Automatically create hyperlinks with a script

Hi _ross_,

what other interactive features should be in your catalog PDF ?

Should it work with unknown reader software on tablets and mobile devices?

Or can you make sure that your audience is using Adobe Reader on Windows or OS X only?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

royb74794940​

Thread goes to InDesign scripting forum.

Kris from Rorohiko wrote a great javascript for someone at CreativePro Week this past June. It uses GREP to find the string, then plops the found text into a URL. You'll need to configure the GREP and the hyperlink destination (he has instructions in the script and on his blog).
https://www.rorohiko.com/wordpress/use-indesign-find-and-replace-to-assign-hyperlinks-to-text/

EDIT: I'm not sure it works in tables, however. I can't seem to get it to work within a table. But I'll keep trying. I've used it for other searches just fine.

If you are using OSX this AppleScript works on the sample text you posted. The URLs are formattted like this: https://www.testshop.com/*8762903

tell application "Adobe InDesign CC 2018"
    activate
    tell active document
        -- finds all 7 digit numbers
        set fg to my GrepSearch("\\d{7}")
       
        --hyperlink each number.
        repeat with x in fg
            set t to contents of object reference of x
            set hs to make hyperlink text source with properties {source text:x}
            set hl to make hyperlink URL destination with properties {destination URL:"https://www.testshop.com/*" & t}
            set h to make hyperlink with properties {source:hs, destination:hl}
        end repeat
    end tell
end tell
on GrepSearch(f)
    tell application "Adobe InDesign CC 2018"
        set find grep preferences to nothing
        set find what of find grep preferences to f
        return find grep
    end tell
end GrepSearch

Hi,

I exactly wrote such a script for a client several months ago.

If Interested, you could contact me! …

Best,

Michel, for FRIdNGE

michel.allio.fridnge@gmail.com