		var i = 3;		// for test on one item
		var groupToMin = targetObj.groupItems.add();
		groupToMin.name = "grToMinus";
		groupToMin.move(targetObj.pageItems.getByName(lrsList[i]), ElementPlacement.PLACEBEFORE);

		var numGr = i;
		targetDoc.selection = null;
		for (numGr; numGr < lrsList.length-1 ; ){
			numGr++;
			targetObj.pageItems.getByName(lrsList[numGr]).duplicate(groupToMin);
			$.writeln("Fix lrsList["+ numGr +"] = " + lrsList[numGr]);
		}

		targetDoc.selection = null;
		groupToMin.selected = true;
		app.executeMenuCommand("compoundPath");
		targetObj.pageItems.getByName(lrsList[i]).selected = true;
		
		$.writeln("tst 1"); // Here I can see where the AI freesing
		app.doScript("Path_2" , "Lines_js_action", false); 	// So thats the problem
		//app.executeMenuCommand("Live Pathfinder Subtract");  // Here too, but it just not working
		$.writeln("tst 2"); //or not freesing 

		app.executeMenuCommand("compoundPath"); 
		targetDoc.selection[0].name = lrsList[i];
		targetObj.pageItems.getByName(lrsList[i]).selected = true;
		$.writeln("targetDoc.selection = " + targetDoc.selection);
	//}
}

By the way, I tried a few more tests and realized that after reinstalling the VS Code ExtendScript extension  to any version, most often this line works when I start it for the first time. And then it starts crashing again.