Convert Graphic Frame to Text Frame

[HPS_Rich]

Hi,

I've a document with some basic frames in them. I need to convert them into text frames.

I've tried PageItem.contentType = ContentType.TEXT_TYPE and while it changes the content type the page item still does not have insertionPoints.

If I close the document directly after changing the content type then re open, the insertionPoints are accessable.

What else do i need to do when converting the frame type?

many thanks

Richard

[Shonkyin-CF145T]

Hi Richard,

Try this

app.activeDocument.allPageItems[0].contentType = ContentType.TEXT_TYPE app.select(app.activeDocument.allPageItems[0].insertionPoints[0])

Regards,

Shonky

[Jongware]

You are correct -- there seems to be a minor lag between assigning the Content type and ID actually recognizing it as such.

I tried a few random things that did not work -- forcing "recompose" and such -- until (finally!) trying this: an explicit Select of the new object does force ID to re-evaluate the type.

r = app.activeDocument.rectangles.add();
try {
 x = app.selection[0].insertionPoints.length;
 alert ("Found "+x+" insertion points");
} catch (_)
{
 alert ("No insertion points here");
}
r.contentType = ContentType.TEXT_TYPE;
r.select();
try {
 x = app.selection[0].insertionPoints.length;
 alert ("Found "+x+" insertion points");
} catch (_)
{
 alert ("No insertion points here");
}

[Harbs. · Accepted solution]

The problem is caused by the peculiarities of InDesign's loose typing.

You need to reevaluate the type like so:

myPageItem.contentType = ContentType.TEXT_TYPE;
myPageItem = myPageItem.getElements()[0];

[HPS_Rich]

thank you all for being so helpful,

yep in the end I set the pageitem variable to the pageitem in the document again and it fixed the problem, presume this is a Javascript bug and not Indesign itself?  I guess Indesign is doing some other process behind the scenes when you change the content type and Javascript doesn't realise the object has changed. lol

thanks again.

Richard

[Harbs.]

I don't think it's really a bug.

InDesign keeps interactions between the scripting layer and the C++ layer to a minimum to ensure maximum performance.

You really don't want InDesign to reevaluate the object's type  each time you change a property...

You are changing the object's class "behind the scripting engine's back", so the scripting layer is not aware of new properties.

Harbs