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dublove
dublove
Legend
May 28, 2025
Answered

How to create various styles with scripts?

  • May 28, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 1027 views

I want to determine if the styles below exist before I run another script, and if they don't, then create new ones.

Paragraph style: pa
Character style: ch
Object style: ob
Table style:: mytable
cell style: cel

 

Thank you very much.

Correct answer brian_p_dts

Can you tell me the table style, cell object style their names.

 

You can search the entire scripting API. Here are the ExtendScript document methods and objects:

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

 

To find proberties there is the document’s cellStyle, tableStyle, paragraphStyle, characterStyle, ObjectStyle.

 

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#CellStyle.html#d1e456077

 

 Note for creating a new style you use the plural (i.e., d.cellStyles.add())

 

Here is a makeCellStyle function:

 

var cs = makeCellStyle(app.activeDocument, "My Cell Style");
//set the properties of the style named cs
cs.properties = {fillColor:"Black"};


/**
* Makes a new named Cell Style or get the style named n
* @ param the document to add the style to 
* @ param style name 
* @ returns the new cell style 
*/

function makeCellStyle(d, n){
  var cs;
  try {
      d.cellStyles.add({name:n});
  }catch(e) {
      cs = d.cellStyles.itemByName(n);
  } 
  return d.cellStyles.itemByName(n);
}

 

 

 

 

 

You can also have a universal function by referencing the document's relevant property via a string reference: 

 

var makeStyle = function(doc, styleName, collection) {

    doc[collection].add....

}

 

makeStyle(app.activeDocument, "pa", "paragraphStyles");

3 replies

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2025

Paragraph style: pa

 

Hi @dublove , I use this function to get or set a style. This makes a new style named "pa", then I can set the new or existing style’s properties. You can do the same for Character and Object styles

 

var ps = makeParaStyle(app.activeDocument, "pa");
//set the properties of the style named pa
ps.properties = {basedOn:"[No Paragraph Style]", appliedFont:"Myriad Pro	Regular", pointSize:8, leftIndent:0};



/**
* Makes a new named Paragraph Style or get the style named n
* @ param the document to add the style to 
* @ param style name 
* @ returns the new paragraph style 
*/

function makeParaStyle(d, n){
  var ps;
  try {
      d.paragraphStyles.add({name:n});
  }catch(e) {
      ps = d.paragraphStyles.itemByName(n);
  } 
  return d.paragraphStyles.itemByName(n);
}
dublove
dubloveAuthor
Legend
May 28, 2025

This one's good.
Thank you very much.
Can you tell me the table style, cell object style their names.
I went through so many scripts written by others to get to the last sentence.

rob day
Community Expert
rob dayCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2025

You can also have a universal function by referencing the document's relevant property via a string reference: 

 

var makeStyle = function(doc, styleName, collection) {

    doc[collection].add....

}

 

makeStyle(app.activeDocument, "pa", "paragraphStyles");


Hi @brian_p_dts , Thanks that works great. I think @dublove , still would need to check if the style already exists (I get an error running more than once) so maybe this?

 


makeStyle(app.activeDocument, "pa", "paragraphStyles");


/**
* Make a new collection 
* @ param the document 
* @ param the name 
* @ param the collection class 
* @ return the named collection 
*/
function makeStyle(d, n, collection) {
    if (d[collection].itemByName(n).isValid) {
        return d[collection].itemByName(n);
    } else {
        return d[collection].add({name:n})
    }
}
Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2025

What advantage do you expect with scripting styles? What should the script do what you can't do without scripting?

brian_p_dts
Community Expert
brian_p_dtsCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2025

Depends if styles are in groups, but if not: 

if (app.activeDocument.paragraphStyles.itemByName("pa").isValid) { ...

dublove
dubloveAuthor
Legend
May 28, 2025

Are other style judgments similar?

brian_p_dts
Community Expert
brian_p_dtsCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2025

Try it and report back!

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