Compare text using script or grep

[Bedazzled532]

Hi 

I have a huge txt file where there are lines of Quran separated by soft return. I want to use this file as a base file as this is spell checked. I have attached the screenshot.

What I want to achieve is that whenever anyone types a line of Quran in InDesign, it should be matched with the line in the the base txt file.

Can it be done through grep? Is there any script which can do this ?

Thanks

[Bedazzled532]

@m1b  I was thinking of one more thing. Now that this line comparing version is working, can we check word by word  using grep in script ? New line and spaces need to be ignored. e.g if there are two spaces in between the word in indesign, current script will treat this as an error. Is there a way out of this ?

Thanks

[m1b · Accepted solution]

Hi @Bedazzled532, here is a version that checks word by word:

function main() {

    var masterContentFile = File("d:/readid.txt");
    var badCharacterStyleName = 'Bad';

    if (!masterContentFile.exists) {
        alert('Could not find master content file "' + masterContentFile + '".');
        return;
    }

    var doc = app.activeDocument,
        badCharacterStyle = doc.characterStyles.itemByName(badCharacterStyleName);

    if (!badCharacterStyle.isValid) {
        alert('Could not find character style "' + badCharacterStyleName + '".');
        return;
    }

    if (
        doc.selection[0] == undefined
        || !doc.selection[0].hasOwnProperty('parentStory')
    ) {
        alert('Please put cursor in the story you want to check and try again.');
        return;
    }

    masterContentFile.open('r')

    var masterContent = masterContentFile.read().split("\n"),
        userParagraphs = doc.selection[0].parentStory.paragraphs,
        userContent = userParagraphs.everyItem().contents,
        leadingTrailingSpace = /(^\s|\s$)/g,
        whitespace = /\s+/g,
        contentCount = Math.min(userContent.length, masterContent.length),
        differenceCount = 0;

    for (var i = 0; i < contentCount; i++) {

        var m = masterContent[i].replace(leadingTrailingSpace, ''),
            u = userContent[i].replace(leadingTrailingSpace, '');

        if (u == m) continue;

        var mWordContent = m.split(whitespace),
            uWords = userParagraphs[i].words,
            uWordContent = uWords.everyItem().contents,
            wordCount = Math.min(mWordContent.length, uWordContent.length);

        for (var j = 0; j < wordCount; j++) {

            if (uWordContent[j] != mWordContent[j]) {

                uWords[j].applyCharacterStyle(badCharacterStyle);
                differenceCount++
            }

        }

    }

    alert('Found ' differenceCount + ' different words.');

};

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Check Story Against Master Content');

[Bedazzled532]

@m1b Thanks it worked. Its breaking on new line (\n) but its working fine with soft enter. Its also taking into consideration the whitespaces. Thats gr8.

Wonderful modificaiton. Thanks

I would like to understand following step :

contentCount = Math.min(userContent.length, masterContent.length)
Its giving the minimum length here. But I do not understand why we are using this "minimum"?

Thanks.

[m1b]

I would like to understand following step :

contentCount = Math.min(userContent.length, masterContent.length)
Its giving the minimum length here. But I do not understand why we are using this "minimum"?

This sets the loop count to the lowest number of user content or master content. Imagine if there are 10 lines in the master content file, but only 8 lines in the user content (the story)... if we use the master content line length as the loop, we will run out of user content to compare and an error will occur (userContent[8] will be undefined, not a string). If we set the loop to stop when it reaches the minimum of those two counts, then we can't go wrong.

- Mark

[Bedazzled532]

Thank you so much.

[m1b]

You're welcome! 🙂 All the best with your project.