How can I ensure newly created object styles are unique?

[dublove]

Object styles seem to allow duplicate names as long as they're in different groups.
The condition

"if(!d.objectStyles.itemByName(a1).isValid)" 

doesn't appear to check for "a1" within its own group.

Instead, it requires this approach:

if(!d.objectStyleGroups.itemByName(“AA”).objectStyles.itemByName(a1).isValid))

Since I don't know all group names, is there a way to check if the style `a1` exists in any group or outside all groups?

[Pickory]

You could use allObjectStyles to get an array, then check the array.

P.

[dublove]

Hi Pickory.

Thank you very much. I remember there was an allparagraphs

alert(app.documents[0].allObjectStyles.itemByName(“a1”))

Still need to iterate?

[rob day]

Still need to iterate?

Yes, allObjectSyles is an Array not a Collection—an Array has no itemByName function.

Your alert(app.documents[0].allObjectStyles.itemByName(“a1”)) would throw an error:

[dublove]

I feel the execution efficiency below is a bit low:

if(app.documents[0].objectStyleGroups.itemByName(“AA”).objectStyles.itemByName(“a1”).isValid)

[rob day]

That would also throw an error if the AA group does not exist.

[dublove]

How to efficiently determine if there is an a1?

[rob day · Accepted solution]

With an Array you have to loop, something like this

alert(checForOS("a1"))
  
/**
* Check if an object style named n exists 
* @ param n 
* @ return true if object style named n exists * 
*/
function checForOS(n){
    var os = app.documents.item(0).allObjectStyles;
    var b = false
    for (var i = 0; i < os.length; i++){
        if (os[i].name == n) {
            b = true
        } 
    }; 
    return b
}

[dublove]

Thanks rob day.

This one seems to work too.
It just doesn't feel quite as wonderful.

var obs = app.documents[0].allObjectStyles;
var have= 0;
for (var i = 0; i < obs.length; i++) {
    if (obs[i].name == "a1") {
        have= 1;
    }
}

[dublove]

After seeing your examples, I seem to be starting to like “return”.

[rob day]

Right, the advantage of a function with a returned value is you can call it with a single line of code as many times as needed.

[dublove]

@Manan Joshi

@rob day 

I want to set the attribute as a parameter again. Similar to this previous post.
Seems like it won't work.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/how-to-transfer-myparstn-to-n-in-myjson-n-v-chan...

I want allCellStyles, allObjectStyles, and allParagraphs to share a single function.
Like this:

alert(checForOS("a1",allCellStyle))

function checForOS(n,ty){
    var os = app.documents.item(0).[ty];
    var b = false
    for (var i = 0; i < os.length; i++){
        if (os[i].name == n) {
            b = true
        } 
    }; 
    return b
}

[m1b]

@dublove your function won't work like that. It should be like this:

alert(checkForOS("a1", "allCellStyles"));

function checkForOS(n, ty) {
    var os = app.documents.item(0)[ty];  // no dot before [ty]!
    for (var i = 0; i < os.length; i++) {
        if (os[i].name == n) {
            return true;
        }
    };
    return false;
}

but, in my opinion, a better approach would be:

var a1CellStyle = getThing(app.activeDocument.allCellStyles, "name", "a1");
alert(a1CellStyle != undefined);

function getThing(things, key, value) {

    for (var i = 0; i < things.length; i++)
        if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)
            return things[i];

};

[dublove]

@m1b 

I don't understand this line:

if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)

Also, what does “key” refer to?

What exactly does “name” refer to?

[m1b]

`key` is the second parameter. In this case we pass it the string "name" because we want to match the name property of the CellStyle.

For your self, you could simplify the function:

function getThing(things, key, value) {

    for (var i = 0; i < things.length; i++)
        if (things[i][key] == value)
            return things[i];

};

[dublove]

Hi m1b.

I now understand the meaning of “key”.
In this example, the key attribute we are checking is “name”.

Could you translate the meaning of the sentence below?

if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)

 Thank you.

[m1b]

@dublove this line

if ((undefined == key ? things[i] : things[i][key]) == value)

returns true if `value` matches things[i][key] *if `key` exists`* but if key doesn't exist (is undefined) it matches things[i] alone to value. It means I can pass it an array of some object and search for a know object inside it, so I would do:

var myObj = getThing(allObjs, undefined, someObj) || defaultObj;

In your case you don't really need this functionality. It's just a shortcut to make the function a bit more useful for me. I rarely use it though.

- Mark

[m1b]

By the way, @dublove go back and read my old code I've given you. There is a reason I like to use the getThing function.

[dublove]

@m1b Yes, a well-designed function can save a lot of trouble.