1 Correct answer
Hi
My first thought would be FindChangeByList script.
text
{findWhat:"your word here"}
{appliedCharacterStyle:"italic"}
{includeHiddenLayers:true, includeMasterPages:true, includeFootnotes:true, wholeWord:true, caseSensitive:false}
This would require some manipulation to stick your words in the above pattern.
However, it wouldn't be so difficult to do it in an Excel file.
See what I mean?
However, there might be easier ways, so I would wait for other users answers before going deeper into this process.
17
Replies
Hi,
… When all has already been written … since five years! …
textFile = File(Folder.myDocuments+"/list.txt");
if (textFile.open("r") == false)
{ alert ("yeah ... that file does not exist"); exit(0); }
strs = textFile.read ();
textFile.close();
strs = strs.split("\n");
app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
app.changeGrepPreferences.appliedCharacterStyle = app.activeDocument.characterStyles.item("yourStyle");
while (strs.length > 0)
{
app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "\\b"+strs.pop()+"\\b";
app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
}
(^/) 
… with this "French Touch" variant! 
textFile = File(File($.fileName).parent.fullName + "/list.txt");
(^/)
var myTextFile = File(File(app.activeDocument.filePath + "/list.txt"));
if(myTextFile.exists) {
myTextFile.open();
var myWord = myTextFile.read();
myWord = myWord.split("\n");
myTextFile.close();
app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
app.changeGrepPreferences.appliedCharacterStyle = app.activeDocument.characterStyles.item("Italics");
while (myWord.length > 0 ) {
app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "\\b"+myWord.pop()+"\\b";
app.findGrepPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = "Blue";
app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
app.findGrepPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = "Green";
app.activeDocument.changeGrep();
}
}
else alert (decodeURI(myTextFile) + " not found");
My personal version, limited to 2 para styles, "Blue" and "Green"!
Just place the "list" (saved in .txt) at the same level as the .indd file, change the char/para styles names, defining the targets [lines 12-13 duplicated].
(^/)
"… C'est effectivement rapide et efficace …"
Je prends ça pour une litote ! 
(^/)
To Learn Something Maybe Time For You! 
Imagine a 100-words list, a 100-para styles doc!
… And the need to italicize these 100 words exluding paras where only 5 specific para styles are applied!!!
Just calculate: (100 - 5) * 100 = 9,500 code lines with FindChangeByList!! Funny!
I just prefer one work-minute and one click!
Your list:
Your ID file, before:
Your ID file, after:
The Script:
/*
0126_ApplyACharStyleToAWordsListWithExclusions_MichelAllio.jsx
Script written by Michel Allio [2017/03/17]
*/
app.doScript("main()", ScriptLanguage.javascript, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Italics! …");
function main()
{
var myDoc = app.activeDocument,
myTextFile = File(File(myDoc.filePath + "/list.txt"));
if(myTextFile.exists) {
if (!myDoc.conditions.item("Target").isValid) myDoc.conditions.add ({name: "Target", indicatorMethod: ConditionIndicatorMethod.USE_HIGHLIGHT, indicatorColor: [255,255,255]});
var myCondition1 = "Target";
if (!myDoc.conditions.item("Italics").isValid) myDoc.conditions.add ({name: "Italics", indicatorMethod: ConditionIndicatorMethod.USE_HIGHLIGHT, indicatorColor: [200,200,150]});
var myCondition2 = "Italics";
myDoc.conditionalTextPreferences.showConditionIndicators = ConditionIndicatorMode.HIDE_INDICATORS;
// Char Style Applied!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
var myCharStyle = "Italics", // To Be Modified!
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Para Styles Excluded!---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
myExcludedParaStyles = ["Blue", "Green"], // To Be Modified!
// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E = myExcludedParaStyles.length;
while ( E-- ) {
app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
app.findGrepPreferences.appliedParagraphStyle = myExcludedParaStyles
; app.changeGrepPreferences.appliedConditions = [myCondition1];
myDoc.changeGrep( );
}
myTextFile.open();
var myWord = myTextFile.read();
myWord = myWord.split("\n");
myTextFile.close();
app.findGrepPreferences = app.changeGrepPreferences = null;
app.findGrepPreferences.appliedConditions = [];
app.changeGrepPreferences.appliedCharacterStyle = myDoc.characterStyles.item(myCharStyle);
while (myWord.length > 0) {
app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "\\b"+myWord.pop()+"\\b";
app.changeGrepPreferences.appliedConditions = [myCondition2];
myDoc.changeGrep();
}
myDoc.conditions.item("Target").remove();
myDoc.conditionalTextPreferences.showConditionIndicators = ConditionIndicatorMode.SHOW_INDICATORS;
alert ("Done!\r\r(^/) ;-)");
}
else alert (decodeURI(myTextFile) + " not found");
}
I only think it's a better way to fix this kind of question!
(^/)
If you are using CC ( it may also be in earlier versions), you can turn on "All information" under clipboard handling. This will allow you to preserve your word italicizing. From there, you can search for paragraph and character styles using command+f and apply your new character styles, or you can simply format the ones that will be brought in from word.
hope that does it!
When I import text that has been styled, I choose to strip out the styling (which tends not to be correct or consistent) but preserve local overrides. Then, as was suggested above, do a Find on character styling of italic and Replace it with your italic character style. All of this is assuming the original text is italicized where you need it.
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