How to get filesNames as it was in selected folder structure in indesign javascript?

[Karthik SG]

var filesB =[];
var myfile=Folder.selectDialog();
var fileList =myfile.getFiles(); 
filesB =  fileList.sort();
for (i = 0; i < filesB.length; i++) { 
    $.writeln(filesB[i]);
 }

Why I am unable get actual file order present in selected folder?

or 

How to sort final array I got from the folder?

Actually i tried to get files from selected folder to new array but I am unable to get the same order it was listed in my browsing drive folder .If  there is any method to get as it was please let me know.

[m1b]

Hi @Karthik SG, I don't know of any way to "get the same order it was listed in [your] browsing drive folder", but you can sort the list of files based on any of their properties. See File's properties. For example:

myFiles.sort(function (a, b) { return b.modified - a.modified });

 - Mark

[Karthik SG]

Hi @m1b , thanks for your response!

I tried to sort it out already but it is also not helping in my case.

 var files = ["2fig10_1.tif","2fig11_1.tif","2fig3_1.tif","2fig3_2.tif","2fig4_1.tif","2fig5_1.tif","2fig6_1.tif","2fig6_2.tif","2fig7_1.tif","2fig8_1.tif","2fig9_1.tif","2fig9_2.tif","2map13_1.eps","2map1_1.tif","2map2_1.eps"]
 //var newlist = files.sort();
//var newlist =  files.sort(function(a, b){return b-a});
var newlist =files.sort(function (a, b) { return b.modified - a.modified });
 for(var a=0; a<newlist.length;a++){
 $.writeln(newlist[a]); 
 }

for your easy reference i converted the myfolder fileNames into an array! Please help me to sort it out in ascending order sequence!

[m1b]

Oh I see. One confusion is that you called the array "files" but they aren't files; better to call the array "fileNames".

The main problem is that the file names don't use numerical padding so they won't sort the way you want. For example this is a correct sort of the current file names:

2fig10_1.tif
2fig11_1.tif
2fig3_1.tif
2fig3_2.tif
2fig4_1.tif
2fig5_1.tif
2fig6_1.tif
2fig6_2.tif
2fig7_1.tif
2fig8_1.tif
2fig9_1.tif
2fig9_2.tif
2map13_1.eps
2map1_1.tif
2map2_1.eps

But you probably want something like this:

2fig03_1.tif
2fig03_2.tif
2fig04_1.tif
2fig05_1.tif
2fig06_1.tif
2fig06_2.tif
2fig07_1.tif
2fig08_1.tif
2fig09_1.tif
2fig09_2.tif
2fig10_1.tif
2fig11_1.tif
2map01_1.tif
2map02_1.eps
2map13_1.eps

If the file names were padding with leading zeros, it works. Can you rename the files?

- Mark

[Karthik SG]

thank you for the response @m1b . I will try by changing the file names as you said!

[m1b · Accepted solution]

I've had a try at a sorter function that will sort the original file names. Please try this and see if it works for you.

- Mark

fileNames.sort(sortStringByPaddingNumbers);

/**
 * Sorter function that adds
 * leading zeros to all numbers
 * so they sort better.
 *  m1b
 *  2022-11-01
 *  {String} a - a string to order.
 *  {String} b - a string to order.
 *  {Number} - sort result (-1, 0, or 1).
 */
function sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a, b) {

    var aParts = a.split(/(\d+)/),
        bParts = b.split(/(\d+)/),
        len = Math.min(aParts.length, bParts.length);

    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {

        if (aParts[i].length === bParts[i].length)
            continue;

        var an = Number(aParts[i]),
            bn = Number(bParts[i]);

        if (an === an)
            aParts[i] = ('0000000000' + aParts[i]).slice(-10);

        if (bn === bn)
            bParts[i] = ('0000000000' + bParts[i]).slice(-10);

    }

    a = aParts.join('');
    b = bParts.join('');

    if (a < b) return -1;
    if (a > b) return 1;
    return 0;

};

Edit: fixed bug in script.

[Karthik SG]

wow, it is working fine! you are really great!

Thanks @m1b 

[Karthik SG]

Hi @m1b , it is only working for direct sorting of array contents which are strings but when we get the file path that is not an string it was actually a object so getting error! 

var filesB =[];
var myfile=Folder.selectDialog();
var fileList =myfile.getFiles(); 
filesB =  fileList.sort(sortStringByPaddingNumbers);
for (i = 0; i < filesB.length; i++) { 
    $.writeln(filesB[i]);
 }

/**
 * Sorter function that adds
 * leading zeros to all numbers
 * so they sort better.
 *  m1b
 *  2022-11-01
 *  {String} a - a string to order.
 *  {String} b - a string to order.
 *  {Number} - sort result (-1, 0, or 1).
 */
function sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a, b) {
    var aParts = a.split(/(\d+)/),
        bParts = b.split(/(\d+)/),
        len = Math.max(aParts.length, bParts.length);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
        if (aParts[i].length === bParts[i].length)
            continue;
        var an = Number(aParts[i]),
            bn = Number(bParts[i]);
        if (an === an)
            aParts[i] = ('0000000000' + aParts[i]).slice(-10);
        if (bn === bn)
            bParts[i] = ('0000000000' + bParts[i]).slice(-10);
    }
    a = aParts.join('');
    b = bParts.join('');
    if (a < b) return -1;
    if (a > b) return 1;
    return 0;
};

a is an object and a.name gives the fileName. In this case how to make this function work???

