Inspiring

Question

ID2021 scripting: Idle task falls silent

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
April 19, 2021
2 replies
1235 views

Hi all!

I am trying to implement IdleTask in a startup script to automatically run short scripts after checking some DOM properties.
This decision was made because events on page items do not work.

The still empty ON_IDLE event handler function fires several times and falls silent after a while ... (event handler contains only an alert ).

I've tried changing the restart time between .5 --- 10 seconds, and the lower the number was set, the longer the script stayed working. If the sleep time is set to 10 seconds, the event appears 3---5 times.

As a result, IdleTask freezes after about 2---3 minutes, even if the user is not working. IdleTask remains valid, but there are no more ON_IDLE events.

I did not launch any other IdleTask or scripts, InDesign remains fully functional.

I would like the event handler script to be restarted without interruption (except for the user work time).

Why is this happening and is it possible to somehow customize it?

Another question is: If several IdleTasks are running, will they be executed sequentially or concurrently?

Scripting

This topic has been closed for replies.

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi vhh68,

I've seen this issue as well. Though it needs some minutes that the problem shows up. I have no good solution to this.

Hm. Maybe a workaround is to not allow the user and InDesign to be idle so long?

For the second question: Sorry, I have no idea.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

vnh68Author

Inspiring

Hello rob day, hello Uwe Laubender!

Here is just part of the code responsible for working with idleTask:

app.addEventListener('afterOpen', function(event){
        if (event.parent instanceof LayoutWindow) {
            
            var docName = event.parent.parent.name,
                docTask = app.idleTasks.itemByName(docName);
            
            docTask && docTask.isValid && docTask.remove();
            
            docTask = app.idleTasks.add({name: docName, sleep: 1000});
            docTask.addEventListener('onIdle', function(event){
                    event.parent.sleep = 5000; 
                    alert('DOCTASK');
                    //event.parent.sleep = 1000;
            });

        }
    });

The script worked only 2-4 times in a row, then events 'onIdle' do not appear. I tried to run this code as a simple script and startup script. The result is absolutely the same...

(Win 10, RAM 32Gb)

For each document open, I want to start the task that tracks changes in the document and starts the desired scripts depending on the changes in the document.

At the input, I increase sleep time so that the script can be executed without overlapping, I restore sleep time at the output, since it is possible that only a short-term check will be executed in the next iteration.

rob day

Community Expert

It looks like the alerts interfere with themselves, try a writeIn. You are adding the idleTask to the application, so when the task is triggered the docName might not be the active doc, and the tasks keep running after the documents are closed. Here I’m writing the number of application tasks and the triggered task’s name

#targetengine "session"
app.addEventListener('afterOpen', function(event){
        if (event.parent instanceof LayoutWindow) {
            
            var docName = event.parent.parent.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, ''),
            docTask = app.idleTasks.itemByName(docName);
            
            docTask && docTask.isValid && docTask.remove();
            
            docTask = app.idleTasks.add({name: docName, sleep: 5000});
            docTask.addEventListener('onIdle', function(event){
                    $.writeln("There are currently " + app.idleTasks.length + " application idle tasks. Triggered task’s name is " + docTask.name);     
            });
        }
    });

rob day

Community Expert

Can you post the code that isn’t working?

This example creates a new task named iTask and sends an alert when a page is added:

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var pc = doc.pages.length;
//make a new idleTask. The task name and the sleep time
var iTask = makeIdleTask("onAddingPage", 100)
iTask.addEventListener(IdleEvent.ON_IDLE, onAddPage);


/**
* The idle task event function
* @9397041 the event 
* @Return void 
*/

function onAddPage(e){
    if ( doc.pages.length>pc ) {
        alert("Page Added, do something")
    }
    pc = doc.pages.length;
}


/**
* Makes a new named idleTask 
* @9397041 the task name 
* @9397041 the sleep time 
* @Return the named idleTask
*/
function makeIdleTask(n, s){
    var it;
    try {
        app.idleTasks.add({name:n, sleep:s})
    }catch(e) {
        it = app.idleTasks.item (n);
    } 
    return app.idleTasks.item (n);
}

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi Rob,

does the script still work if you leave your InDesign alone for some minutes?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

rob day

Community Expert

Seems to be—I waited 20 min.

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