Can you make scripts behave differently if run from the script panel or run through use of shortcut?

Hello Rob and Mark, 

I do like this idea, two files - one with the script which provides funtionality - another which is an interface to paramerters. Both scripts access JSON one writes the other reads. 

I would like to give this a shot also - I feel like this should work quite easliy without tearing up much the origional script. 

The amusing part is that the script works perfectly fine, just would be easlier for users not to have to adjust via opening the file and editing - although once set users ought not to need to change but users will be users

Thanking you kindly. 

Smyth

This code 

used to work - this is later version which is even more destroyed 

however it does correcrly record user parameters to the json file 

there as a time the script would allow for users to input data 

and then on the shortcut running the script it would just do defult

// JSON polyfill
#targetengine "jsonPolyfill" // This avoids polluting the global namespace

// Include the JSON polyfill library
$.evalFile("C:\\Users\\user\\Desktop\\json2.js"); // Replace with the actual path to the json2.js file

// Initialize settingsFile as a File object
var settingsFile = new File("C:\\Users\\user\\Desktop\\rule_settings.json");

// Check if the script was invoked via a shortcut key
var invokedViaShortcut = false;
if (ScriptUI.environment.keyboardState.ctrlKey || ScriptUI.environment.keyboardState.altKey) {
    invokedViaShortcut = true;
}

// Declare user-defined variables
var userDefinedAmountTop = 0;
var userDefinedAmountBottom = 0;

// Function to save user-defined settings
function saveUserSettings() {
    var settings = {
        top: userDefinedAmountTop,
        bottom: userDefinedAmountBottom
    };

    // Save settings to the settingsFile
    settingsFile.open("w");
    settingsFile.write(JSON.stringify(settings));
    settingsFile.close();
}

// Function to load user-defined settings
function loadUserSettings() {
    if (settingsFile.exists) {
        settingsFile.open("r");
        var settingsData = settingsFile.read();
        settingsFile.close();

        var settings = JSON.parse(settingsData);
        userDefinedAmountTop = settings.top;
        userDefinedAmountBottom = settings.bottom;
    }
}

// Load user-defined settings when not invoked via shortcut
if (!invokedViaShortcut) {
    // Create a dialog box to input user-defined values
    var dialog = app.dialogs.add({ name: "Enter Values" });

    with (dialog) {
        // Add a dialog column
        with (dialogColumns.add()) {
            // Add fields to input user-defined values
            staticTexts.add({ staticLabel: "User-defined Amount Top:" });
            var topInput = measurementEditboxes.add({ editValue: userDefinedAmountTop });

            staticTexts.add({ staticLabel: "User-defined Amount Bottom:" });
            var bottomInput = measurementEditboxes.add({ editValue: userDefinedAmountBottom });

            // Remove unit values from user input fields
            topInput.editUnits = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
            bottomInput.editUnits = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
        }
    }

    // Display the dialog box
    if (dialog.show() == true) {
        userDefinedAmountTop = topInput.editValue;
        userDefinedAmountBottom = bottomInput.editValue;

        // Save user-defined settings
        saveUserSettings();
    } else {
        alert("Please select at least two text frames.");
    }

    dialog.destroy(); // Close the dialog after processing
} else {
    // Load user-defined settings
    loadUserSettings();

    // Sort selected text frames by their horizontal position
    selectedFrames.sort(function(a, b) {
        return a.geometricBounds[1] - b.geometricBounds[1];
    });

    // Wrap the script in an undoable action
    app.doScript(function() {
        // Iterate through the sorted selected text frames
        for (var i = 0; i < selectedFrames.length - 1; i++) {
            var currentFrame = selectedFrames[i];
            var nextFrame = selectedFrames[i + 1];

            // Check if the frames are on the same page
            if (currentFrame.parentPage === nextFrame.parentPage) {
                // Calculate the center position for the vertical rule
                var centerX = (currentFrame.geometricBounds[3] + nextFrame.geometricBounds[1]) / 2;

                // Calculate the height of the rule (same as the height of the taller object)
                var ruleHeight = Math.max(
                    currentFrame.geometricBounds[2] - currentFrame.geometricBounds[0],
                    nextFrame.geometricBounds[2] - nextFrame.geometricBounds[0]
                );

                // Determine the starting and ending heights for the rule
                var startHeight = Math.max(
                    currentFrame.geometricBounds[2],
                    nextFrame.geometricBounds[2]
                );

                var endHeight = Math.min(
                    currentFrame.geometricBounds[0],
                    nextFrame.geometricBounds[0]
                );

                // Adjust the start height for the line based on the user-defined amount
                var adjustedStartHeight = startHeight + userDefinedAmountBottom;
                var adjustedEndHeight = endHeight - userDefinedAmountTop;

                // Create a new line
                var newLine = currentFrame.parentPage.graphicLines.add();
                newLine.paths[0].entirePath = [
                    [centerX, adjustedStartHeight],
                    [centerX, adjustedEndHeight]
                ];

                // Send the line to the back
                newLine.sendToBack();
            }
        }
    }, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Add Vertical Lines Between Text Boxes");
}