How to create a Book in Indesign and add indesign documents to it?

[_K_Hemachandiran_]

Hi all,

Can I create a book in InDesign CS3 and add indesign documents to it using javascript.

Thanks,
Hemachandiran.

[Martin Fischer]

Hi K.

yes, you can.

Takt a look at this pretty old piece of code:

// bookOfSelectedFolder.jsx

//DESCRIPTION: Create a book and add indd-files of a choosen folder



var myFolder = Folder.selectDialog( "Choose a folder" );

if( myFolder != null ){

   // get indd-files of choosen folder

   var myFiles=myFolder.getFiles( "*.indd" );

   if ( myFiles.length > 0 ){

      var myBookFileName = myFolder + "/"+ myFolder.name + ".indb";

      myBookFile = new File( myBookFileName );

      try{

         //does the book file exist?

         myBook=app.open( myBookFile );

      }

      catch ( e ){

         //the book file doesn't exist, so make a new one           

         myBook=app.books.add( myBookFile );

         myBook.automaticPagination=false;

         for ( i=0; i < myFiles.length; i++ ){

            myBook.bookContents.add( myFiles );

         }

         myBook.save( );

      }

   }

}

Martin

[Guest]

Hi.

This script was fantastic through CS3, but now in CS4, it crashes the application. When I use the debugger in the ESTK, it crashes around this line:

myBook=app.open( myBookFile );

Does anyone know what the difference is in CS3 and 4 that is causing the error? I'm still learning how to script and have not been able to figure it out myself.

Thanks in advance.

[Kasyan Servetsky]

Here's my version of the script — now works in CS4 — may be it would come in handy to somebody:

var myFolder = Folder.selectDialog( "Select a folder with InDesign files" );
if ( myFolder != null ) {
     var myFiles = [];
     var myAllFilesList = myFolder.getFiles();

     for (var f = 0; f < myAllFilesList.length; f++) {
          var myFile = myAllFilesList;
          if (myFile instanceof File && myFile.name.match(/\.indd$/i)) {
               myFiles.push(myFile);
          }
     }
     
     if ( myFiles.length > 0 ) {
          var myBookFileName = myFolder + "/"+ myFolder.name + ".indb";
          myBookFile = new File( myBookFileName );
          if ( myBookFile.exists ) {
               if ( app.books.item(myFolder.displayName + ".indb") == null ) {
                    myBook = app.open( myBookFile );
               }
          }
          else {
                myBook = app.books.add( myBookFile );
                myBook.automaticPagination = false;
                for ( i=0; i < myFiles.length; i++ ) {
                    myBook.bookContents.add( myFiles );
                }
                myBook.save( );
           }
     }
}

[_K_Hemachandiran_]

Its really useful martin.

Thanks.

I have another doubt, can i export the text frame contents to an RTF format using cs3. (using javascript)

[Martin Fischer]

Hi K.

you may look for an object called textFrame in the DOM (e.g. in ESTK) and find out the methods of it. There you might find something called exportFile() and it's parameters.

Martin