How to convert units within a dialog window

Report · Oct 11, 2023

I'm wondering if something is possible using Extendscript for InDesign. I have this demo code:

main();
function main() {
myDialog = new Window ("dialog", "Example", undefined, {closeButton: false})
var my1Group = myDialog.add("group")
    my1Group.orientation = "row"
    var my1_1Group = my1Group.add("group")
        var units = my1_1Group.add("panel", undefined, "Units")
        units.orientation = "column"
        units.alignChildren = "left"
            var radio_in = units.add("radiobutton", undefined, "in");
            var radio_mm = units.add("radiobutton", undefined, "mm");
            var radio_pt = units.add("radiobutton", undefined, "pt");
            radio_in.value = true						
            function selected_ubutton(rbuttons) {
                for (var i = 0; i < rbuttons.children.length; i++) {
                    if (rbuttons.children[i].value == true) {
                        return rbuttons.children[i].text
                    }
                }
            }
    var my1_2Group = my1Group.add("group")
        my1_2Group.orientation = "row"
        my1_2Group.add("statictext", [0,0,40,20], "Input:")
        my1_2Group.add("edittext", [0,0,60,20], "3")
        var myDisplayedUnits = my1_2Group.add("statictext", [0,0,28,20], "in")

    var my1_3Group = my1Group.add("group")
        my1_3Group.orientation = "column"
        my1_3Group.add("button", undefined, "OK")
        my1_3Group.add("button", undefined, "Cancel")

        radio_in.onClick = radio_mm.onClick = radio_pt.onClick = function() {
            myDisplayedUnits.text = selected_ubutton(units)
            }

myDialog.show();
}

The demo code creates this dialog window:

I want it to be so that a user can select different units and have it update in the text box. Right now the demo code is only able to update the unit label next to the text box. I understand that if the only input I wanted to convert was 3 inches, then I could simply make three .onClick functions (one for each unit) and have the text update accordingly. But what I want is so that a user could change 3 to 5, or 10, or 23, or any number, and when they click "mm" or "pt" the text box updates to the converted value. Is this possible using Extendscript?

Thanks,

Ben

Report · Oct 12, 2023

Hi @Ben-ind , You might consider using InDesign’s dialog object rather than the JS ScriptUI. The dialog object has built-in unit conversions via the measurementEditbox. The measurementEditbox lets you set a default unit, and the user can enter a different unit—the entered units are translated and returned as points. In this example I’ve set width and height fields with the default to inches and initials value of 5in x 3in. If I enter 100mm x 50mm the returned values are the dimensions as points. This imitates the InDesign UI.

var w, h;
makeDialog();
function makeDialog(){
    var theDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Frame Dimensions", canCancel:true});
    with(theDialog.dialogColumns.add()){
        staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Width:"});
        staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Height:"});
    }
    with(theDialog.dialogColumns.add()){
        w = measurementEditboxes.add({editUnits:MeasurementUnits.INCHES, editValue:360, minWidth:90});
        h = measurementEditboxes.add({editUnits:MeasurementUnits.INCHES, editValue:216, minWidth:90});
    }

    if(theDialog.show() == true){
        w = w.editValue;
        h = h.editValue;
        main()
        theDialog.destroy();
	}
}


function main(){
    app.activate()
    app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.POINTS;
    var r = app.activeWindow.activePage.rectangles.add({geometricBounds:[0,0,h,w]});
    //reset
    app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = AutoEnum.AUTO_VALUE;
}

The added rectangle with the document ruler units set to MM

The dialogColumn or dialogRow API lists the options:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#DialogColumn.html

Report · Oct 12, 2023

I find the Extendscipt API pretty disappointing... I'm already stuck trying to add a radio button.

with(theDialog.dialogColumns.add()){
    radiobuttonControls.add({staticLabel:"Test"});
}

Throws an error... not sure what I'm doinmg wrong.

Is there a user guide or spome tutorials for this stuff like exists for scriptUI?

