ESTK object model viewer has no documentation!

[_T_1]

I can't find the relevant information about Indesign,Incopy and idserver script objects.

The viewer enlists:

(and nothing else)

my current setup:

I installed ESTK 3.5 directly on my dev machine, e.g. downloading estk from (http://www.adobe.com/devnet/scripting.html)

+ patched it to 3.5.1 (avaiable from same web page).

So far, I haven't installed Indesign cause it's a dev machine. I wonder if this is an issue.

How can I install the missing documentation?

[Harbs.]

So far, I haven't installed Indesign cause it's a dev machine. I wonder if this is an issue.

Yup. You only get the DOM of installed apps...

Harbs

[_T_1]

Is there another way to get the object models? I need all three ( indesign, incopy, idserver )

[Green4ever]

Hi,

For indesign you can use this link. Really this is great work.

http://www.jongware.com/idjshelp.html

Hope it will help you a lot.

Thanks,

Green4ever

[Muppet_Mark-QAl63s]

On my home mac box. I did stumble across some files somewhere amongst the app support. This is from memory but I recall 'omv.xml' one for each in parent folders 'Photoshop', "Indesign' etc. Maybe you could copy/add these without the install? I didn't mess with them myself…

[Jongware]

I don't have the DOMs for InCopy and ID Server, though. Just good old plain InDesign.

[Harbs.]

Do you want to do them? (I can send you the xml...)

Harbs

[Jongware]

Oh absolutely! You got my mail address, right?

For what versions would that be? And any preference for the base colour?

[Harbs.]

Whatever you want...

I'll email you...

Harbs

[_T_1]

@Jongware: it would be nice to have those source .xml to fix my case and every next case of ESTK shipped without proper documentation. Please let us know how to get them.

I mean, if they have given us a standalone ide (ESTK) and if they have given us a precise documentation viewer (OMV), why developers should get NO documentation?

[Jongware]

T, the general idea is you get the documentation for the programs you install on your system, the moment you first run them. The documentation gets generated automatically. My versions contain the exact same data as visible in the OMV, but in a different format.

It's usually not necessary to obtain the help of all versions and of all programs -- in fact, there is no reason at all! Of course you can write a script for other programs, but there is no way to run them!

"NO documentation" is simply not true. Check this page: http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/scripting/  -- click the tab "Scripting resources" to see the huge list of free docs Adobe provides to anyone.

[_T_1]

Here is my humble opinion:

I'm unhappy that the object model isn't perceived as a free piece of knowledge, like an API documentation, ready to be shipped with the IDE.

Having Eclipse without javadoc is not fun!

Having VisualStudio without MSDN is not fun!

[Harbs.]

The ESTK is loaded dynamically based on the DOM of the specific machine. This is a feature -- not a bug. If you have a plugin which adds to the DOM, the ESTK displays the additional scripting properties as well!

The object model is freely available, that's why Jongware was able to create his own html/chm version...

Harbs

[_T_1]

The object model is freely available

In that case it would be nice to know if we'll ever get a standalone version of ESTK full of OMVs, since the standalone one (you can get it from http://www.adobe.com/devnet/scripting.html) aims to be used in environments lacking other ID products.

In the meanwhile, a good place to download all "omvXXXXXXXXXXXX.xml" could be http://www.adobe.com/devnet/scripting.html

[Harbs. · Accepted solution]

No. The ESTK is dynamically loaded from the apps installed on your system.

It might be possible to save the xml files to the correct locations and ESTK might load that. I've never tried.

Either way, Jongware's help files are the best way to browse the DOM...

Harbs

[_T_1]

Thanks to Harbs and Jongware for this case

[Peter Kahrel]

ID Server's object model is the same as that of Desktop, with two exceptions:

- Because Server has no interface, you can't use anything that refers to the interface: activeWindow, activePage, etc. There's also no way to communicate directly with the user: no prompt(), alert(), or any other dialogs.

- Methods that can use the interface are different by one argument. E.g., export to PDF in the Desttop version has an option that enables you to show the PDF export dialog, but (naturally) in Server that option isn't available.

Peter

[Harbs.]

There are actually a few Server-specific objects and methods as well. (i.e. app.serverSettings, etc.)

Harbs