Indesign script for merging documents in one document

[John Armour]

Hi I'm after a script so I can merge multiple Indesign documents into one. This is so we can quickly locate missing links quicker from a supplied folder.

[Laubender]

Hi John,

also a script would need its time to merge documents 😉

Why not using a book of several documents and preflight this?

What is your version of InDesign on what operating system?

Regards,
Uwe

[rob day]

This is so we can quickly locate missing links quicker from a supplied folder.

A script could also open a folder of documents and generate a list of missing links. That would be  a much easier script to write.

[John Armour]

CC2018 on Mac OS. Need to be quick hence the need for a script. Opening 50 documents is time consuming to link each folder.

[rob day]

Opening 50 documents

Are you trying to relink the missing links or just identify the documents with missing links? Are the documents grouped in folders?

[Geоrge]

Скрипт MultiPageImporter | Эффективная работа в Adobe InDesign | Приемы работы, хитрости и секреты, ...

[Geоrge]

https://forum.rudtp.ru/threads/kak-obedinit-neskolko-fajlov-indizajna-v-odin.38556/page-2#post-54818...

[Kasyan Servetsky · Accepted solution]

Try this script: Merge files by Michael Zaichenko

[sfitzgeraldTU]

Kasyan Servetsky : love this script, use it all the time -- but it's broken in the new version of ID CC! it doesn't show all open documents, only the active open document. any chance of an update that you know of?

[Kasyan Servetsky]

Unfortunately, no chance!

I am not the author and it’s a binary jsxbin-file (meaning that the author preferred to hide the code).

The only option is to get in touch with him: Michael Zaichenko by e-mail.

Also, you can try the “Version XX.X Scripts” folder trick to get old scripts working in newer InDesign versions.

(XX.X — is the old version number where it worked: e.g. 13.0 for CC 2018). Create it in your Scripts Panel folder and copy the script here.

— Kas

[sfitzgeraldTU]

thanks Kasyan, I emailed him - we'll see what comes of it!

(Laubender​ - the script worked flawlessly for me until the most recent update.)

[Laubender]

Hi,

what's your operating system?

I did my tests on German Windows 10.

Script was started from the User folder of the Scripts panel in InDesign.

Regards,
Uwe

[sfitzgeraldTU]

I'm using Windows 10 Enterprise N 64-bit. Script is installed in the same place - user folder of the scripts panel.

[Laubender]

Strange.

Tested again with CC 2018.1 and failed.

Just to make sure we are talking about the same version:

MergeFiles-2016.jsxbin

Created 08:16:56 March 29, 2016

Regards,
Uwe

[DBLjan]

I was currently searching for this kind of task, and stumbled upon this. And just to chime in: This version still works with CC 13.1.1 (2018), didnt checked it on 2019.

After hitting "All open docs" i get my list filled with open documents.

Also a needed suggestion for this method (opened docs): Make a checkbox (appear), reading "Close merged docs", which obviously should do force-closes the successfully merged documents, leaving the "untitled-1" behind.

sfitzgeraldTU​, did the author respond?

[DBLjan]

After using the script for 2 days, i can say that this bugs my version of InDesign too.

But I found out:

• The filename of the active document is always in the list

• long filename or maybe path+filename does result in documents not popping up in the list

• a doc named "S160832_CHfr Einleger Ergomaxx Gel Touch Topper.indd" disappears.

• but shorten this to eg "S160832_CHfr.indd" the file shows in list

It might be an oversight with long filenames, defenitly fixable by the author…which didnt respond, i guess, isnt it sfitzgeraldTU​?

I guess, that wasnt it.

But my second guess is better:

I was using "old" documents, which got last saved in a InDesign below 13.1.1, and result in names like 123.indd (umgewandelt) with brackets behind.

If I save these into a current version, which is not to be auto-converted (and has no filepath yet) anymore, the script will show these files.

[Laubender]

Hi sfitzgeraldTU ,

just tested Michael Zaichenko's script with CC 2019.

You are right. Only the active document in front of all others opened is listed with the script.

The workaround would be to use a folder where you copy all documents to you want to merge.

Merging all documents of a folder is working with the script in InDesign CC 2019. Just tested that.

FWIW: Just tried option "All Open Documents" with my installed InDesign CS6 version. It does not work as expected. Same issue that I see in CC 2019. So I think, it never worked with this script file. A version folder would not change that.

Regards,
Uwe

[Hetal5C4C]

Not able to open the website and can't find the script.

Can you please give me a website url to get the script?

Thanks

[Laubender]

Hi Hetal5C4C,

Kasyan's website can be found here:

http://kasyan.ho.ua/

So the script should be available this way:

http://kasyan.ho.ua/indesign/all/merge_files.html

Hm. No. There is another link there that is leading to a discussion at InDesign Secrets:

https://indesignsecrets.com/topic/collect-individual-files-contained-in-a-book-in-one-indd-document/...

Well. Anne-Marie Concepcion posted the link over there:

http://indesignsecrets.com/downloads/MergeFiles-2016.zip

https://creativepro.com/downloads/MergeFiles-2016.zip

FWIW: It does not hurt what Kasyan is writing about the script.

Also interesting what's said in the discussion at InDesign Secrets.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

PS: Updated the download link to the script.

InDesign Secrets is not a separate entity anymore; it's part of Creative Pro.

[Kä X281699]

Kä X281699

[Mr1857]

does this script work in INDD 2023?

[Laubender]

Hi @Mr1857 ,

well, I'd simply try it. The direct link to download the script is:

https://creativepro.com/downloads/MergeFiles-2016.zip

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

does this script work in INDD 2023?

By @Mr1857

It should. 

How many files do you need to combine? 

[Mr1857]

around 30 files, but when i HIT the script, nothing happens. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

around 30 files, but when i HIT the script, nothing happens. 

By @Mr1857

Wouldn't be quicker manually? I mean instead of waiting for the script. 

You can open 1st then 2nd file, select all pages in the 2nd document, do drag&drop to the end of 1st document - or select Move from the Pages pallet. 

And so on.