{/d/scripts/20599fig10_1.tif}

[m1b]

Hi @Karthik SG, use this line for the sort:

filesList.sort(function (a, b) { return sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a.displayName, b.displayName) });

Also the .sortMethod will actually change the array, so you don't need to assign it to a new variable (filesB isn't needed—you can just keep using filesList).

- Mark

[Karthik SG]

I tried like you said also but it was not working for me, please review my code, If any mistake let me know i will change it !

var filesB =[];
var myfile=Folder.selectDialog();
var fileList =myfile.getFiles(); 
//filesB =  fileList.sort(sortStringByPaddingNumbers);
filesB = fileList.sort(function (a, b) { return sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a.displayName, b.displayName) });
for (i = 0; i < filesB.length; i++) { 
    $.writeln(filesB[i]);
 }

/**
 * Sorter function that adds
 * leading zeros to all numbers
 * so they sort better.
 *  m1b
 *  2022-11-01
 *  {String} a - a string to order.
 *  {String} b - a string to order.
 *  {Number} - sort result (-1, 0, or 1).
 */
function sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a, b) {
    c = String(a.name);
    d=  String(b.name);
    var aParts = c.split(/(\d+)/),
        bParts = d.split(/(\d+)/),
        len = Math.max(aParts.length, bParts.length);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
        if (aParts[i].length === bParts[i].length)
            continue;
        var an = Number(aParts[i]),
            bn = Number(bParts[i]);
        if (an === an)
            aParts[i] = ('0000000000' + aParts[i]).slice(-10);
        if (bn === bn)
            bParts[i] = ('0000000000' + bParts[i]).slice(-10);
    }
    c = aParts.join('');
    d = bParts.join('');
    if (c < d) return -1;
    if (c > d) return 1;
    return 0;
};

[Karthik SG]

I tried by converting the arguments name to string after that change, this is also working fine @m1b !

var filesB =[];
var myfile=Folder.selectDialog();
var fileList =myfile.getFiles(); 
filesB =  fileList.sort(sortStringByPaddingNumbers);
for (i = 0; i < filesB.length; i++) { 
    $.writeln(filesB[i]);
 }

/**
 * Sorter function that adds
 * leading zeros to all numbers
 * so they sort better.
 *  m1b
 *  2022-11-01
 *  {String} a - a string to order.
 *  {String} b - a string to order.
 *  {Number} - sort result (-1, 0, or 1).
 */
function sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a, b) {
    c = String(a.name);
    d=  String(b.name);
    var aParts = c.split(/(\d+)/),
        bParts = d.split(/(\d+)/),
        len = Math.max(aParts.length, bParts.length);
    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
        if (aParts[i].length === bParts[i].length)
            continue;
        var an = Number(aParts[i]),
            bn = Number(bParts[i]);
        if (an === an)
            aParts[i] = ('0000000000' + aParts[i]).slice(-10);
        if (bn === bn)
            bParts[i] = ('0000000000' + bParts[i]).slice(-10);
    }
    c = aParts.join('');
    d = bParts.join('');
    if (c < d) return -1;
    if (c > d) return 1;
    return 0;
};

[m1b · Accepted solution]

Hey, very well done on fixing it! For information, here is my preferred way below. Also note I made a mistake on the sorter function: please change Math.max to Math.min. This will throw error in some cases.

- Mark

var myfile = Folder.selectDialog();
if (myfile) {
    var fileList = myfile.getFiles();
    fileList.sort(function (a, b) { return sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a.displayName, b.displayName) });
    for (i = 0; i < fileList.length; i++)
        $.writeln(fileList[i].displayName);
}

/**
 * Sorter function that adds
 * leading zeros to all numbers
 * so they sort better.
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2022-11-01
 * @Param {String} a - a string to order.
 * @Param {String} b - a string to order.
 * @Returns {Number} - sort result (-1, 0, or 1).
 */
function sortStringByPaddingNumbers(a, b) {

    var aParts = a.split(/(\d+)/),
        bParts = b.split(/(\d+)/),
        len = Math.min(aParts.length, bParts.length);

    for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {

        if (aParts[i].length === bParts[i].length)
            continue;

        var an = Number(aParts[i]),
            bn = Number(bParts[i]);

        if (an === an)
            aParts[i] = ('0000000000' + aParts[i]).slice(-10);

        if (bn === bn)
            bParts[i] = ('0000000000' + bParts[i]).slice(-10);

    }

    a = aParts.join('');
    b = bParts.join('');

    if (a < b) return -1;
    if (a > b) return 1;
    return 0;

};

[Karthik SG]

@m1b as you said when using "Math.max" it throws error in some cases, thanks for the update after changing it to "Math.min" it's working fine now!