executeMenuCommand() Command List

[jduncan]

While building Ai Command Palette I found a great list of executeMenuCommand() values extracted by Shalako Lee from the 2017 SDK. As you might imagine, some of those commands no longer work, and since I'm about to release v0.2.0 of Ai Command Palette I've been testing them all and keeping track of the results in this Google Sheet.

I'm sharing this here because I figured this might be useful to some of you who write scripts for Illustrator. The sheet includes the Original List of commands from Shalako and a working list of the commands that I'm testing in Ai v26.3.1.

Right now I'm about halfway through the original 506 commands from Shalako's list. So far, I've found about 90 that no longer work. I've also updated any verbiage that may have changed in the menu system (since 2017) and updated the ordering to match Ai v26.3.1.

I also, made a simple script to test the commands below if you want to test any yourself. I'm trying to test each command in context to ensure they are working correctly.

Let me know if you have any other that I may have missed... Cheers!

P.S. There is another list on this forum (posted in 2014) that I have yet to review but I am aware of it and plan to compare it with Shalako's.

var result = prompt("Enter Command To Test", "", "Test Built-In Commands");

try {
  app.executeMenuCommand(result);
} catch (e) {
  alert("Error executing command:\n" + result + "\n\n" + e);
}

[schroef]

@samanthac17988544 

Not everything is exposed for scripting. Lots of the special dialogs and menus are exposed. I also doubt this function is exposed..

You could perhaps call a key press using script, but I think you would than need to send this code to the system. That's kinda tricky to pulloff

[schroef]

Perhaps a simple escape key press will work. But doing the save action is not possible. 

You can try to record an action. If that works, than you can convert the action to something which can be added in a script.

I've done this with some items. But if it can be recorded, it can't be done.

If you need to more info about adding an action into script let me know

[sttk3]

Found new commands in Illustrator v28.6; no additions in v28.7.

menu	key	note
File > Generate Vectors (Beta)	Generate Modal File Menu	Note that there is a space after 'Menu'. Added from v28.6
Object > Gen Shape Fill (Beta)	Shape Fill Object Menu	Added from v28.6
Window > Generate Patterns (Beta)	Adobe Generative Patterns Panel	Added from v28.6

[jduncan]

Awesome, I'll get these added to my script. Thanks as always @sttk3!

[CarlosCanto]

thanks sttk3!

[sttk3 · Accepted solution]

Found new commands in Illustrator v29.0.

menu	key	note
Object > Objects on Path > Attach	Attach Objects on Path	Added from v29.0
Object > Objects on Path > Options	Options Objects on Path	Added from v29.0
Object > Objects on Path > Expand	Expand Objects on Path	Added from v29.0
Window > Type > Reflow Viewer	ReflowWindowMenu	Added from v29.0. East asian feature

And a tool.

tool	key	note
Objects on Path	Adobe Constraints Tool	Added from v29.0

[jduncan]

@sttk3, you are the BEST! Commands have been added to my sheet and AiCommandPalette v0.11.3. Thanks for your great work!

[sttk3]

No additions were made in Illustrator v29.1.

The menu Ungroup All has been added, which allows setting keyboard shortcut and recording action, but no command is assigned. Not sure whether this is the intended behavior or not.

[sttk3]

No additions were made in Illustrator v29.2.1.
The menu Window > Help Bar has been added but no permanent command is assigned.

[sttk3]

Found new commands in Illustrator v29.3. And overlooked, but it seems that Ungroup All was assigned a persistent menu command string in v29.2. Reinstalled and tried again, and indeed @Sergey Osokin was right, it was just ungroup. Updated to v29.3 and up.

menu	key	note
Object > Ungroup All	ungroup all	Added from v29.3
Window > Toolbars > Getting Started	Adobe Quick Toolbar Menu	Added from v29.3

[Sergey Osokin]

Hmm. Mac OS, Illustrator v29.2.1 app.executeMenuCommand('ungroup all') not working. It only works as an current “ungroup” command.

[sttk3]

In other words, no errors but insufficient results? Perhaps changing it to “added from v29.3” would help.

[Sergey Osokin]

It seems to have appeared in 29.3. In 29.2, the bug does not occur, but works as a standard ungroup.

[krasnovpro]

It was called 'ungroupAll' and caused 'PARM' error.

[sttk3]

Simply because it is the wrong key.

[krasnovpro]

In the previous version, the command looked like this. Here, there's even a note in the config. I even have it in my backup:

They fixed it in 29.3.

It would be nice to force Adobe to fix the remaining 110 commands that cause 'PARM' error.

[jduncan]

Adding these my spreadsheet and next release of Ai Command Palette. Thanks as always @sttk3! Appreciate the clarification @Sergey Osokin and @krasnovpro!

[sttk3]

Found new command in Illustrator v29.4. v29.5 removes the word “Beta” from the generative AI commands, but no additions seem to be made.

menu	key	note
Type > Type Conversion | Convert To Area Type | Convert To Point Type	point-area	Added from v29.4
Type > Text Type Conversion | Convert To Area Type | Convert To Point Type	point-area	Name changed from v29.5

[jduncan]

Awesome, I've got this new one added and updated the beta commands you mentioned on Twitter in Ai Command Palette. I have moved all of the command data I track into csv files in the Ai Command Palette repo. More than once I have had someone mess up the Google Sheet I was using without me knowing so at least know I will have proper version control for the CSV files. As a plus, GitHub shows pretty CSV files with searching now. Thanks as always for the updates! Cheers!

[Raymond ZJH]

Awe inspiring, that's what I'm looking for.👍👍

[krasnovpro · Accepted solution]

There is my list for app.executeMenuCommand('command'),

with some plugins and parm error:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bejiqm423dj5h0umag00l/menus.yaml?rlkey=hlgm13a2z79v44w0j3l99y1rt&dl=0

And app.selectTool('command'):

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/guylxg62qojhu42x54v3w/tools.yaml?rlkey=jf77j196vmxlvavs35pulmbms&dl=0

[jduncan]

Another great list! I went through all of yours and added the ones I didn't have. Thanks so much!

[rcraighead]

I was not aware of the "app.selectTool()" command! Thank you.

[krasnovpro]

Command has been updated to AI 2023.

Also, maybe someone will need a list of aliases – commands from the kys file and their counterparts for executeMenuCommand:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lc64n1yvnn8u6o0pkazv6/kysaliases.yaml?rlkey=8p06v1296pt5z7vu8vk5tbyu0...

[CarlosCanto]

thanks for the update!