Hi @TestriteVisual, I've written a script to change custom text variables values across open documents. See what you think. It can be modified if not quite what you had in mind.
- Mark
P.S. @rob day sorry I didn't see you were looking at this, too!
/**
* Update Text Variable In Open Documents
* @author m1b
* @version 2023-02-09
* @discussion https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/how-to-update-a-single-text-variable-with-same-value-in-multiple-indd-files/m-p/13564851
*/
function main() {
var showUI = true,
docs = app.documents;
if (docs.length == 0) {
alert('Please open document(s) with text variables and try again.');
return;
}
// get list of custom text variables
var tvs = [],
allTextVariables = docs.everyItem().textVariables.everyItem().getElements(),
tvNames = [],
uniqueNames = {};
for (var i = 0; i < allTextVariables.length; i++) {
if (
allTextVariables[i].variableType == VariableTypes.CUSTOM_TEXT_TYPE
&& uniqueNames[allTextVariables[i].name] != true
) {
tvs.push(allTextVariables[i]);
tvNames.push(allTextVariables[i].name);
uniqueNames[allTextVariables[i].name] = true;
}
}
if (tvs.length == 0) {
alert('No custom text variables found in open documents.');
return;
}
if (showUI)
dialogWithMenuAndValue({
menuItems: tvNames,
windowTitle: '',
menuLabel: 'Update Text Variable',
selectedIndex: 0,
menuChangeFunction: function (index, p, w) { p.selectedIndex = index; w.valueField.text = tvs[index].variableOptions.contents },
actionFunction: function (p) { updateTextVariables(allTextVariables, tvNames[p.selectedIndex], p.value) }
});
else
// if not using UI, then hand code the parameters here:
updateTextVariables(allTextVariables, 'My Text Variable', 'My new value here');
};
app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, undefined, UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, 'Update Text Variable');
/**
* Updates any text variables in `textVariables`
* parameter with name matching `targetName`.
* @author m1b
* @version 2023-02-09
* @param {Array<TextVariable>} textVariables - the text variables to search in.
* @param {String} targetName - the name to match.
* @param {String} newValue - the new value to apply.
* @param {Boolean} showResults - whether to show results alert (default: true).
*/
function updateTextVariables(textVariables, targetName, newValue, showResults) {
var counter = 0,
instanceCounter = 0;
for (var i = 0; i < textVariables.length; i++)
if (textVariables[i].name == targetName) {
textVariables[i].variableOptions.contents = newValue;
counter++;
instanceCounter += textVariables[i].associatedInstances.length;
}
if (showResults !== false)
alert('Updated "' + targetName + '"\n' + instanceCounter + ' instances in ' + counter + ' documents.');
};
/**
* Show UI with menu and value.
* It is expected that `menuChangeFunction`
* will update the `p` object and the
* `actionFunction` can use values from `p`.
* @param {Object} p
* @param {String} p.windowTitle - title of the window.
* @param {Array<String>} p.menuItems - array of strings to populate dropdown menu.
* @param {String} p.menuLabel - label for the dropdown menu.
* @param {Function} p.menuChangeFunction - a function executed when the dropdown menu is changed.
* @param {Function} p.actionFunction - a function executed when OK button is clicked.
* @param {Number} [p.selectedIndex] - the selection index of the dropdown menu (Default: 0).
*/
function dialogWithMenuAndValue(p) {
var dialog = makeUI(p)
dialog.center();
var result = dialog.show();
dialog = null;
if (result == 1) {
p.actionFunction(p);
}
function makeUI(p) {
var windowTitle = p.windowTitle || '',
menuItems = p.menuItems || [],
menuLabel = p.menuLabel || 'Choose:',
menuChangeFunction = p.menuChangeFunction || function (index) { alert('Menu item ' + index) },
w = new Window("dialog", windowTitle),
row = w.add("Group {orientation:'row', alignment:['fill','top']}"),
mainMenu = row.add("Dropdownlist {alignment:['left','center']}"),
valueGroup = row.add("Group {orientation:'row', alignment:['fill','top']}"),
valueField = valueGroup.add("edittext", undefined, ''),
buttonRow = w.add("Group {orientation:'row', alignment:['fill','top'], alignChildren:['right','top'] }"),
cancelButton = buttonRow.add("button", undefined, "Cancel", { name: "cancel", alignment: ['right', 'center'] }),
okButton = buttonRow.add("button", undefined, "Update", { name: "ok", alignment: ['right', 'center'] });
okButton.onClick = function () { p.value = valueField.text; w.close(1) };
w.valueField = valueField;
valueField.minimumSize.width = 300;
mainMenu.preferredSize.width = 250;
mainMenu.title = menuLabel;
for (var i = 0; i < menuItems.length; i++)
mainMenu.add('item', menuItems[i]);
mainMenu.onChange = menuOnChange;
var menuChangeFunction = p.menuChangeFunction || setMenuIndex;
mainMenu.selection = p.selectedIndex || 0;
return w;
function menuOnChange() {
var s = mainMenu.selection ? mainMenu.selection.index : 0;
menuChangeFunction(s, p, w);
}
function setMenuIndex(index, p, w) {
p.selectedIndex = index;
}
}
};
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