Thanks,

Ben

Report · Oct 13, 2023

Here‘s a radio button example—radio buttons need to be grouped:

//result variables
var r1, r2;  

makeDialog();

/**
* Make the  dialog 
*/
function makeDialog(){
    var theDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Dialog", canCancel:true});
    with(theDialog){
        //a column with static labels
        with(dialogColumns.add()){
            staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Radio 1"});
            staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Radio 2"});
        }
        //a column of controls
        with(dialogColumns.add()){
            with(radiobuttonGroups.add()){
                r1 = radiobuttonControls.add({checkedState:true});
                r2 = radiobuttonControls.add({checkedState:true});
            }
        }
    }
    //get the dialog results
    var res = theDialog.show();
    if(res == true){
        r1 = r1.checkedState;
        r2 = r2.checkedState
        main()
	}else{
        theDialog.destroy();
    }
}


/**
* The Script to run after dialog
* @ return void 
*/

function main(){
    alert("Dialog Results\nradio 1= "+ r1 + "\nradio 2= "+ r2)
}

Is there a user guide or spome tutorials for this stuff like exists for scriptUI?

Here’s a template that uses all of the dialog options:


//result variables
var pdfDropdown, colorDropdown, foodDropdown, foodList, angleCombo, integerCombo, realCombo, percentCombo, measureCombo, 
    enablePanel, ckBox, colRadio, pageRadio, spreadRadio,  
    realEdit, intEdit, percentEdit, measureEdit, angleEdit, textEditField, pageWidth, mu;

//check for a doc
if (app.documents.length > 0) {
    mu = app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit;
    app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = MeasurementUnits.PIXELS;
    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    pageWidth = doc.documentPreferences.pageWidth
    makeDialog();
} else {alert("Please open a document and try again.")}

/**
* Make the  dialog 
* @ return void
*/

function makeDialog(){
    
    //the dialog name
    var theDialog = app.dialogs.add({name:"Dialog Components", canCancel:true});
    with(theDialog){
        with(dialogColumns.add()){
            //Panel Dropdowns and Combos
            with(dialogRows.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Panel 1 Dropdowns", staticAlignment:StaticAlignmentOptions.LEFT_ALIGN, minWidth: 150});
            }
            with(borderPanels.add()){
                with(dialogColumns.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"PDF Drop Down:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Swatches Drop Down:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"String Drop Down:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Angle Combo:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Integer Combo:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Real Combo:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Percent Combo:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Measurement Combo:"});
                }
                with(dialogColumns.add()){

                    pdfDropdown = dropdowns.add({stringList:app.pdfExportPresets.everyItem().name, selectedIndex:3, minWidth:80});
                    colorDropdown = dropdowns.add({stringList:app.swatches.everyItem().name, selectedIndex:2, minWidth:80});


