Adding Undo to a UXP Script

[Mike Witherell]

Hi gang,

In a wonderful post here:

https://creativepro.com/add-undo-to-your-script/

... by the venerable Theunis De Jong, it was described how to add a few lines of code to a jsx script to cause it to undo in 1 undo step.

How is this done in UXPScripts?

[Loic.Aigon]

Hi there,

Just tested app.doScript in UXP Scripting and I think it's partially implemented, to say the least:

• calling a function fails whether you call it by its reference (app.doScript(main…)) or by a string (app.doScript("main()"…)
• Passing the code as a string works ("app.doScript("app.activeDocument.textFrames.add(…) BUT the cancel instruction produces no effet (app.doScript("code", [arguments], [UndoModes], [script name]).
  Using UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT doesn't make the script "cancelable" as a whole.

I would report to Adobe via a BUG REPORT in the uservoice. 

[Mike Witherell]

Oh no! I was hoping for an elegant answer. Thanks, Loic!

[Loic.Aigon]

I hope it might be wrong but this is how it looks like 😕

[Mike Witherell]

I tried it in the Adobe Developer Tool debugger, but my experience level is not deep enough. All I can see is that it fails to work and complains about it. 

Where is there a lookup of new commands vs. old commands?

[Loic.Aigon]

I am not aware of a comparison between ExtendScript and UXP so you have a state of the art but there is the official UXP InDesign DOM here:

https://developer.adobe.com/indesign/uxp/omv/

But as doScript method seems to demonstrate, being listed on this page, doesn't mean it's working fully.

Yet I am not surprised, it's not that long that UXP Scripting is available with InDesign and there will be gaps for a while.

Loic

[Peter Kahrel]

Adobe confirmed that app.doScript() doesn't work yet in UXP, and that they're working on its implementation. There are still quite a lot of things that don't work yet, UXP scripting is still very much work in progress.

[Mike Witherell]

Thanks Peter. I had assumed (I don't know why I would) that once introduced, UXP would be a fairly complete implementation, and that JSX stuff would be deprecated.

[Loic.Aigon]

I understand this ongoing process, it allows Adobe to move priorities-wise. For example, they now know they need to fix doScript ;). This is a transition time and ExtendScript will be there for as long as UXP isn't fully up to date. If you are a team, you can set resources on this ExtendScript to UXP transition. If you are a freelancer, you may stick to ExtendScript for nowand use UXP for your own use with the intention of finding areas to improve.