A script to adjust the column widths of just the selected table

[stevej61370215]

Hi

I've used the following script a lot over the years. It's brilliant, but it changes every table in the document, and now I've come across a situation where I need a script that does the same thing, but just to the table that is selected. I thought I'd seen this discussed somewhere on the forums in the past but I can't find it.

Is it a simple change to make it target just the selected table?

I don't recall where I originally found this script, so apologies to the author.

var myDoc = app.activeDocument;

var myWidths = [60, 10, 10, 10];

for(var T=0; T < myDoc.textFrames.length; T++){

for(var i=0; i < myDoc.textFrames[T].tables.length; i++){

for(var j=0; j < myWidths.length; j++){

myDoc.textFrames[T].tables[i].columns[j].width = myWidths[j];

}

}

}

alert("Table width updated successfully...");

Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to assist.

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

Try this - there is ZERO error checking - so before you run this script - select any Cell - not just text cursor in the Cell - you need to select any Cell. 

var myDoc = app.activeDocument;
var myWidths = [60, 10, 10, 10];
var myTable = app.selection[0].parentRow.parent;
for(var j=0; j < myWidths.length; j++){
myTable.columns[j].width = myWidths[j];
}
alert("Table width updated successfully...");

[stevej61370215]

That's perfect – thanks Robert.

I really appreciate your help.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

That's perfect – thanks Robert.

I really appreciate your help.

By @stevej61370215

So it works - great to hear. I've made it in the middle of the night, on my phone 😉 Always happy to help.

You could do a lot more - if you work on a PC and don't mind paid solutions 😉

[stevej61370215]

I'm on a Mac, but regardless I love this clever timesaving stuff.

I don't get large table-filled reports to do these days as our clients tend to do their reports inhouse, otherwise I'd definitely be looking for a bigger/paid solution.

For the small one-off I'm working on at the moment I've set up multiple copies of your script with different table widths that are common throughout – then I've assigned each version of the script a different keyboard short cut. So your script is definitely making the job more efficient.

Thanks again.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I'm on a Mac, but regardless I love this clever timesaving stuff.

Unfortunately, my tool is PC only - for a direct use(*).

For the small one-off I'm working on at the moment I've set up multiple copies of your script with different table widths that are common throughout – then I've assigned each version of the script a different keyboard short cut.

By @stevej61370215

And that's pretty much perfect definition of my tool - save manual clicks / operations as Task(s) - and execute on demand - WITHOUT the need to be a coder / scripter:

(in this case, "Row" / "Column" columns show number of rows / columns in each table, otherwise, they show "address" of the cell)

You can load basic info about all tables in the document - or from selected Story / Selected Text / etc. - then either double-click on the element on the list to select specific table and then execute Task to format it - or checkmark in the first column, tables you want to process - after sorting / filtering by any property - for example number of columns / rows, or applied Table / Cell Style, etc. - and then process them in BatchMode - using the same Task from the top part.

Or you can be in InDesign then use a keyboard shortcut - IDT is monitoring keyboard globally - and execute Task without switching to IDT.

Or you can browse tables in IDT - they can be automatically selected in InDesign for preview - and execute Task using just Keyboard - no mouse needed.

And that's just a tip of an enormous iceberg 😉 But - PC only...

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Here, I've loaded info about only first 5x selected tables, then used filters to show only Cells from 1st row and 3rd column:

Because, everything user can click in IDT - can also be saved as a command in the Task - user doesn't have to do "pre-processing" on each INDD file - a dedicated Task can prepare "environment" as well.

Or one big Task can select objects to be processed - texts, tables, objects, etc. - and then do processing.