Call an ExtendScript Script from the Command Line

[frameexpert]

Hi! I can call an ExtendScript script from a command line or batch file just by using its path, but is there a way to pass parameters to the script? Thanks. -Rick

[Trevor:]

Hi Rick

I answered the question over here Re: Create a build script for Extend Script

I have some more info on it if needed but don't have time to post it this week.

Regards

Trevor

page 11 in the user manual

Automatic jsxbin Conversion

The jsxbin format (Binary JavaScript) enables distributing a script without exposing its source code. The

ExtendScript ToolKit offers an Export to Binary feature that instantly converts a js(x) file into jsxbin. The

jsxbin export process can be done automatically without user interaction.

To do this:

1. Write a compiler script file that compiles .jsx files into a .jsxbin file.

 The script file must start with this target directive:

#target estoolkit#dbg

 Use the app.compile() method and pass the content of the script file as a String parameter.

 In the script, store the result in a new file with the extension .jsxbin.

2. Launch the ExtendScript ToolKit with the command-line parameter -cmd [path to compiler script file]:

Windows:

"ExtendScript Toolkit.exe" -cmd compiler.jsx

Mac:

"ExtendScript Toolkit.app/Contents/MacOS/ExtendScript Toolkit" \

-cmd compiler.jsx

Here is a sample compiler script (compiler.jsx) with the source script's file path hardcoded.

#target estoolkit#dbg

var fileIn = File("/c/jsxbin_test/source.jsx");

fileIn.open("r");

var s = fileIn.read();

fileIn.close();

var t = app.compile(s);

var fileOut = File( fileIn.absoluteURI + "bin" ) ;

fileOut.open("w");

fileOut.write(t);

[daitranthanhoa]

Try this code:

var path = app.scriptArgs.getValue( "indd_path" );

cmd:

sampleclient -host localhost:185 C:\Script\main.jsx indd_path="a.indd"

[Trevor:]

can you elaborate on  sampleclient -host localhost:185

[daitranthanhoa]

i using indesign server.

[Dirk Becker]

sampleclient is used to send a SOAP command to InDesign Server.

While this is an old discussion, let me add this command to cover the Mac side with InDesign Desktop:

osascript -e 'tell application id "com.adobe.indesign" to do script "alert(arguments.toSource())" language javascript with arguments ["Hello", "World"]'

osascript is a shell command to launch an AppleScript.

application id "com.adobe.indesign" is a version independent way to address InDesign.

[Trevor:]

Thanks Dirk

From Windows one can use.

powershell -command "$ind = new-object -comobject InDesign.Application.CC.2018; $ind.DoScript('PathToFile', 1246973031)"

From Mac to run a script File (which can be more convenient) one can use

osascript  -e 'tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5" to do script alias "PathToFile" language javascript '''

One question I have is at least on Windows are methods or properties available by connecting directly to the com that are not available from the scripting dictionaries. I.e. are any SDK properties available?

[Dirk Becker]

Trevor,

The COM interface is described by a "TLB" Type Library. InDesign generates it from the same ScriptInfo resources that it also uses for the AppleScript Terminology, the ExtendScript object model and even for INX and IDML. So in most cases the exposed functionality is the same, with few intentional (extra developer work) differences, e.g. "delete" renamed to "remove" where it collides with a reserved keyword, or properties excluded from a specific engine (not in IDML ...).

I'm not aware of any list of actual differences.

[Trevor:]

Hi Dirk,

I would like to be able to call a script by targeting the the host apps pid

I can tell it to do applescripts but can't tell it to do javascripts

Any ideas of how I can do this?

tell application "System Events"

       -- 14883 and 14654 are the PIDs of my running instance of InDesign

       set proc to item 1 of (processes whose unix id is 14883)

       --set proc to item 1 of (processes whose unix id is 14654)

       -- AppleScript works

       tell application proc to do script "/Applications/Adobe InDesign CC 2018/Scripts/Scripts Panel/Samples/AppleScript/PathEffects.applescript"

       -- javascript doesn't work doesn't let the language to to set to javascript

       --tell application proc to do script "/Applications/Adobe InDesign CC 2018/Scripts/Scripts Panel/Samples/JavaScript/PathEffects.jsx" language javascript

end tell

[Dirk Becker]

Trevor,

"tell application proc" does not work, there is no coercion from process to application.

From error messages with jsx attempts I guess that your AppleScript is still executed because the "tell" will end up at that script's object, and inside the script there'll be another tell to target InDesign. It should also fail with your posix path, but why complain?

Given that all InDesign versions have the same bundle identifier, I see no way to address a specific one by means of "tell". Unfortunately

the Carbon psn seems to be unsupported nowadays, that eliminates other approaches. I'd try to make the process frontmost via System Events, then hope that "tell" prefers that frontmost. Something along

tell application "Finder"

  set jsx to (file "test.jsx" of desktop) as alias

  set proc to first process whose bundle identifier is "com.adobe.InDesign"

  set frontmost of proc to true

  tell application id "com.adobe.InDesign" to do script jsx language javascript

end tell

[Trevor:]

Thanks Dirk

That's seems to work well.

I tested it with multiple simultaneous instances of Indesign and it targets the version that it's called from.

My next task it to get it working also on Windows and on the other apps as well.

I'll try work on it in the next  month or 2.

[Sunil Yadav · Accepted solution]

check this out, this might help you!

Run script from command line

[jasons46431568]

link is broken?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

link is broken?

By @jasons46431568

Google "sunil run script from command line adobe forum": 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/run-script-from-command-line/td-p/10105689