                    foodList = ["Mustard", "Relish", "Ketchup"];
                    foodDropdown = dropdowns.add({stringList:foodList, selectedIndex:0, minWidth:80});
                    angleCombo = angleComboboxes.add({stringList:["0", "90", "180"], editValue:0, maximumValue:360, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    integerCombo = integerComboboxes.add({stringList:["1", "2", "3"], editValue:0, maximumValue:100, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    realCombo = realComboboxes.add({stringList:[".1", ".2", ".3"], editValue:0, maximumValue:1, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:.01, largeNudge:.1, minWidth:50});
                    percentCombo = percentComboboxes.add({stringList:["10", "15", "20"], editValue:10, maximumValue:100, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    measureCombo = measurementComboboxes.add({stringList:[pageWidth.toString(), "600", "800", "1200", "1800"], editUnits:MeasurementUnits.PIXELS, editValue:pageWidth});
                }
            }
            //Panel 2 Enabling
            with(dialogRows.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Panel 2 Enabling", staticAlignment:StaticAlignmentOptions.LEFT_ALIGN, minWidth: 150});
            }
            enablePanel = enablingGroups.add({checkedState:false, minWidth:150})
            with(enablePanel){
                with(dialogColumns.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Check Box"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Columns"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Pages"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Spreads"});
                }
                with(dialogColumns.add()){
                    ckBox = checkboxControls.add({checkedState:false, minWidth:150});
                    with(radiobuttonGroups.add()){
                        colRadio = radiobuttonControls.add({checkedState:true});
                        pageRadio = radiobuttonControls.add({checkedState:true});
                        spreadRadio = radiobuttonControls.add({checkedState:true});
                    }
                }
            }
            //Panel 3 Editable
            with(dialogRows.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Panel 3 Edit Boxes", staticAlignment:StaticAlignmentOptions.LEFT_ALIGN, minWidth: 150});
            }
            with(borderPanels.add()){
                with(dialogColumns.add()){
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Real Edit:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Integer Edit:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Percent Edit:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Measurement Edit:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Angle Edit:"});
                    staticTexts.add({staticLabel:"Text Edit:"});
                }
                with(dialogColumns.add()){
                    realEdit = realEditboxes.add({editValue:0, maximumValue:10, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:.01, largeNudge:.1, minWidth:50});
                    intEdit = integerEditboxes.add({editValue:1, maximumValue:100, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    percentEdit = percentEditboxes.add({editValue:15, maximumValue:100, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    measureEdit = measurementEditboxes.add({editUnits:MeasurementUnits.MILLIMETERS, editValue:0, maximumValue:1000, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:90});
                    angleEdit = angleEditboxes.add({editValue:0, maximumValue:360, minimumValue:0, smallNudge:1, largeNudge:10, minWidth:50});
                    textEditField = textEditboxes.add({editContents:"Hello World!", minWidth:150});
                }
            } 
        }
    }
	
    //the dialog results
    var res = theDialog.show();
    if(res == true){
        pdfDropdown = app.pdfExportPresets.item(pdfDropdown.selectedIndex);
        colorDropdown = app.swatches.item(colorDropdown.selectedIndex);
        foodDropdown = foodList[foodDropdown.selectedIndex];
        angleCombo = angleCombo.editValue; 
        integerCombo = integerCombo.editValue;
        realCombo = realCombo.editValue;
        percentCombo = percentCombo.editValue;
        measureCombo = measureCombo.editValue;//returns points
        
        enablePanel = enablePanel.checkedState
        ckBox = ckBox.checkedState;
        colRadio = colRadio.checkedState
        pageRadio = pageRadio.checkedState
        spreadRadio = spreadRadio.checkedState
        
        realEdit = realEdit.editValue;
        intEdit = intEdit.editValue;
        percentEdit = percentEdit.editValue;
        measureEdit = measureEdit.editValue;//returns points
        angleEdit = angleEdit.editValue; 
        textEditField = textEditField.editContents

        main()
	}else{
        theDialog.destroy();
    }
}


/**
* Script.
* @ return void 
*/

function main(){
    
    //the returned dialog values
    alert("\nPDF Preset = " + pdfDropdown.name +"\nColor = " + colorDropdown.name +"\nFood = " + foodDropdown +
    "\ncombo angle= " + angleCombo + "\ncombo integer= " + integerCombo +"\ncombo real= " + realCombo + 
    "\ncombo percent= " + percentCombo + "\ncombo measurement= "+ measureCombo + 
    "\nenable panel= "+ enablePanel + "\ncheck box= "+ ckBox +"\ncolumn radio= "+ colRadio + "\npage radio= "+ pageRadio + "\nspread radio= "+ spreadRadio +
    "\nreal edit = " + realEdit + "\ninteger edit = " + intEdit + "\npercent edit = " + percentEdit +"\nmeasure edit= "+ measureEdit +
    "\nangle edit= "+ angleEdit +"\ntext edit= "+ textEditField)
    app.scriptPreferences.measurementUnit = mu;
}

Report · Oct 13, 2023

Also, there’s https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest

The dialog class has the dialogColumns property for adding columns to the dialog:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#Dialog.html

And the dialogColumn class has properties for adding dialogRows and UI objects:

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#DialogColumn.html#d1e593931

How to convert units within a dialog window

1 Correct answer