how to change position of new xml element as immediate sibling to current xml Element using JSscript

[Karthik SG]

I am trying to change position of nav-pointer tag as immediate sibling of term element as like shown below,

[rob day · Accepted solution]

Hi @Karthik SG , i don‘t do much InDesign XML work, but I think you would use the XMLElement move method. I can’t see your root, but if index-entry was level 1 then:

//root
var xroot = app.activeDocument.xmlElements.item(0);
//root’s elements
var xml1 = xroot.xmlElements.item(0);
//xml1’s elements
var xml2 = xml1.xmlElements.item(0);
//the 1st element in xml2
var term = xml2.xmlElements.item(0)
//the 3rd element in xml2
var newpoint = xml2.xmlElements.item(2);

//move newpoint
newpoint.move(LocationOptions.after, term);


$.writeln(xml1.markupTag.name)
$.writeln(xml2.xmlElements.count(0))
$.writeln(xml2.xmlElements.item(2).markupTag.name)

move method

[琥珀 猫太郎 · Accepted solution]

I tried using XPath.

If each element is a sibling, move.

var targetElementName = "nav-pointer";
var referenceElementName = "term";

// Target element with the reference element in the same hierarchy
var targetElementArray = app.activeDocument.xmlElements.firstItem().evaluateXPathExpression("//" + targetElementName + "[../" + referenceElementName + "]");

// Reference element with the target element in the same hierarchy
var referenceElementArray = app.activeDocument.xmlElements.firstItem().evaluateXPathExpression("//" + referenceElementName + "[../" + targetElementName + "]");

for(var i =0; i < referenceElementArray.length; i++){
    targetElementArray[i].move(LocationOptions.AFTER,referenceElementArray[i]);
}

[Sunil Yadav · Accepted solution]

Try this code:

moveTerm()
function moveTerm(){
    var myDoc = app.documents[0];
    var xPath = ['//term'];
    var root = myDoc.xmlElements[0];
    var node = null;
    try{
        var proc = app.xmlRuleProcessors.add(xPath);
        var match = proc.startProcessingRuleSet(root);
        while (match != undefined){
            node = match.element;
            match = proc.findNextMatch();
            if(node != null && node != undefined){
                if(node.parent.xmlElements.length > node.index+1){
                    var nextSibling = null;
                    for(var i = node.index+1; i < node.parent.xmlElements.length; i++){
                        if(node.parent.xmlElements[i].markupTag.name == "nan-pointer"){
                            nextSibling = node.parent.xmlElements[i];
                            break;
                            }
                        }
                    if(nextSibling != null){
                        nextSibling.move(LocationOptions.after, node);
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    catch(ex){}
    finally{
        proc.endProcessingRuleSet();
        proc.remove();
        }
    }

Best

Sunil

[琥珀 猫太郎]

I have never used xmlRuleProcessors, so it was very helpful.
Thank you.

[Sunil Yadav]

If you use xmlRuleProcessor, you will never have to be dependent on gluecode ever. Rule processor will find each & every node in sequential manner.

evaluateXPathExpression is also used for finding node (it won't be able find nodes in sequntial).